NEW ZEALAND SPORTING LEGENDS BACK TWO-FLAG POWERPLAY GOLF® AT CLEARWATER LAUNCH EVENT

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

20 August 2009

New Zealand sporting legends Sir Richard Hadlee, Nathan Astle and Craig McMillan joined other celebrities from the sporting world as New Zealand got its first taste of PowerPlay Golf® – the new global two-flag golfing format – yesterday at the prestigious Clearwater Golf Club.

And the overwhelming view was that this particular sporting short form is here to stay, with golfers enjoying the high-pressure competitive elements and shortened time frame of PowerPlay Golf® (www.powerplay-golf.com), which breaks golf’s normal 18-hole mould by being played exclusively over 9 holes.

Fine weather blessed the PowerPlay Golf® launch event on Monday 17th August 2009, at the Christchurch-based golf club. 58 competitors, including international sports stars and representatives from the region’s golf clubs, took part in two simultaneous events, all tackling the unique ‘risk and reward’ golfing format – where golfers have a limited number of ‘PowerPlays’ to the harder of two flags on each green, in return for extra Stableford points – for the first time.

In the launch event Michael Paterson, the popular flanker for Canterbury rugby team, won the ‘back nine’ event with 29 PowerPlay Golf® points off 16 handicap, including two coveted PowerPlay eagles to the tricky Black Flag – which both earnt him 8 points apiece. Former New Zealand international cricketer Craig McMillan, playing off 8, converted all his three PowerPlays into birdies on his way to 27 points and a second place finish.

In the ‘front nine’ event, Geoff Foubister – playing off 26 and representing Christchurch Golf Club – scored a huge 33 points including 14 on his three PowerPlays alone, beating the field by 6 points. Greg Neal of Everglades GC successfully gambled on a last-hole PowerPlay, converting it into a net birdie and 6 points, which secured him second place on 27 points overall.

In PowerPlay Golf®, golfers choose to aim for one of two flags on the green, a White and a Black. Players earn extra points for birdies or better when playing to the Black Flag, which is generally in a difficult position on the green. As it is nine holes, a round of PowerPlay Golf® takes half the time of a normal 18-hole round. The format is being taken up by TV broadcasters keen to televise golf in a more compressed time-frame, in the belief that this will increase golfing TV audiences.

Golfers can go online after their game, registering to earn PowerPlay Golf® Dollars, climbing World Rankings and competing in user-generated PowerPlay Golf® Leagues both locally and around the world.

Commenting on the day, PowerPlay Golf® New Zealand’s Andrew Bell said: "The reception we had today from golfers, and from the officials we met last week, is extremely encouraging. People feel that this game fits into what they're trying to achieve at their golf club.

"Today’s competitors – particularly the low-handicappers – saw PPG as a very authentic competitive challenge. But we also saw that higher-handicap golfers love the fact that you're never out of it, in PowerPlay Golf®, as you can save your PowerPlays to make a late points surge at the end."

Former New Zealand Test cricket captain and ICC Cricket Hall Of Famer Sir Richard Hadlee, who scored a creditable 20 points, said: “It's a clever game which needs thoughtful tactics and very good shot execution if you want to score well. It rewards good play and creates a lot of interest – the game can change very quickly if you use your PowerPlays well.”

Test cricketer and PowerPlay Golf® ambassador Nathan Astle, who scored 21 points, said: "PowerPlay Golf® is a mental challenge. Whenever you choose the Black Flag option you demand more of yourself – a net par simply isn't satisfying! PowerPlay Golf® creates real purpose in a 9-hole competition; this gives it the advantage over other short versions of golf, which often feel like incomplete rounds".

Several lady golfers also tried PowerPlay Golf® for the first time in the launch event at Clearwater. One of them, Margaret Turner - Club Captain at Burnham Golf Club – commented on the extra pressure golfers face when nominating a PowerPlay to the Black Flag, saying: "PowerPlay Golf® is like playing matchplay against yourself!"

And Rod Latham, former international cricketer and rugby representative, and currently General Manager of Harewood Golf Club, said “PowerPlay Golf® is a great idea – it adds some extra reward but with a risk attached."

Other notable sports stars playing PowerPlay Golf® on the day included rugby’s up and coming stars Stephen Brett and Sean Maitland.

PowerPlay Golf® organisers now plan to follow up dozens of enquiries from golf clubs and golf officials across New Zealand over the next few months. “We believe that PowerPlay Golf® provides an opportunity to bring people back to golf,” said PowerPlay Golf® ambassador Mark Elley. “It produces a compelling golf event in half the normal time, without sacrificing any of the integrity of golf’s long tradition. We believe that following today’s very successful launch event, more and more golf clubs in New Zealand will want to get involved.”

Golf clubs can contact Andrew Bell on +64 (0)3 669 0663 to become a PowerPlay Golf® Official Venue.

ENDS.

PowerPlay Golf® is a trademark of PowerPlay Golf Holdings Limited.

IMAGE: Former New Zealand Test cricket captain and ICC Cricket Hall Of Famer Sir Richard Hadlee holds the PowerPlay Golf® Black Flag at Clearwater GC, Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday 17th August 2009, during the PowerPlay Golf® New Zealand launch event.

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IMAGE: Former New Zealand Test cricketer Nathan Astle holds the PowerPlay Golf® Black Flag at Clearwater GC, Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday 17th August 2009, during the PowerPlay Golf® New Zealand launch event..

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IMAGE: Canterbury and Junior All Black rugby union star Stephen Brett tees off in the PowerPlay Golf® launch event at Clearwater GC, Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday 17th August 2009.

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IMAGE: Former New Zealand Test cricket captain Sir Richard Hadlee tees off in the PowerPlay Golf® launch event at Clearwater GC, Christchurch, New Zealand on Monday 17th August 2009.

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IMAGE: PowerPlay Golf® logo.

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Please click HERE for other PowerPlay Golf® images and logos.

Notes to editors:

About PowerPlay Golf (www.powerplay-golf.com)

PowerPlay Golf® (www.powerplay-golf.com) is a two-flag, nine-hole, ‘risk and reward’ golfing format being rolled out around the world. PowerPlay Golf® is currently in play in 23 countries globally, and in 2009 over 100,000 golfers will compete in over 3,000 PowerPlay Golf® Official Events at these clubs, which are called PowerPlay Golf® Official Venues. In PowerPlay Golf®, golfers earn extra points for birdies or better when playing to the Black Flag, which is generally in a difficult position on the green. A round of PowerPlay Golf® takes half the time of a normal 18-hole round. The format is being taken up by TV broadcasters keen to televise golf in a more compressed time-frame, in the belief that this will increase golfing TV audiences. PowerPlay Golf® comprises both ‘superstar golf’ events on TV, and ‘grass-roots’ golf where regular golfers play the same game as the superstars.