For the third year running, Two Up Front has played a key role in the success of the Ballantine’s Championship golf tournament in Korea.

The Hong Kong-based sports company once again handled worldwide PR for the €2.2 million showpiece and ran the on-site media centre at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.

Almost 160 members of the media from Korea and overseas covered the event, which made headlines around the world with the presence of golfing superstars such as Ernie Els, Anthony Kim, YE Yang and Henrik Stenson.

A new feature of Two Up Front’s PR campaign this year was a series of off-beat interviews with some of the leading players called “My Round”. The interviews portrayed stars such as Els and Kim relaxing with a glass of Ballantine’s in the clubhouse bar and holding forth on a variety of non-golf topics.

“The idea was to portray the human side of these famous players and reveal something about their personalities,” explained Two Up Front editorial director Niall Donnelly. “The interviews proved very popular with the media, especially golf websites, where they are always looking for something a little different from standard golf-related quotes.

“It is an idea we could well repeat next year as the interviews worked well from both a media and tournament sponsor perspective.”

Despite the presence of so many big-name players, the European and Asian Tour co-sanctioned event was won by unheralded Australian Marcus Fraser – his first victory for seven years.

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.

Records fell at last week’s UBS Hong Kong Open – and it had nothing to do with Grégory Bourdy’s outstanding 19-under-par winning total.

The prestigious golf tournament attracted the largest media attendance and garnered the highest number of news clippings in its 51-year history as it made headlines around the world.

The results were a triumph for sports PR specialists Two Up Front, who were providing international media and public relations services for the UBS Hong Kong Open for the sixth year in a row.

A total of 207 media personnel – up from last year’s 203 – attended the tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from 12-15 November.

News clippings were logged at 4,456 – an increase from 4,183 in 2008 – and were expected to rise further once December’s golf magazines and other periodicals hit the news stands.

“The figures are very gratifying,” said Two Up Front project director Simon Wait. “When you consider that in 2003, the year before we came on board, the tournament attracted 67 media and resulted in 387 clippings, then we have come a very long way indeed.

“It was extremely pleasing to hear journalists’ positive comments about the facilities and services in the media centre. As usual, we staffed the media centre for the whole week and once again media feedback was extremely positive.

“The general consensus was that it was a hugely successful UBS Hong Kong Open, both on and off the course.”

Bourdy became the first Frenchman to win the tournament, which was once again co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours, finishing two shots clear of Northern Irish youngster Rory McIlroy.

Two Up Front also handles international PR for the European Tour’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea.

Sports PR specialists Two Up Front have been appointed to provide international media and public relations services for the UBS Hong Kong Open golf championship for the sixth year in a row.

The Hong Kong-based company will again be heavily involved when the 2009 Open - co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and the Hong Kong Golf Association - is staged at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from November 12-15.

The tournament this year will be celebrating its 51st edition, having first been held in 1959.

"The increase in media and public interest in the UBS Hong Kong Open in recent years has been sensational and we are delighted to remain an integral part of this unique and prestigious event,” said Two Up Front project director Simon Wait.

Since 2004, when Two Up Front first began handling worldwide PR for the Hong Kong Open on behalf of event promoter Parallel Media Group, media attendance has risen 300 per cent and media clippings have increased by more than 1,000 per cent.

In line with that increase, the number of spectators has multiplied. From just a few thousand six years ago, the galleries have swelled to more than 35,000 fans watching the action in 2008 when Taiwanese player Lin Wen Tang triumphed in a thrilling three-way playoff.

In addition to worldwide PR, Two Up Front will once again staff and run the on-site media centre.

"Two Up Front have played a crucial role in the UBS Hong Kong Open’s success story and we are delighted to once again work alongside them on this year’s tournament,” said Martin Capstick of Parallel Media Group.

"The Open’s worldwide profile has increased dramatically thanks in part to their co-ordinated and innovative PR campaigns, and media attendance in each of the past two years has been at capacity with more than 200 international journalists coming to the event,” he said.

Two Up Front’s sports PR portfolio includes the European and Asian Tour’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea, as well as high profile rugby, football, tennis and motor racing events around the region.

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.