BUSINESSES BACK WALES



7 August - Celtic Manor Resort proprietor, Sir Terry Matthews may have been the first private sector investor to back Wales' Bid to stage the 2009 Ryder
Cup, but he is by no means the last.

Key Welsh businesses - recognising the economic importance of the bid - are now following his lead, by committing their money and products to the cause
of bringing the prestigious event to Wales.

Those companies that have come on board to support the bid include Welsh
brewery SA Brains and The Principality Building Society. Welsh newspapers,
The Western Mail and the South Wales Argus have also come on board as media partners. In addition to the local support, international endorsement of the
bid has come from Dow Corning, a global leader in silicon-based materials.

The bid to host the Ryder Cup has been an all-Wales campaign led by the
National Assembly. A key element of the bid has been to prove that professional golf is sustainable in Wales. The inaugural Wales Seniors Open and the WPGA Championships of Europe, held as part of the Summer of Golf programme - a Ryder Cup bid and Wales Tourist Board initiative - were very well supported by the business sector. This commercial support has been crucial in ensuring the success of these tournaments during 2001, and for securing the long-term future of these events in Wales for a minimum three-year period.

This week's Wales Open - the showcase of the Wales bid - can also boast a
host of enthusiastic sponsors. Promoted and sponsored by the host venue, The
Celtic Manor Resort, the tournament will be co-presented by Mitel and March
Networks, ten official partners and 66 championship suppliers. All of this
financial backing means an unprecedented level of support for professional
golf in Wales.

Tony Lewis, Chairman of the Wales Bid, said:

"From the start this has been an all-Wales bid, and Sir Terry Matthews has
been our Pied Piper, leading the way. Now local and international businesses have followed his lead and are investing in the bid because they recognise the enormous economic impact that the event will have on Wales."