Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Named
Host of the 2018 UL International Crown
Venue in Songdo IBD, Site of The Presidents Cup 2015, is the Crown’s first on international soil
GURNEE, Ill., July 20, 2016 - The
Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) announced today that Jack
Nicklaus Golf Club in Songdo International Business District, Incheon,
Korea - site of The Presidents Cup 2015 - has been selected as the host
course for the 2018 UL International Crown, when the biennial team
match-play competition will be played outside the United States for the
first time.
The
announcement was made at the Merit Club in Gurnee, Ill., on the eve of
the second staging of the UL International Crown. UL CEO and President
Keith
Williams, LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, Jack Nicklaus Golf Club General
Manager Joon-Hee Lee, Gale International Executive Vice President Tom Murcott and major champion and two-time Team Korea team member at the Crown So Yeon Ryu were on hand to make the announcement.
Williams, LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan, Jack Nicklaus Golf Club General
Manager Joon-Hee Lee, Gale International Executive Vice President Tom Murcott and major champion and two-time Team Korea team member at the Crown So Yeon Ryu were on hand to make the announcement.
“After
receiving an overwhelming amount of interest from prospective hosts, we
are pleased to announce that we will be playing at the Jack Nicklaus
Golf Club Korea in 2018,” said LPGA Commissioner Mike Whan. “We are
looking forward to working with the JNGCK staff, who has extensive
experience in hosting premier golf competitions, to put on a
terrific event.”
terrific event.”
The
UL International Crown, which was first played in 2014, features the
best female golfers from the top eight countries across the globe, based
on the combined Rolex World Ranking of the top-four players
representing their respective country. The first playing of the event
was at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mill, Md., where Team Spain
triumphed as the inaugural champions.
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea, which is located 40 miles west of Seoul in the Incheon Free Economic Zone, the
country’s largest development zone, was developed by New York-based Gale International and POSCO E&C. The facility opened in September 2010. In addition to staging The Presidents Cup the first time the prestigious event was played in Asia, the club has also hosted prominent international events including the Songdo Championship on the Champions Tour in 2010 and 2011 and the 2012 Korea Women’s Open on the LPGA of Korea (KLPGA). The 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which is conducted in partnership between the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, will be staged at JNGCK this October, with the winner receiving an automatic invitation to the 2017 Masters Tournament.
country’s largest development zone, was developed by New York-based Gale International and POSCO E&C. The facility opened in September 2010. In addition to staging The Presidents Cup the first time the prestigious event was played in Asia, the club has also hosted prominent international events including the Songdo Championship on the Champions Tour in 2010 and 2011 and the 2012 Korea Women’s Open on the LPGA of Korea (KLPGA). The 2016 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship, which is conducted in partnership between the Asia Pacific Golf Confederation (APGC), the Masters Tournament and The R&A, will be staged at JNGCK this October, with the winner receiving an automatic invitation to the 2017 Masters Tournament.
“In a very short period of time, the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea has established a tremendous reputation for its
ability to stage significant golf events at any level, and for both men and women,” said Jack Nicklaus, Co-Chairman of the Nicklaus Companies, Founder of Nicklaus Design, and the globally acclaimed designer of JNGC Korea. “From the year it opened in 2010 with a PGA TOUR Champions event to last year’s hugely successful Presidents Cup to the
upcoming Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, the course, club and the Gale International ownership group have made a commitment to showcasing Korea and Songdo IBD by staging some of the most important events in the game of golf. With Korea’s global reputation for developing so many of the world’s finest female players, I think
bringing an LPGA event to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club will be yet another source of pride for the country and the club.”
ability to stage significant golf events at any level, and for both men and women,” said Jack Nicklaus, Co-Chairman of the Nicklaus Companies, Founder of Nicklaus Design, and the globally acclaimed designer of JNGC Korea. “From the year it opened in 2010 with a PGA TOUR Champions event to last year’s hugely successful Presidents Cup to the
upcoming Asia Pacific Amateur Championship, the course, club and the Gale International ownership group have made a commitment to showcasing Korea and Songdo IBD by staging some of the most important events in the game of golf. With Korea’s global reputation for developing so many of the world’s finest female players, I think
bringing an LPGA event to the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club will be yet another source of pride for the country and the club.”
JNGCK, highlighted by its par-72, 7,413-yard Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course, offers world-class amenities,
including an award-winning, LEED Certified, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. The course has retained all modifications and renovations from The Presidents Cup, and tournament officials have indicated they will use a similar setup for the 2018 Crown.
including an award-winning, LEED Certified, 60,000-square-foot clubhouse. The course has retained all modifications and renovations from The Presidents Cup, and tournament officials have indicated they will use a similar setup for the 2018 Crown.
“In
envisioning Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea we asked Jack Nicklaus to
create a golf course worthy of hosting the world’s most prestigious golf
competitions,” said Stan Gale, Chairman of JNGCK and Chairman and CEO
of Gale
International. “The UL International Crown reinforces our commitment to bring renowned international sporting events to Songdo IBD and the City of Incheon. We look forward to yet again welcoming the golf’s best competitors to Korea and are confident the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea will provide a most memorable venue.”
International. “The UL International Crown reinforces our commitment to bring renowned international sporting events to Songdo IBD and the City of Incheon. We look forward to yet again welcoming the golf’s best competitors to Korea and are confident the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea will provide a most memorable venue.”
2018
will mark the third time the LPGA will stage two events in one season
in the Republic of Korea and first time since 2008. The Tour annually
plays on the nearby Ocean Course at Sky 72 Golf Club, a Nicklaus Design
course in Incheon, for the KEB-HanaBank Championship.
“We
are thrilled to take the UL International Crown to Korea in 2018,” said
UL CEO Keith Williams. “Not only is Korea a strategic market for us,
it’s also home to some of the most enthusiastic golf fans in the world.
We expect a lot
excitement for the ULIC.”
excitement for the ULIC.”
For
more information about the UL International Crown, visit
www.ULCrown.com, follow @ULIntlCrown on Twitter and find us on Facebook.
ABOUT JACK NICKLAUS GOLF CLUB KOREA
At
7,413 yards (6,773 meters) from the tournament tees, the par-72 Jack
Nicklaus Golf Club Korea is the first and only golf club in Korea to
carry the name of the Golden Bear. Its dramatic parkland, links and
sculptural rock formations are in perfect harmony with the panoramic
views of Incheon Bay and the skyline of Songdo IBD. Crafted by the hand
of the master himself, the Jack Nicklaus Signature Golf Course features
unique fairway routings, a variety of tee locations, and greens
protected by strategically located bunkers that provide a special
challenge to golfers of all levels.
Songdo
International Business District is a new smart city, free trade zone
and travel destination built from scratch on 1,500 acres of reclaimed
land along Incheon’s waterfront just minutes from the Incheon
International Airport. It is being co-developed by Gale International
and Korean construction company POSCO E&C, under the governance of
the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority. Songdo IBD is a sustainable
city with more than 40 percent of its area reserved for green space, and
to date boasts more than 22 million square feet of USGBC LEED certified
space, making it the single largest concentration of green buildings in
the world.
ABOUT THE UL INTERNATIONAL CROWN
The
UL International Crown is the first-of-its-kind biennial, team
match-play competition featuring the best female golfers from the top
eight countries across the globe, based on the combined Rolex World
Ranking of the top four players representing their respective country.
The
countries that qualified to compete in 2016 were Australia, China,
Chinese Taipei, England, Japan, the Republic of Korea, the United States
and Thailand. For the latest on the 2016 and 2018 UL International
Crown, follow Twitter @ULIntlCrown and www.ULCrown.com.
ABOUT UL
UL
is a premier global independent safety science company that has
championed progress for 120 years. Its more than 11,000 professionals
are guided by the UL mission to promote safe working and living
environments for all people. UL uses research and standards to
continually advance and meet ever-evolving safety needs. We partner with
businesses, manufacturers, trade associations and international
regulatory authorities to bring solutions to a more complex global
supply chain. For more information about certification, testing,
inspection, advisory and education services please visit www.UL.com.
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