The Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club will again form the venue of this year`s Acer Women`s SA Open, sponsored by international hardware vendor Acer.
The tournament is taking place from 17 to 19 March, and forms part of the Nedbank Women`s Golf Tour 2004.
David Drummond, MD of Acer, says Acer is raising the stakes in the women`s golfing world. "Creating equal opportunities for women to succeed in satisfying careers is vital to Acer`s social investment philosophy. We aim to grow women`s golf locally, creating an environment that encourages women to take advantage of the opportunities that golf offers, as a sport and in the corporate world."
Over the past two years, the event has attracted a growing number of international professionals and, this year, more than 80 golfers from 18 different countries will take part in the challenge. One of the main draw cards, Swedish professional golfer, Helena Svensson, will be back in SA to defend her title as last year`s Acer Women`s SA Open winner.
Svensson achieved the 2003 `Rookie of the Year` award. The Acer Women`s SA Open Pro-Am will take place on 16 March, when special guests will once again enjoy a competitive round of golf and interact with the international golfing professionals.
"The standard of women`s golf has risen over the past few years and it is becoming extremely competitive," says Drummond. "This year, I believe that South African women will be going out there and giving it their best shot, to return the spoils to South African soil.
"Golf provides a unique opportunity for networking and, by communicating women`s achievements in golf and encouraging women to take part in the game, Acer believes that corporate women will identify with the winners and develop their own potential in the game," he says.
The empowerment of young girls in the sports arena forms part of Acer`s social responsibility drive and, to this end, Acer is a founder member of "The Girls` Golf Programme". This programme aims to encourage young girls from all walks of life, between the ages of six and 18, to play golf.
Share