Diners Club to be Presenting Sponsor of 1998 World Match Play Championship

Bangkok--Sep 10--Diners Club International Mark McCormack, Chief Executive of IMG and Chairman of the Championship Committee of the WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP announced that Diners Club International, the world's premier charge card for business travellers, will become the Presenting Sponsor of the 1998 WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP to be staged over the West Course, the Burma Road, at the Wentworth Club, October 15-18. The involvement of Diners Club in the most prestigious match play event in world golf is yet another indication of the company's commitment to the sport at the highest level. For four years Diners Club were the official Card to the European Tour during which time they played a part in the establishment of the Tour Training School. Apollo Week (now MacGregor Week), of which defending champion and US PGA Championship winner Vijay Singh is a graduate. In the USA the Diners Club Matches have become a hugely popular end of season tussle between members of the three main Tours in the States - the PGA Tour, Senior PGA Tour and LPGA. Don Osvog, Managing Director of Citibank Diners Club Europe, expressed his pleasure at Diners Club becoming Presenting Sponsor of the WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP. "This event attracts an elite field comprising the truly great names of the modern game and challenges them to produce their very best golf in 36 hole match play. The indisputable quality and international stature of the WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP are attributes with which Diners Club are delighted to be associated". Mark McCormack who created the event said, "since Arnold Palmer won the inaugural WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP in 1964 the event has been won by virtually all the great names in the game such as Gary Player, Bob Charles, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Severiano Ballesteros, Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam and Ernie Els to name but a few. The WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP has a great history, its appeal spans the globe, and I am delighted that Diners Club have become Presenting Sponsors." Once again a great world class field is expected to line up for the 1998 WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP presented by Diners Club. VIJAY SINGH, the defending champion who last month won the US PGA Championship, and US Masters and Open Champion MARK O'MEARA have already accepted their invitations to play. The remainder of the 12-man line-up will be announced in the next few weeks. The 1998 WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP will commence on Thursday October 15 with the four First Round matches being decided over 36 holes. The winners will go through to meet the four seeded players in the Second Round on Friday October 16. The 36 hole Semi-Finals and Final will be played on Saturday and Sunday October 17 and 18 with the eventual winner receiving a first prize of 170,000 pounds. All four rounds will be televised by BBC TV. For further information, pls contact: Tony Greer, World Match Play Championship Tel (44) 181 233-5000. End.

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