Montgomerie and Goosen announced as Goodwill Trophy captains

Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen will be team captains as the Ryder Cup nations of Europe and the United States take on the Rest of the World for the inaugural Goodwill Trophy which will be held at Mission Hills Golf Club, China, on November 13th and 14th 2006. Further announcements regarding the team line-ups will be made in the coming weeks.

Colin Montgomerie, the most successful golfer in Europe in 2005 and captain of the Ryder Cup countries team, said: "I am delighted to have been invited to captain the Ryder Cup countries in the first ever Goodwill Trophy. This event will be something quite different on the international scene as it will be the first time that European golfers will play alongside the Americans in the same team. Normally it's a case of us against them but for this tournament, we'll be coming together to play as a team".

"It will be interesting to see for the first time how well players from the Ryder Cup countries can perform against the Rest of the World side in what will be a truly international tournament. There is no doubt that the popularity of golf in China is growing rapidly and an innovative event like this is an excellent way of ensuring that this continues".

Retief Goosen, captain of the international Rest of the World team and the current world number 3, said: "I am very excited by the prospect of leading a team of the best international players against the guys from Europe and the United States. It will be a new experience for me to have the responsibility of captaining a side, so I'm hoping to be able to lead my team-mates to victory at the first attempt.

"Obviously, a lot of the players that we'll come up against will have played at The Ryder Cup in September so I'm sure that the Rest of the World team members will be keen to make their mark in an international team matchplay event too".

Dr David Chu, Chairman of Mission Hills Group, said: "I welcome the announcement of Colin Montgomerie and Retief Goosen as the team captains for the inaugural Goodwill Trophy. Both have extremely impressive records on the international scene and I am sure that they will prove to be wonderful ambassadors for our event."

Sir Terry Matthews, Chairman of The Celtic Manor Resort, said: "Colin and Retief are two of the biggest names in international golf and I am delighted that they will lead the teams in the first Goodwill Trophy. I look forward to a truly international event that reaffirms our commitment to promoting international goodwill through golf".

In November 2005, Mission Hills Golf Club, China, affirmed by the Guinness World Records™ as the world's largest golf complex, and The Celtic Manor Resort, venue for the Ryder Cup in 2010, announced the creation of the Goodwill Trophy and Business Forum, a ground-breaking collaboration that will enhance trade, tourism and cultural exchange between the United Kingdom and China through golf.

The Goodwill Trophy and Forum will feature a golf tournament of the highest possible standard as well as a business conference that will be attended by some of the most significant business and political figures in the world.

On the course, The Goodwill Trophy will be contested over two days by a team featuring the best players from the Ryder Cup countries, Europe and the United States and a Rest of the World side representing China, Africa, Asia, Oceania and South America in a matchplay tournament.

Off the course, the Goodwill Business Forum will, for the first time in China, bring together leading figures from the business world in a unique environment. The Goodwill Forum will gather top executives of global commerce, heads of state and leading business thinkers to focus on the most pressing issues facing the world economy. The Forum will provide these figures with a platform to share strategies and forge alliances that will transform these challenges into opportunities.

Participation at the Goodwill Business Forum will be target at chairmen, CEOs, and presidents of major multinational corporations. A combination of the highest calibre guests, global representation, a strategically-focused programme led by the hosts and sponsors, as well as the intimate size of the meeting will ensure that the Goodwill Forum is the premier summit for senior global executives.

In 2007 The Goodwill Trophy and Business Forum will be held at The Celtic Manor Resort with the golf event played on the newly completed course that has been specifically designed to host the Ryder Cup in 2010.

The reciprocal partnership agreement between The Celtic Manor and Mission Hills Resorts was signed in June 2005 and was designed to reach beyond commercial benefit. Both organisations believe that international goodwill can be created through golf, in turn enhancing trade, tourism and cultural exchange. This is the core principle behind the development of The Goodwill Trophy and Business Forum.

June 3, 2006

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