South Africa victorious at the 2009 Audi quattro Cup Finals in Sydney

At the World Finale of the Audi quattro Cup in Sydney, the best amateur golfers from 44 nations represented their countries in a prestigious tournament that was staged for the 19th time in 2009.
 
The competition was played over two rounds of 18 holes each. Brand van der Walt and Roy van Blerk of South Africa challenged their formidable international competitor’s Down Under to take the overall first place.
 
Comments from Brand van der Walt and Roy van Blerk:
 
Brand van der Walt:

“The realization of the enormity of the event only strikes one a few days later after arriving back here in SA. Not a single day goes by without me thinking of something special that I have experienced: either a person, of whom there were many, or a meal or a golf shot (the good as well as the bad ones) or a function. We were treated like royalty and words almost fail to describe our experience. We have won the cup for AUDI and want them to carry the honour as we were just playing a game we love, having lots of fun and in the process have become AUDI ambassadors!”

Roy van Blerk:

“The experience was absolutely awesome and the hospitality from Audi in general and in particular the extra time and arrangements made by Ryan Searle was beyond expectations.  Winning the tournament was obviously the 'cherry on the top', but just being part of the World Finale was an absolute privilege and one which I will personally never forget.  The competition was tough, the conditions the worst that I have personally ever played in, but fortunately enough Brandt and myself held things together and were able to pip the Chinese by 1 point. I have been fortunate enough to play in a number of different, similar amateur tournaments and the Audi experience and hospitality was by far the best and at another level. Thanks to all who contributed and made the trip a life time experience, which we will all never forget!”

The World Finale again marked the conclusion of a long and thrilling season which fascinated almost 80 000 participants around the globe. In a total of 730 qualification tournaments the amateur golfers had played at the invitation of regional Audi partners, qualifying in 46 national contests for the season’s culmination in Australia. The competitions included golfers from Europe as well as from Indonesia, China and Canada. Aside from playing golf on one of the world’s most beautiful courses and the fight for the honor of claiming victory in the tournament, the guests on and off the green experienced a spectacular program that included excursions to the famous Sydney Opera House, the Taronga Zoo, a boat tour along the fascinating port city’s skyline to complement the event and surfing on Bondi Beach.
 
Next year, the Audi quattro Cup that was incepted in 1991 will celebrate its 20th anniversary. From 51 tournaments with 6 000 participants in Germany in its debut year, the Cup has evolved into the world’s biggest and most popular series for amateur golfers. This trend remains unbroken: the first registrations have already been received for the next season that will start next spring and end with the finale on the island of Sardinia in the Mediterranean. The tournament series is one of the highlights of AUDI AG’s commitment to golf. In addition to promoting amateur sport, it will again include the part of Presenting Sponsor of the”HypoVereinsbank Ladies German Open” next year.