Bytes Document Solutions (BDS) hosted the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge on 16 July at the Johannesburg Country Club’s Woodmead Golf Course. This year marks the 16th year of the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge, which consists of 12 qualifying rounds that are being held primarily in the United Arab Emirates.
The event was a great success and saw 84 customers participating and competing for a coveted place in the Grand Final which will be held in Ras al-Khaimah, one of the Persian Gulf Arab sheikhdoms, on 11 December 2014.
Johan Basson, CEO of BDS said, ‘The interest in the Xerox Corporate Golf Challenge is overwhelming and the event was well supported by our partners and salespeople. Business partners like Brett Furlong from Oxbow, Piet Potgieter of Lowveld Office Automation and Martin van Ghent of XLP travelled from Cape Town, Nelspruit and Polokwane respectively with their customers to play in this exclusive event. Our players had a wonderful day and many have already asked us to include them in next year’s challenge. It helped that it was a beautiful Highveld day with the temperature at 21 degrees.’
The winners of the South African leg of the tournament were Greg Young and Jeff Anderson from Thunderbolt. They will be jetting off to Abu Dhabi at the end of the year to compete in the Grand Final.
The second prize went to Andrew During and Andre Bam from Prodoc and House of Print, both of whom were placed second last year too. Third place went to Kamal Singh and Bowie Singh from Shereno Printers. Kamal Singh won the third prize last year as well, when he played with Harry Christoffi.
Eighty four finalists from this year’s qualifying rounds will compete in the two-day Grand Final hosted on two iconic golf courses, Tower Links Golf Club and Al Hamra Golf Club, along with an overnight stay in the magnificent Waldorf Astoria.
‘The Grand Final is a prize in itself and the field will be competing to scoop the Grand Prize, which will provide an unforgettable golfing experience at one of the regions’ leading global golf tournaments,’ said Basson.
The winners from the South African leg qualifying round last year went on to win the grand finals held in Abu Dhabi and secured a place in the Pro-Am of 2013 DP World Tour Championships in Dubai. The event began in the UAE in 1997 and has since become one of the most prestigious sporting events in the region’s golf environment.
‘The early vision of Xerox Emirates senior management was to use the game of golf as a catalyst to bring the business community together,’ said Basson, ‘Where better to do business than on the golf course? The popularity of the tournament is indisputable. In 2013, a total of 550 teams and 1 100 players participated. We wish our SA winners all the best in December.’
