* World Match Play going to Black Sea resort
* Course dubbed ‘Pebble Beach of Europe’ (Adds last three paras)
By Tony Jimenez
Oct 22 (Reuters) – Bulgaria will host a European Tour event for the first time when the 2013 World Match Play Championship is staged at the Black Sea resort of Thracian Cliffs.
Organisers said in a statement on Monday that the move from Andalucia in Spain, where the tournament has been staged for the last three years, to Bulgaria was part of a plan to rotate the venue of the championship that has been in operation since 1964.
“This is a real coup to be chosen to host such a prestigious international tournament with a rich heritage and sporting tradition,” Prime Minister Boiko Borisov said in a news release.
“The vast media coverage will deliver a reputable boost for Bulgaria and our tourism industry. The recent growth of golf in our country will have the opportunity to be showcased around the world.”
Some of the biggest names in the sport have won the World Match Play – Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Gary Player, Greg Norman, the late Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo and South African Ernie Els who has lifted the trophy a record seven times.
Player designed Thracian Cliffs and the course has been described as the ‘Pebble Beach of Europe’, a reference to the spectacular championship links in California.
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