At least twelve Czech players will start for sure at the fifth year of D + D REAL Czech Challenge

The 5th Annual D+D REAL Czech Challenge men’s golf tournament, which is part of the European Challenge Tour, will be held at the Kuneticka Hora Golf Resort from 26 to 29 May 2016.  There will be at least 12 Czech golfers participating, seven professionals and five amateurs.

“From the Czech professionals Jan Cafourek, Ales Korinek, Lukas Tintera, Petr Gal, Peter Dedek jun., Petr Nic, Daniel Suchan will all be present. The Czech Golf Federation has nominated five amateurs: Vitek Novak, Simon Zach, Matyas Zapletal Michal Pospisil and Jiri Zuska to take part as well. While we still have a few vacant spots; we will fill them with the best players, who will remain a mystery until right before the closing date. “They could be Czech or foreign players.” Says Petr Dedek, owner of the promotion company RELMOST.

At the moment the best form belongs to Ales Korinek, who finished the Turkish Airlines Challenge tournament over the weekend in 41st place, which is the best place of a Czech player on the Challenge Tour for about the past two years. After a three year break, Petr Nic is returning to the Challenge Tour.  Amateur top players reunion is completed with Vitek Novak, historically the first Czech amateur who made the cut on the European Tour and Michal Pospisil, who was the best Czech player at the last year’s Challenge Tour. The players will split the prize money of 175,000 Euro, which is 5,000 more than last year. The winner takes 28,000 Euros.

“I am looking very forward to this tournament, but before I tee off, I must finish my High School Diploma with a graduation exam. I have had the written part and next week I’m doing the oral exam. Then I’ll think only of golf. I will participate at the top amateur events like the World Championships and I want to get professional tournaments and the European Challenge Tour, and of course I would like to succeed again in August at the D+D REAL Czech Masters, “said Vitek Novak, the last year best Czech player at the European Tour.

“The tournament has become a traditional part of the Challenge Tour calendar. With the five-year history, we can say without exaggeration that we belong to the in the kick-off position in the European series. It strengthens the position of our promotion company RELMOST, which is at the moment in the segment of professional golf tournaments the strongest in Central and Eastern Europe, “adds Petr Dedek, owner of Relmost, the company organizing the Czech Challenge, D+D REAL Slovakia Challenge, and of course the European Tour tournament D+D REAL Czech Masters.

The event brings 3,000,000 CZK into public spending

D+D REAL Czech Challenge has achieved, through television viewership, a record 162 million spectators worldwide. This implies a significant promotional effect for the Pardubice region, the home of the Kuneticka Hora Golf Resort. There has been an ever increasing attractiveness for tourists in the region. Therefore, this event has its important economic benefits for the Czech Republic.

“The Czech Challenge tournament in 2015 significantly boosted both the local and national economy. Besides the series of unquantifiable benefits, for example in the promotion of business relations and strengthening awareness of the Czech Republic as a major tourism destination, we have identified the benefits of tournaments in the public budgets in the amount of almost CZK 3 million. I am convinced that the international golf tournaments are from this perspective fully comparable with other actions, in the Czech Republic traditional sport disciplines like football or hockey, “explains Ondrej Spacek from KPMG Czech Republic.

“Every sporting event with international participation is an excellent opportunity for us to present the Pardubice Region and also attract tourists from around the world. I am convinced that this event deserves wider attention, and so we decided to fully support it. It’s a chance to present it not only to the golf population, “adds René Zivny, a member of the Council of the Pardubice region.

The general partner of the tournament is Raiffeisenbank

“I am very pleased that Raiffeisenbank as a longtime supporter of golf in the Czech Republic, became the general partner of D+D REAL Czech Challenge. This is a further step and logical outcome of our efforts to rise and popularization of this noble sport whose benefits we see not only in the sports and social fields, but also in the economy. It is a sport which brings a significant share in the tourism, important for the Czech Republic economy with interesting income, both in the private and public sectors. Such a unique combination of attractive sport, enjoyable leisure activities and the economic potential is significant to continue to develop, “says Igor Vida, CEO of Raiffeisenbank.

Program for the whole family, free entry

Children from schools in Pardubice will arrive to the resort on Thursday and Friday.  There is planed training and getting to know golf with the participation of professional coaches and players.

“We want that as many children as possible can try to play golf in a fun way. Between 10 am and 5 pm will be ready so called SNAG golf from Thursday until Sunday.  It is on a smaller course with light-weighted clubs and bigger balls. Each afternoon there will be an autograph session with the best players, “adds Pavel Poulicek, marketing director of Relmost.

Admission to the tournament is free, it takes place between 7:30 am to 6:00 pm. Sunday’s final will end at 16:00 with the award ceremony.

Jakub Rychtecký, Petr Dědek, René Živný

Hana Kovářová – Raiffeisenbank

Ondřej Špaček, Hana Kovářová, Vítek Novák