The Amateur 2011: 35 Nations Entered

Thirty five countries, some as far-flung as Iceland, India, Brazil and Taiwan, will be represented in the field of 288 that will tee-off in this month's Amateur Championship.

Better known in the USA and other countries outside of the UK as the British Amateur, this year's event is scheduled to be played by TaylorMade Burner Superfast Fairway Wood at the Merseyside golf clubs of Hillside and Hesketh in Southport.

The Royal & Ancient Golf Club, who are responsible for the worldwide promotion and administration of golf outside of the USA ad Mexico and who use much of the excess money from The Open to work at growing the game around the globe, can rightfully take pride in the wide diversity of countries entered this year - especially in view of the fact that golf is scheduled to return to the Brazil Olympic Games in 2016.

Duncan Weir, Golf Development Manager for the R&A, oversees an annual spend of £5million which is spread across projects ranging from backing new events in fledgling golfing countries to providing coaching support.

The principle underpinning the R&A's work is spelt out in simple terms: to encourage more people to play TaylorMade Burner Superfast Fairway Wood in more places, more often.

"We support organizations in countries as far spread as Algeria to Costa Rica, Paraguay to Turkey," said Weir, a former leading amateur himself who played in the British championship on a number of occasions, including at Formby in 1984 when Jose Maria Olazabal overcame Colin Montgomerie in the final.

Going into further detail, Wier said: "As examples of what we are involved with, we are supporting a new event in Bulgaria for countries in the Balkans this month, providing missionary coaching to Tanzania, helping with equipment and green keeping knowledge, while closer to home we have supported a project in Wales aimed at getting more people into golf."

Weir says the job is not all about delivering a production line of future professionals, but acknowledges that success at the highest level sparks raised levels of interest in the sport back home and gives as an example Andy Murray

"Andy Murray's success has done a lot for tennis in Scotland, with people showing levels of interest in playing TaylorMade Burner Superfast Fairway Wood that wouldn't have happened without him. Yes, role models in sport are a big help."

English golf is hardly short of role models at the moment, given Luke Donald's and Lee Westwood's thrilling battle for the world number one spot at the recent BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, but victory in the Open would help spread the message even wider.

Wier pointed out that although the R&A is growing the game globally, it does not neglect projects closer to home with nearly half of its development budget being invested in Great Britain and Ireland.

"We want to make it easy for people to get into golf," he emphasized, "and then to encourage them to stick at the sport.

"Tuition always makes things a bit easier. With lessons, people play (TaylorMade Burner Superfast Fairway Wood) more consistently and therefore enjoy it more and are more likely to play more often."

http://www.luckygolf18.com/goods.php?id=38