GARY PLAYER TO HOST STAR-STUDDED EVENT AT GLENARBOR GOLF CLUB IN OCTOBER
Berenberg Gary Player Invitational to Benefit The Player Foundation
New York, N.Y. – Black Knight International and Berenberg announced today that the 2015 Gary Player Invitational series will continue to celebrate the Union of Golf and Giving at the GlenArbor Golf Club in Bedford, New York, on October 11 and 12.
The Berenberg Gary Player Invitational event promises to be a tremendous gathering of high profile celebrities, professional golfers and athletes. This has been an extra special year for the Gary Player Invitational series as Mr. Player is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his career Grand Slam and his 80th birthday, whilst title sponsor Berenberg celebrates their 425th anniversary.
An 18-hole, four-ball tournament format will be followed by a gala dinner and charitable auction. The 6,900-yard Gary Player Signature layout will provide a stern test and fantastic backdrop for the two-day affair. It will mark the U.S. event’s first visit to the Tri-State area, after being held in Palm Beach, Miami and around The Masters in previous years.
“I am thrilled to be hosting the U.S. leg of our Invitational series at GlenArbor Golf Club,” said Gary Player. “It’s a world-class venue and the ideal backdrop for us to continue the tradition of Golf and Giving this year as I celebrate the 50th anniversary of my career Grand Slam and my 80th birthday. Add that our fantastic sponsor Berenberg is celebrating their 425th anniversary and you have a very special year for the event.”
The U.S. event represents the second leg in the 2015 series, following an enormously successful event at Wentworth Club, located just outside London, in July. The BGPI UK event gathered together the biggest names in golf, business and entertainment at Wentworth Club despite clashing with the extended Monday finish at The Open Championship. Professional golfers such as Fred Couples, Tom Watson, Ian Poulter, Colin Montgomerie and Suzann Pettersen, joined in the fun and giving during a gala auction after the day’s play and later Gary Player, The Player Foundation and presenting sponsor Berenberg donated a significant contribution during the Gala Dinner. This all culminated in raising more than $225,000 for Depaul UK, a charity that works tirelessly to prevent youth homelessness.
The Berenberg Gary Player Invitational forms part of the world-leading charity golf event series, which has raised more than $60 million for charities worldwide. The benefiting charity for the U.S. event will be The Player Foundation, whose goal is to donate $100 million by 2020 to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world. The 2015 series will continue later this year in China, India, South Africa and Abu Dhabi.
For more information please contact:
Lea Lamprecht – C&R Communications
llamprecht@discovercrc.com
+ 1 310 664 8840
Bo Wood – Black Knight International
b.wood@garyplayer.com
+ 1 864 477 2720
Meagan Fester – Black Knight International
meagan@garyplayer.co.za
+27 21 448 7777
ABOUT BLACK KNIGHT INTERNATIONAL
Established in 1983 by Marc Player, Black Knight International is a global holding company for The Player Group and the constantly expanding family of Gary Player® brands. With a powerful presence in North and South America, Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Africa, Black Knight is a multicultural and multilingual company offering branded services for the leisure and real estate industries. This rapidly growing firm is diverse and infused with the same tenaciousness and drive as Gary Player, world renowned iconic golfer. The holding company divisions include: Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, Black Knight Enterprises, Black Knight Solutions, Black Knight Capital, Gary Player Academies, and The Player Foundation.
ABOUT THE PLAYER FOUNDATION
The Player Foundation was established in 1983 by Marc Player. What began as an effort to provide education, nutrition, medical care and athletic activities, for a small community of disadvantaged children living on the outskirts of Johannesburg, South Africa has now blossomed into an organization that circles the globe bringing aid to underprivileged children and impoverished communities.
The Foundation is funded primarily by six Gary Player Invitational events presented through Black Knight International. Pairing celebrities and professional golfers from the PGA and Champions Tours with businessmen and international sports figures, the annual tournaments are staged in the United States, China, Europe and South Africa. The proceeds of these tournaments and other special events provide funding for an ever- expanding number of institutions around the world, including the Blair Atholl Schools in South Africa, the Pleasant City Elementary School in Palm Beach, the Masizame in Plettenberg Bay, South Africa, and AIDS infected children in Baoshan, a drug-infested city located on the China-Burma border. Since its establishment, The Player Foundation has donated more than $60 million to the support of children’s charities, the betterment of impoverished communities and the expansion of educational opportunities throughout the world.
Gary Player, acknowledged as a world-class humanitarian, believes that the strength of our future depends upon the abilities of our children. “I have found that the opportunity to make a difference in the lives of others does not thrust itself upon us,” Player says, “But we do not need to look hard for it either. When you spot the chance to give back to the world, act on it. You will have made life better, for others, and for yourself.”
The Gary Player Foundation is a non-profit 501 C (3) organization managed by Black Knight International in Palm Beach, Florida.
ABOUT BERENBERG
Berenberg was established in 1590 and today we are one of Europe’s leading privately owned banks. With our headquarters in Hamburg and strong presences in Frankfurt, London, New York and Zurich we work from 19 offices across Europe, America and Asia. We deliver our expertise through four divisions – Private Banking, Investment Banking, Asset Management and Corporate Banking. Our Managing Partners lead Berenberg’s 1,250 professionals in their commitment to delivering a modern and efficient service, while maintaining a firm connection with our heritage and traditions.
“We are proud to call Gary Player our Brand Ambassador, as he is truly a great Ambassador for the game of golf,” says Dr. Hans-Walter Peters, Managing Partner of Berenberg. “This must be measured not just in terms of his career achievements as a Grand Slam Champion, but also in driving such outstanding philanthropic initiatives as the Gary Player Invitational series. The event’s great virtues and its ability to give so much back to charity is one of the many reasons we have chosen this sponsorship as an important business platform for years to come.”
