The press conference for Turkish Airlines Open 2019 Golf Tournament, which will be held at the Maxx Royal Montgomerie Golf Club in Belek Tourism Center on November 7-10, was held.
Minister of Foreign Affairs, Çavuşoğlu, as well as the Turkish Golf Federation (TGF) President Ahmet Ağaoğlu and the famous golfer Justin Rose attended the conference at Maxx Royal Belek. Minister Çavuşoğlu said that his hometown Antalya is now hosting a very prestigious tournament that has become traditional and that he was honored to be at the opening of this event.
Thanking the Ministry of Culture and Tourism, the Ministry of Youth and Sports, the TGF President Ağaoğlu and THY for their work, Çavuşoğlu said, "THY has become the airline company that flies to the highest number of destinations in the world. It has been a huge supporter of the golf tourism in Turkey and Antalya. It really allowed us to host the stars of golf in Turkey.”
Emphasizing that the number of the participants of the tournament increased every year, with 75 athletes from 25 countries participating in the tournament this year, Çavuşoğlu said that they proudly followed the work of TGF.
Stating that Antalya is a city that hosts visitors from many parts of the world, Çavuşoğlu said:
"We host 13 million tourists in Antalya on an annual basis. This year, we expect this number to rise to 14 million. Sports such as rafting, golf, tennis, football and cycling are also important in the development of tourism. In addition, Demre is the birthplace of Santa Claus. Antalya is known for its magnificent sea, sand and sun. Antalya also has centers that are historically quite significant. Antalya has become an important golf center not only in Europe but also in the world. It’s a city where different golf tournaments are organized. I’m also a golf player. I am thrilled that this tournament is held in Antalya. I learn a lot from the world's best golfers in this tournament, and I'm sure they've learned a lot from my mistakes."
TGF President Ahmet Ağaoğlu also mentioned that THY provided great material and moral contributions to the tournament.
"The weather in Antalya is always good for golf"
The famous golfer Justin Rose said that Turkish Airlines Open Tournament is getting stronger every year and that he was the champion of the last two years.
Mentioning that his competitors are also highly successful players, Rose said, "It will be a very exciting tournament for me. I look forward to the results." Saying that he played at the Maxx Royal Montgomerie field in 2013 Rose stated that he came in third by displaying a really good performance.
Mentioning that the weather in Antalya is always very good for golf, and he does not think that they’ll have any problems about it in the tournament, Rose informed that he also brought his family with him.
"I do not rate myself positively this season"
In response to a question, Rose said: "I don't rate myself positively this season. In fact, I think I missed some really good opportunities this season. I experienced some difficulties; if I can win this week, I can't say that I had a bad year for winning this championship. While entering 2020, it is very important for me to be successful in this tournament and win. This tournament will not only be a good ending for this year, but also a preparation for next year.”
Talking about next year's season planning, Rose explained that he would be preparing for the tournaments by taking short breaks rather than long ones as he did last year.
Stating that he focused on the Ryder Cup and the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020, Rose said:
"The Olympic games will be among the most important competitions for me. Trying to achieve everything in every tournament may not be the best course of action. In terms of setting goals, my goal is to play well wherever I play. I will take part in both tournaments. I won’t be playing at Abu Dhabi next year. There are many major tournaments within a 4.5-month period in 2020. I'm thinking of going with the flow in the game. In the past, I displayed a spotty performance in tournament success. Next year, I want to maintain a standard and avoid ups and downs. I'm hoping to maintain a good level in all of them."