BMW deliver the first Official Car to The 2006 Ryder Cup
The European and United States Teams will be driven in BMW premium cars. BMW delivered the first cars to the 2006 Ryder Cup at The K Club in Straffan, Co. Kildare. The cars were handed over by Christy O'Connor Jnr., PGA Champion, together with Sean Green, Managing Director, BMW Group Ireland to Richard Hills, Director of the Ryder Cup.
The agreement with Ryder Cup Europe LLP signifies BMW's continuing global commitment to the game of golf emphasised by their Partnership with The European Tour in the highly successful BMW Championship at Wentworth Club and title sponsorship of the BMW Asian Open and the BMW International Open.
BMW, who also this year became Official Car to The European Tour, have brought their expertise and special organisational skills to golf since the first BMW International Open in 1989.
The announcement was made in 2005 at a time when 2006 Ryder Cup Captain Ian Woosnam 2004 Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer, Thomas Björn, Angel Cabrera, Paul Casey, K.J. Choi, Luke Donald, Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Paul McGinley, Ian Poulter and many more of the world's leading golfers were competing at the prestigious 17th BMW International Open.
George O'Grady, Executive Director of The European Tour, said: "The European Tour and The Ryder Cup Board are delighted to welcome BMW as Official Car to The Ryder Cup 2006. This represents a superb addition to the outstanding commitment already shown by BMW as The European Tour's strongest global commercial partner.
Under the terms of The Ryder Cup agreement, BMW will provide 70 cars all together. A fleet of 40 x 5 Series Tourings, as courtesy cars for the use of players and officials during The Ryder Cup. BMW will also supply an agreed number of BMW X5 as Event Support Vehicles to be used by staging staff and as Evacuation Vehicles in the event of inclement weather. Additionally, there will be seven 7 Series for VIPs, X5s for PGA staff and 5 Series Tourings for Ryder Cup management.
"We are delighted to be the Official Car of The 2006 Ryder Cup and look forward to becoming involved in what is undoubtedly the most prestigious team event in golf," said Jim O'Donnell, Managing Director, BMW (UK) Ltd.
"It is a privilege for BMW Group Ireland to be associated with one of the most exciting and largest golfing events ever to be staged in Ireland" said Sean Green, Managing Director, BMW Group Ireland.
BMW's association with professional golf began in 1989 when they hosted the first BMW International Open, won by Irish Ryder Cup player, David Feherty at the Golfclub München Nord-Eichenried. Today, BMW is Title Sponsor of the BMW Championship - the PGA Championship - the Players Flagship event on The European Tour the BMW Asian Open, held for the last two years at the acclaimed Tomson Shanghai Pudong Golf Club in Shanghai, and the BMW Italian Ladies Open, a leading event on the Ladies' European Tour.
BMW is also the Official Car of The European Tour and is strongly committed to grass roots golf through its development of the prestigious BMW Golf Cup International, which was established in 1987 and has since grown into the largest and most successful amateur event in the world, last year attracting over 100,000 entries from over 51 different countries.
