| Norman, Ochoa Collaborate On Golf Course Design Work |
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WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. - Lorena Ochoa (former No. 1 player in the world from 2007-2010) and Greg Norman (winner of 91 tournaments worldwide and the No. 1 player in the world for 331 weeks) announced a partnership to jointly design championship and resort golf courses worldwide. To start this historic partnership, the two golf superstars have contacted the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in hopes of being selected to co-design the golf course that will host the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
 Norman and Ochoa each operate numerous businesses, charitable programs and diverse activities related to the game of golf and will continue to do so in an effort to grow the game of golf. Ochoa and Norman each operate numerous businesses, charitable programs and diverse activities related to the game of golf and will continue to do so in an effort to grow the game of golf.
This golf course design partnership is born in mutual admiration of each other's accomplishments within the golfing world. Greg Norman has had tremendous success designing golf courses worldwide including numerous courses in Lorena's home country, Mexico. Norman designed the El Camaleón Golf Club which hosts the first and only PGA TOUR event in Mexico. El Camaleón opened to rave reviews from the tour players and is entering its fifth year of hosting the Mayakoba Golf Classic on February 23rd thru 27th.
Lorena recently launched her own design company, and the Ochoa brand is very strong in Mexico and South America. Combining Lorena's appeal in Mexico and South America with Greg's 23 years of golf course design experience will present a unique offering to the golf course design client. This partnership will showcase their vision for the next generation of golf course design, offering relaxing, scenic playable courses for both men, women and junior golfers. These two talented individuals, successful both as professional players and golf course architects, will offer men and women alike, regardless of age and ability, a golf course that will turn a normal round of golf into an "experience."
Lorena Ochoa and Greg Norman each operate numerous businesses, charitable programs and diverse activities related to the game of golf and will continue to do so in an effort to grow the game of golf. This new collaboration on golf course design will extend worldwide and will be handled as a separate entity to that of their own respective brands and will be utilized only for those special projects that require the synergy of these two champions to produce an even greater golf course.
Greg Norman:
"Lorena has achieved an incredible amount of success in the golf world in a relatively short period of time and working with her will give me the opportunity to co-design courses with another professional golfer with different views or philosophies than my own. In particular, she will bring a ladies perspective to the playability element which is sure to improve the course in that regard. There are specific projects where doing a co-design with Lorena will better fit the client's needs and in these cases we both look forward to the opportunity to collaborate with the other. The fact that we're friends only makes the process that much more enjoyable."
Lorena Ochoa:
"I feel very lucky to work with Greg, as we all know he is regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, but also he is an incredibly successful business owner and I am just starting...I look forward to the opportunity to learn from Greg and offer my unique perspective which hopefully will allow us to bring lots of energy and excitement to our new collaboration." Lorena will also ensure that each design takes the lady and junior golfer perspective into account, "we need to include a woman's look into the design process to make sure the final results offer a great experience from the front tees as well as the back tees!"
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| Media Contacts |
The Mayakoba Golf Classic at Riviera Maya-Cancún is dedicated to assisting the media in covering this historic event. For more information on press releases, press conferences or attending the event, please contact the Mayakoba Golf Classic's media directors:
Veronica Muller
Media Director - Latin America
Mayakoba Golf Classic
+52 (998) 185-1585
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Lee Patterson
Media Director
Greg Norman Production Company
(704) 553-4790
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About The Mayakoba Golf Classic |
| The Mayakoba Golf Classic made golf history when it became the first PGA TOUR event to ever be contested outside of the United States and Canada in February 2007. Today, the Mayakoba Golf Classic remains “Mexico’s Only PGA TOUR Event” as it prepares to enter its sixth year. The event is regarded as one of the finest on the PGA TOUR by players, their families, sponsors and the TOUR itself. With a purse of $3.7 million USD, the Mayakoba Golf Classic boasts the largest amount of prize money of any golf tournament in Latin America. Held annually in February, the tournament features 132 professional golfers participating in four rounds of stroke play competition at the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleón Golf Club at Mayakoba in Playa del Carmen, Quintana Roo, in the Riviera Maya-Cancún regions of Mexico. Johnson Wagner, a five-year veteran of the PGA TOUR, claimed the title in 2011, winning $666,000 USD. Other past champions include: Fred Funk (2007), Brian Gay (2008), Mark Wilson (2009) and Cameron Beckman (2010). |
About Mayakoba |
| Mayakoba is situated just south of Cancun on Mexico’s prized Caribbean coast – the Riviera Maya. A mere 40-minute drive from the towering hotels of Cancun, visitors will discover a completely different experience. Here, nestled in a lush natural paradise, lies Mayakoba—a truly unique resort destination. Mayakoba is comprised of three luxury hotels, each featuring a range of culinary and spa experiences. An 18-hole Greg Norman championship golf course, El Camaleón, managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts, offers players an ever-changing terrain that moves gracefully from mangroves to the sea. Created to harmonize with the unspoiled tropical forest, Mayakoba is connected with a series of lagoons enabling guests to wander effortlessly from place to place through the resort using the “lanchas” (covered boats) as well as a network of trails. Mayakoba, a luxury destination like no other where you are immersed in unspoiled natural beauty and the mysteries of an ancient civilization. |
| About OHL |
| Based in Madrid, OHL has over 23,000 employees and an impressive average yearly growth rate of 20% since 2002. In the third quarter of 2010, its net sales amounted to over 3,4 billion Euros. At the same time, OHL is strongly committed to environmental responsibility and in 2003 produced its first Sustainable Development Report. As Juan-Miguel Villar Mir, the chairman of the board of directors and the author of the report, noted, mindful attention to the long-term health of the environment creates a "virtuous circle" that benefits the company, its clients and the globe. OHL's ecological diligence has served it well in México, where strong government regulations are enforced to protect the environment. A presence in México since 1980, OHL employs over 3,400 people there and has built highways, bridges, hotels and hospitals. The tourism complex at Mayakoba, which will eventually include two or three golf courses and six luxury hotels, is OHL's most ambitious hospitality project to date. |
| About Greg Norman Production Company |
| The Greg Norman Production Company (GNPC), a subsidiary of Great White Shark Enterprises, is devoted to event management and sports marketing. In addition to the PGA TOUR’s Mayakoba Golf Classic, the GNPC operates the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Franklin Templeton Shootout. The GNPC prides itself on producing events and marketing initiatives that not only reflect the discerning standards of its namesake, but of its clients as well. Through its myriad relationships within golf, media and event industries, the GNPC is fully capable of providing its clients with a wide spectrum of services that will seamlessly build brand equity and generate a unique marketing and or hospitality medium. |
| About El Camaleón Golf Club |
| El Camaleón Golf Club at the Mayakoba resort is yet another of Greg Norman’s masterworks. The 7,039-yard layout is unique - not just to Mexico but to the entire world of golf. The course bends through three distinct landscapes—mangrove jungles, limestone canals and stunning, oceanfront stretches of sand. El Camaleón incorporates a cenote, a massive underground cavern, into the heart of the opening fairway. The handsome, Mayan influenced clubhouse rises above the 18th green and features stunning views over the course. The adjoining practice facility and driving range are of international caliber. With Mayakoba’s unique system of lagoons, golfers will be able to step out of their rooms and into a boat, which will ferry them directly to the first tee. El Camaleón is managed by Fairmont Hotels & Resorts. |
| About Golf PARa Todos |
| Golf PARa Todos aims to create a fun-filled, diverse and educational program that teaches about the game of golf and its ideals. The program encourages active participation in the game as a participant and as a fan, and facilitates the integration of golf into the lives of all those within the community. Golf PARa Todos is a community program presented and created by the Mayakoba Golf Classic. In January 2011, the event earned a place in the Guinness World Records by hosting the world’s largest ever golf lesson. The lesson featured 1,073 participants. The inaugural installment of Golf PARa Todos was held in October 2007 at El Camaleón Golf Club in Playa del Carmen. On average, 600 people currently attend each session. A monthly program, Golf PARa Todos is open to people of all ages, backgrounds and levels of golf skill or knowledge. For more information, visit www.GolfParaTodos.org.
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| Wed | Pro-Am Competition |
| Thu | First Round* |
| Fri | Second Round* |
| Sat | Third Round* |
| Sun | Final Round* |
| *Broadcast: GOLF CHANNEL |
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