TELUS Skins Game to return to Whistler's Nicklaus North in 2005
7th October, 2004
TELUS extends title sponsorship of Canadian summer golf classic
as event returns to B.C. for third time
After a hugely successful TELUS Skins Game in Montreal this past
summer, it was announced today that the event will return to
Whistler, British Columbia's ‘Nicklaus North' in 2005.
The spectacular golf course was the site of the 1997 event, which
featured Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman, Fred Couples and Nick Faldo,
making this the first “return visit” to a
golf course in the event's 13-year history and the third time the
event has been held in British Columbia.
The 1997 event is still considered one of the most memorable
Skins Games ever as tickets sold out in under an hour and the
broadcast generated the highest ratings in the event's history.
Other event details, including date and tournament field, are
still to be determined and will be announced in the coming
months.
It was also announced today that TELUS has extended its title
sponsorship of the event through the year 2008.
“Each year, the TELUS Skins Game is a highlight of
the Canadian summer sporting schedule and the entire TELUS team is
proud to be able to share this event with golf fans from all
corners of the country,” said Darren Entwistle, TELUS
president and CEO. “Everything about this event
– the competition, the challenging golf courses, the
supportive fans – is always first rate. Whistler and
Nicklaus North will make a great host for the 2005 TELUS Skins
Game, and we are very excited about extending our title sponsorship
through the year 2008.”
“We are thrilled that the TELUS Skins Game will be
returning to Whistler in 2005. The event in 1997 is still talked
about within the community and is regarded as one of the premier
events ever to come to Whistler,” said Whistler Mayor
Hugh O'Reilly. “We look forward to playing host to some
of the best golfers in the world next summer back at Nicklaus
North.”
Nicklaus North,
named the “Best New Golf Course in Canada”
in 1996 by Golf Digest Magazine, is the first golf course in the
world that Jack Nicklaus personally lent his name to and is
continually ranked among the best golf courses in the country. The
course's challenging design and immaculate condition was praised by
the pros at the 1997 Skins Game, and it promises to provide a tough
test again for this year's field.
“I am extremely pleased that the TELUS Skins Game
will be returning to one of Golf B.C.'s signature properties,
Nicklaus North, to celebrate the facility's 10th
Anniversary,” said Caleb Chan, president of GolfBC
“We have worked very hard over the years to continually
develop our facility so that we can host world-class events such as
this in Whistler. Many people in B.C. still talk about the legacy
of the 1997 event and we are looking forward to another memorable
event this summer.”
"Whistler looks forward to the return of the TELUS Skins Game
after what was a very successful event a number of years ago," said
Ted Nebbeling, Member of the Legislative Assembly for Whistler.
"World-class events such as this continue to put Whistler, and its
excellent facilities, on the map."
Past Skins Game host sites have included:
1993 Devil's Pulpit, Caledon, Ont.
1994 Richelieu Valley, Montreal, Que.
1995 The National, Woodbridge, Ont.
1996 Summerlea, Montreal, Que.
1997 Nicklaus North, Whistler, B.C.
1998 Crowbush Cove, PEI
1999 Le Diable, Tremblant, Que.
2000 Predator Ridge, Vernon, B.C.
2001 Angus Glen, Markham, Ont.
2002 Grandview Golf Club, Huntsville, Ont.
2003 Royal Niagara Golf Club, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
2004 Club de Golf Le Fontainebleau, Blainville, Que.
1994 Richelieu Valley, Montreal, Que.
1995 The National, Woodbridge, Ont.
1996 Summerlea, Montreal, Que.
1997 Nicklaus North, Whistler, B.C.
1998 Crowbush Cove, PEI
1999 Le Diable, Tremblant, Que.
2000 Predator Ridge, Vernon, B.C.
2001 Angus Glen, Markham, Ont.
2002 Grandview Golf Club, Huntsville, Ont.
2003 Royal Niagara Golf Club, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont.
2004 Club de Golf Le Fontainebleau, Blainville, Que.
Over the years, the Skins Game line-up has included many of the
biggest names in golf, including: Nick Price, Ray Floyd, Jack
Nicklaus, Fred Couples, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo, Ben
Crenshaw, Greg Norman, John Daly, Ernie Els, Mark O'Meara, Mike
Weir, Ian Leggatt, David Duval, Sergio Garcia, Vijay Singh and Phil
Mickelson, the winner of the 2004 TELUS Skins Game.
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For more information, please contact:
Shawn Hall
TELUS Media Relations
Tel: (604) 697-8176
[email protected]
Shawn Hall
TELUS Media Relations
Tel: (604) 697-8176
[email protected]
