The Matchplay Championship, shown on Sky Sports, will be staged at the Marriott Forest of Arden.
Top amateur event moves to Forest of Arden, shown on Sky Sports
The UK's biggest amateur golf tournament, the Matchplay Championship, will hold the Sky Sports televised Regional Finals at Marriott Forest of Arden.
The tournament will be staged at the Warwickshire venue for the next three years after signing a new deal - with the event also shown on Sky Sports.
Forest of Arden has hosted several European Tour events in recent years, including the British Masters and English Open, and has built up a solid reputation around the country.
The announcement underlines the growing stature of an event that continues to set a significant precedent for amateur golf tournaments in the UK. The North Regional will take place on the Arden Course on Tuesday 3rd April 2012, while the South Regional will be held on Thursday 5th April.
"This is an important development for the Matchplay Championship, which not only demonstrates the growing pedigree of the tournament but our ambition to provide the most complete golf experience for our competitors," commented John Woosey, Managing Director of The JRW Group.
"You only have to look at the list of winners the Forest of Arden has produced, in order to realise that this is a quality championship venue. Three-time winner on this year's European Tour Thomas Bjorn, former Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie and Open Champion Darren Clarke are just a few to have won here.
"Clearly it has identified great champions over the years and will now play an integral role in determining which players are whisked off on the trip-of-a-lifetime to Dubai and compete in our Grand Final. It will also make great viewing for our national TV audience on Sky Sports."
The Grand Final qualifiers will be hosted for seven nights at the stunning Dubai Marriott Courtyard Hotel and play four rounds of golf at the world-renowned Els Club. The sensational prize is on offer to the successful 40 competitors from the Men's Pairs, Mixed Pairs and Men's Singles events, which began in July this 2011.
"We are delighted to host the Matchplay Championship Regional Finals for the first time and look forward to welcoming the wide-range of golfers that this tournament attracts," commented Iain Burns, Director of Golf, Marriott Forest of Arden.
"With a rich heritage in tournament golf and our location in the Midlands, just south of Birmingham, we are ideally placed to welcome golfers from all over the UK. We're looking forward to the next three years and watching the Matchplay Championship go from strength to strength."
