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Winning spirit at Ballantine’s Championship

Hong Kong, 29 April 2009 - Two Up Front is celebrating another PR success after once again playing a key role in the Ballantine’s Championship golf tournament in Korea.

For the second year running, the Hong Kong-based sports company handled worldwide PR for the €2.1 million showpiece and ran the on-site media centre at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.

Two Up Front issued 25 separate press releases before and during the tournament, many of them accompanied by outstanding images from award-winning sports photographer Paul Lakatos.

In addition, almost 170 members of the media, both from Korea and overseas, attended the event and made use of the facilities in the state-of-the-act media centre.

“Worldwide coverage of the Ballantine’s Championship was once again excellent,” said Two Up Front editorial director Niall Donnelly.

“We were especially delighted with the exposure the tournament received in Korea. The event has really captured the imagination of the Korean media and public and interest this year was phenomenal.

“It was especially gratifying to see large galleries following the leading groups despite some freakishly strong winds and low temperatures that players and officials described as among the most difficult they had ever encountered.”

The Ballantine’s Championship – held from April 23-26 and co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and Korea PGA – attracted a world class field led by three-time Major winner Ernie Els, former Masters champion Fred Couples, Ryder Cup stars Henrik Stenson and Lee Westwood and defending champion Graeme McDowell.

Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee won the tournament in dramatic fashion, defeating Spain’s Gonzalo Fernández-Castano and Korea’s Kang Sung Hoon on the first hole of a sudden death playoff.

Two Up Front also handles PR and publishing for the UBS Hong Kong Open, which is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and is one of Asia’s oldest and most prestigious golf tournaments.

Golf is just one sport in Two Up Front’s catalogue of PR and publishing activities – the company also has extensive experience in rugby, tennis, football, motor racing and motorcycling.

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