Yahia A. Kodouss, general manager of marketing and PR at BMW Egypt, has announced that Marwan El Khayat, Mahmoud Sobhi, and Naglaa Attallah have won a once in a lifetime opportunity to compete against participants from 50 nations at the 22nd BMW National Golf Cup. The BMW Golf Cup International will be held in March 2019 inMexico.Every one of the 100,000 amateur golfers who tee off around the world at the BMW Golf Cup International has one magnificent opportunity in mind: qualification to the World Final, to which BMW has invited the top performers from each country since 1995. 

The competition is a unique event, which far eclipses the standards of an everyday amateur competition. Together with their companions, the participants from roughly 50 countries are treated to an international, professional-standard tournament on breath-taking golf courses, fascinating evening and off-course events, and friendly encounters with golf fans from around the planet. 

The international highlight is just one of many reasons behind the unbowed popularity of this series of tournaments. Just like professional BMW tournaments, the national qualification tournaments feature precisely the same charm and class, for which BMW has been renowned as a global golf partner for decades.

The leaders were determined to play their best, afraid of any last minute surprises that might keep them away from a much desired title. Samer Farhat kept the lead by a two stroke difference from Phil Downey, who seemed to stumble along the way. Farhat stated, “Winning the qualifying tournament to the BMW Golf Cup was my reward after months of trying to recover my game. The quality of the venue, the importance of the event, and the friendly atmosphere among the golfing community made this achievement a special one. Nonetheless, this win makes me want to play the game more often, improve my level, and hopefully win more tournaments.” The prize was given to the first Egyptian winner Marwan El Khayat with five strokes behind. 

Naglaa Attallah shared, “I am very excited that I will be representatingfemale golfers from Egypt for the World Final in Mexico 2019. It is a dream to play golf in different countries and to make friends with golfers from around the World.” She continued with a message of encouragement, “If you're an amateur golfer like me who can't dedicate a lot of time to play, the journey to improve your game can be frustrating. Stay focused and make the most out of the time that you spend on the course or on the practice range. That will keep you on the path to improvement.”

In four months the 2019 BMW Golf Cup International season will conclude with the World Final in Mexico from 1-6 March 2019. The top 99 players from the 50 countries that entered the largest international tournament series for amateurs will meet at the La Ciudad de los Palacios golf resort in Mexico—all the participants are winners. “Their athletic performance and the way they all got on together created a special atmosphere on what are truly beautiful, but also very demanding, golf courses,” said Hamed Lotfy, marketing, events, and media relations manager at BMW Egypt.  He added that every year the BMW World Golf Cup’s tournaments are held in many places such as Portugal, Argentina, Australia, Thailand, Singapore, and South Africa, and that the local qualifying tournaments are being held in each country with the same amount of sophistication that is present at the international finals.

The 2018 local BMW Golf Cup tournaments took place inside the Westin Cairo Golf Resort & Spa, Katameya Dunes in New Cairo. The tournaments witnessed the participation of a number of local and international sponsors. 

Last year’s winner Shams Bahaa said, “This year I’m really focused on enjoying my time, and I’m very proud that I am part of the BMW tournament and that all of the players were having a good time. It was not a bad haul for one week of good golf and it was a dream setting for any golf lover.”

Exciting day of activities 

The event witnessed remarkable attendance by the families and friends of the golfers, who were keen to participate in many of the activities conducted by the sponsors.

The guests of BMW were given the opportunity to taste the finest coffee from Nespresso and had an opportunity to see the latest watches by renowned watchmaker Omega, known for its rich history and heritage. The guests along with players enjoyed reading Sports & Fitness magazine copies during the day.

During the event, the winners were awarded valuable prizes from the sponsors Omega, Nespresso, and St.Dupont.

The winners will attend the International BMW Golf Cup tournaments that are scheduled to take place on March 2019 in Mexico.

Latest BMW models put to the test 

At the Egyptian qualifying tournaments, BMW Egypt showed off its latest vehicles at the Westin Katameya Dunes Resort and those in attendance had the opportunity to see them closely. Among these models were the BMW 2 Series convertible, the all-new BMW X3 in the xDrive30i, and the M40i edition.

The M40i is being introduced for the first time to the Middle East, locally assembled in Bavarian Auto Group factories in Egypt.

Moreover, the seventh and all-new generation of the BMW 5 Series, which is also being locally assembled for the first time in Egypt, appeared during the event.

The all-new locally assembled BMW 5 Series comes with Active Air Stream Kidney Grille technology that automatically opens and closes the front grille according to cooling needs.

Over 100,000 golfers around the world seek final tournament

In Germany alone, the BMW World Golf Cup qualifying tournament witnessed the participation of 10,000 golfers seeking entrance to the final tournament. The total number of golfers who participated in BMW World Golf Cups in 50 countries around the world reached 100,000. These golfers competed fiercely to reach the final tournaments that are held inside the most luxurious golf courses in their respective countries.

BMW has shown a great amount of attention and care to the sport of golf over the years, making the German manufacturer one of the largest sponsors of golf throughout its history.

This sponsorship, which extends to other sports such as automotive sports and naval races, is considered part of BMW's vision to participate in its customers' interests.

BMW is working actively to develop the automotive industry's future and its role in customers' lives.

Text by: Mohamed El-Dakhakhny