Former England internationals Robbie Fowler, Paul Scholes and John Terry are among the famous faces who will be swapping the football field for the fairways on Wednesday May 25, 2016, when the BMW PGA Championship Celebrity Pro-Am takes place at Wentworth Club, in England.
Terry, who made 78 appearances for England and captained Chelsea to Champions League glory in 2012, and Liverpool legend Fowler, the sixth highest goalscorer in Premier League history, will both be making their debuts in the event which raises the curtain on the BMW PGA Championship, when the professionals take centre stage.
Advanced tickets to see the sporting stars in action cost £13, and can be bought at www.bmw-pga.com
Terry, who is right-footed but plays golf left-handed, often takes his twins Georgie and Summer out on the golf course, but will find that tackling the 7,302 yard West Course is no child’s play.
He said: “I play as much golf as I can in my spare time, I love the game and it’s a great way to relax – although I’m not sure how relaxing it’ll be playing alongside the pros with so many people watching! I’ve spoken to a few of the guys and they’ve all said what a great day out it is, plus Wentworth is like the Wembley of golf so I’m looking forward to it.”
In contrast to Terry, Fowler is left-footed but plays golf right-handed, and showed he is no slouch on the course during the Internationals Cup in Dubai at the start of the year, when he teamed up with fellow former Liverpool stars John Aldridge, Dietmar Hamann and Jason McAteer at Emirates Golf Club, host venue for the Omega Dubai Desert Classic.
Fowler said: “Since retiring from football I’ve spent a lot of my time on the golf course, but this is probably the most excited I’ve been about playing. I can’t wait to see how good the pros really are, and hopefully I might even pick up some tips along the way.”
Scholes, one of the finest midfield players of his generation, appeared with his former Manchester United-team mate Phil Neville and One Direction’s Niall Horan alongside defending champion Rory McIlroy in last year’s Celebrity Pro-Am.
Whilst the formidable foursome were ultimately unable to take away the team prize, which went instead to Martin Kaymer’s quartet, Scholes thoroughly enjoyed the experience and is excited at the prospect of returning to Wentworth’s famed West Course.
He said: “Last year was brilliant, it was a privilege to play with Rory and we had a lot of fun too, so I had no hesitation in coming back again this time.”
This year, Horan will be paired with Arsenal and Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey, who holds the Guinness World Record for the most ‘keepy-uppies’ with a golf ball in 30 seconds, and England’s Justin Rose, winner of the 2013 US Open.
Other famous footballers set to return for the Celebrity Pro-Am after taking part in previous years include former England stars Alan Shearer, Glenn Hoddle, Teddy Sheringham, Ian Wright and Jamie Redknapp.
Former Manchester United players Peter Schmeichel and Dwight Yorke will also be reunited at Wentworth, whilst David Ginola and Gianfranco Zola promise to bring some flair to the fairways.
Jamie Birkmyre, Championship Director of the BMW PGA Championship, said: “We are incredibly excited to be able to announce our first batch of stars for the Celebrity Pro-Am, which has become a real fixture on the sporting and social calendar. And this is just the start, as we will be revealing many more big names in the weeks to come.”
Last year, thanks chiefly to the generous donations from the professionals, celebrities and the Tour Players Foundation, the Celebrity Pro-Am day raised in excess of £35,000 for charity.
–ENDS–
John Terry celebrates with the trophy after Chelsea’s victory in the UEFA Champions League Final over FC Bayern Muenchen at the Fussball Arena München on May 19, 2012 in Munich, Germany. (Photo by Lars Baron/Bongarts/Getty Images)
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