England captain Harry Kane and Paddy Power brand ambassador Peter Crouch will be amongst a host of celebrities taking part in the Paddy Power Golf Shootout, as the firm marks the return of live sport in the UK.
The behind-closed-doors event, which will take place at the Centurion Club in Hertfordshire on Friday, 5 June, will also feature the likes of Jamie Redknapp, Freddie Flintoff and broadcast journalist Piers Morgan.
Joining them will be a number of pro players, including 2019 Open runner-up Tommy Fleetwood, 2018 Ryder Cup-winning captain Thomas Bjorn, Paul McGinley, Andrew ‘Beef’ Johnston and Carly Booth.
The event will be subject to a rigorous, government-approved COVID-19 testing process. All participants and production crew will be tested prior to the event. Moreover, the event will run on a skeleton crew to ensure that only essential staff are used.
English star Fleetwood, ranked No.10 in the world, stated: “We’ve all been waiting for an event like this to showcase the return of golf. There’s some great personalities taking part in the challenges so I know it will be a fun watch for everyone. I’m looking forward to getting back to some competition again.”
Seeking to maximise fan engagement, the Irish bookmaker has mapped out a number of activations for the participants, ranging from ‘golf pong’ – a twist on the classic Beer Pong – to ‘blind putting’.
Moreover, the Paddy Power Golf Shootout will be available to watch live on the bookmaker’s Youtube channel or on Twitter, whilst Paddy Power News will provide daily highlights and blogs of the event.
“I go into this event with a mixture of excitement and trepidation,” Paul McGinley added.
“Excitement about having an excuse to leave the house, trepidation that I could conceivably lose to Piers Morgan.”
Insider Insight: The creation of the Paddy Power Golf Shootout is a shrewd move by the bookmaker as it will undoubtedly boost the firm’s fan engagement as live sport starts to resume its operations in the UK.