2012 Tavistock Cup Returns to Lake Nona

ORLANDO, Fla., March 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The Tavistock Cup returns to Lake Nona Golf & Country Club this spring showcasing the top touring professional members of Albany, Isleworth Golf & Country Club, Lake Nona and Queenwood Golf Club.

The ninth annual Tavistock Cup, which takes place March 19 and 20, is an officially sanctioned PGA TOUR event recognized by many as the World Golf and Country Club Championship.

There are six golf professional members representing each competing club's team this year.

Team Albany's roster features Tim Clark, Ernie Els, Trevor Immelman, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose and Tiger Woods. 

Team Isleworth's lineup includes Robert Allenby, Daniel Chopra, Charles Howell III, Sean O'Hair, and newcomers Bo Van Pelt and Bubba Watson.

Defending champion Team Lake Nona is represented by Ben Curtis, Ross Fisher, Retief Goosen, Peter Hanson, Graeme McDowell and Tavistock Cup rookie Gary Woodland.

Team Queenwood is made up of Thomas Bjorn, David Howell, Soren Kjeldsen, newcomer Tom Lewis, Paul McGinley and Adam Scott.

Collectively, the four clubs enjoy an unrivaled depth of talent representing the highest concentration of top-ranked golfers who together have won more than 860 worldwide victories, including 62 major championships as of 2011.

Established in 2004, the Tavistock Cup began as a friendly cross-town rivalry between Isleworth and Lake Nona's golf professional members. In 2011, the Tavistock Cup introduced a four-way competition for the first time in its history by bringing in two new clubs, Albany and Queenwood.

Defending champion Lake Nona has notched four Tavistock Cup victories in 2007, 2009, 2010 and 2011. Isleworth won the Tavistock Cup in 2004, 2006 and 2008. The 2005 matches between Lake Nona and Isleworth ended in a tie following a sudden-death playoff. Albany finished second and Queenwood placed fourth in their 2011 Tavistock Cup debuts.

The Tavistock Cup will be played on Lake Nona's Tom Fazio-designed golf course recognized as one of his best early designs. The 18-hole championship course continually ranks among the top residential courses in the world and has hosted a number of international tournaments.

Each year, Tavistock Cup contestants play for prize money, team hole-in-one prizes and the title of World Golf and Country Club Champion. But the tournament also exists to raise money for philanthropy, having donated more than $6.5 million to local, national and international charities over the last eight years.

The Tavistock Cup matches have become one of the most unique golfing events of the year as tickets are not sold to the public. Only club members, sponsors, designated charities and invited guests are able to attend the two-day event. Once in, there are no ropes separating the world's best players from the spectators.

The tournament will be broadcast live on the Golf Channel in the U.S., Canada, China and Japan and airs on international affiliates throughout the United Kingdom, Australia, Latin America and South Africa. TavistockCup.com will feature real-time live scoring of the 2012 Tavistock Cup matches.

ABOUT TAVISTOCK GROUP 
Tavistock Group is an international private investment company founded by Joe Lewis. With investments in more than 200 companies across 15 countries, Tavistock Group's investment portfolio includes: life sciences, sports teams and sporting events, manufacturing and distribution, oil, gas and energy, financial services, restaurants, commercial properties, private luxury residential properties, resort properties and master-planned real estate developments. For more information, visit www.tavistock.com.

ABOUT ALBANY 
Albany is a new luxury resort community created by Tavistock Group, Tiger Woods and Ernie Els. Nestled among approximately 600 oceanfront acres on the southwestern end of New Providence in The Bahamas, Albany is conveniently located seven minutes and five miles from Nassau's international airport. Albany features an array of residential offerings and amenities for all members of the family, including a well-appointed boutique hotel, a 71-slip mega-yacht marina, an Ernie Els-designed golf course, a fitness center and spa, an adult pool and bar, a family water park, a kids' clubhouse and casual and fine dining restaurants. Albany's deep-water marina is being designed and built to aesthetically rival the great resort ports of the world. For information, visit www.albanybahamas.com.

ABOUT ISLEWORTH GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 
Nestled amongst the Butler Chain of Lakes in southwest Orlando, Isleworth Golf & Country Club is a 600-acre private residential community with more than seven miles of shoreline and a championship golf course. Conceived by Arnold Palmer, designed by Ed Seay and enhanced by Steve Smyers, Isleworth's course features generous, undulating and fast greens and is consistently ranked one of the longest and toughest in Florida. Isleworth is home to an 89,000-square-foot Mediterranean-style clubhouse where members have access to multiple dining venues and a fitness center. Members also enjoy tennis facilities, a year-round children's program, concierge services and 24-hour gated security. Isleworth's natural setting lends the perfect backdrop for its collection of monumental sculptures. Elegant estate homes, priced from $2 million to more than $20 million, are afforded commanding golf to water views. For more information, visit www.isleworth.com.

ABOUT LAKE NONA GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB 
Offering world-class education, exceptional family experiences and outstanding amenities, Lake Nona Golf & Country Club has delivered the highest quality of living in Central Florida for more than 25 years. A vibrant, international population of members and residents enjoy an active lifestyle along with a full social calendar for recreation, celebration and entertainment. Lake Nona's Tom Fazio-designed championship golf course is world-ranked and has been a regular host of the PGA TOUR-sanctioned Tavistock Cup. Lake Nona also features a newly renovated fitness center, guest lodge, tennis courts and pool, year-round children's programming, as well as a trio of pristine lakes providing freshwater fishing and boating opportunities. Just outside the gates of this private sanctuary lie numerous parks and trails, diverse workspaces, as well as forthcoming retail and entertainment choices beside a cluster of hospitals, universities and research institutions setting new benchmarks in medical education, patient care and scientific research. For more information, visit www.lakenona.com.

ABOUT QUEENWOOD GOLF CLUB 
Queenwood Golf Club is a traditional private golf club nestled in the heart of the rolling Surrey countryside near London. Founded by American entrepreneur Frederick D. Green, Queenwood features a heathland course, extraordinary clubhouse facilities and a limited membership. Queenwood's course is the creation of David Kidd, widely known for his work at Bandon Dunes in Oregon. Providing sophisticated tranquility for members and their guests, Queenwood's clubhouse offers a wide array of services available throughout the year, including fine dining experiences and luxurious guestrooms. For more information, visit www.queenwood.co.uk.

SOURCE Tavistock Group