The event is under the patronage of the Prime Minister of Bulgaria, Mr. Boyko Borisov

Only a few days remain until the start of the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe, which will take place in Pravets Golf Club between 16 and 20 September. The championship brings together nearly 50 national title winners, who have qualified from the elite events staged in the country where they work. The prestigious competition will decide who will be the best professional golfer for 2012.

The PGA professionals representing some 30 countries are preparing for the championship. It will be officially opened on 16 September (Sunday). Before the start of the competition for professionals, golf amateurs will be able to play together with the stars in the specially organized UniCredit ProAm Championship – the only championship where amateurs play together with European professionals.

The first edition of the UniCredit PGA Professional Championship of Europe took place in 2011. Then the European prize was taken by Portuguese Hugo Santos, but the desire to be in his place has made the participation of the golf stars mandatory this year.

Santos, brother of Ricardo (winner of the Madeira Island Open in the European Challenge Tour last May) won in a sudden-death play-off against Holland-based Scot Ben Collier and he will be back to defend the title that he was visibly proud to have won...though the opposition will be even tougher second time around.

Collier will be there again striving to go one better this time but the competition will be increased by the presence of Simon Edwards who has qualified through the PGA of Wales route along with Lee Rooke.

Edwards will be not only one of the most experienced and battle-hardened pros in the field but also will be fired by a deep desire to win the European No.1 trophy. This ambition stretches back more than a decade to when the championship was staged at Pevero, Sardinia.

Though the PGA Cup player and former Glenmuir British Club champion, was a year-by-year challenger, he never quite managed to keep his nose in front to claim the title he so coveted. He will regard this latest chance to realise the ambition as too good to miss.

Unlike Edwards, many of the qualifiers will be involved in the most prestigious tournament of their careers while leaving behind, for a few heady days, those pro shop, academy or resort duties.

UNICREDIT PGA PROFESSIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP OF EUROPE

(Qualifers to date)

DEFENDING CHAMPION: HUGO SANTOS (PORTUGAL)

AUSTRIA: CHRISOTPHER BAUSEK, STEPHANUS WALTMAN

BELGIUM: GILLES MONVILLE, ARNAUD BEAUPAIN

BULGARIA: WILLIAM DOW

CROATIA: DARKO LJUBANOVIC

CZECH REPUBLIC: LUKAS LIZANEK, JAKUB JANDA

ENGLAND: CRAIG SHAVE, STEVE PARRY, STUART LITTLE

FINLAND: SAKARI AHO, JOONAS PAANANEN

FRANCE: FREDERIC CUPPLIARD, BENJAMIN NICOLAY

GERMANY: SIMON BROWN, MARK STEVENSON, DENNIS LOHRMANN

GREECE: GEORGE DIAKOU

HOLLAND: RENE NIJHUIS, BEN COLLIER, RALPH MILLER

HUNGARY: ROLAND HAHN

ISRAEL: OREN GERI

ITALY: FERNANDO PASQUALUCCI, MATTIA RATTI, ANDREA PESCE

NORWAY: THOMAS HANSEN

POLAND: JAN LUBIENIECKI

PORTUGAL: ANTONIO ROSADO, LUIS FRANCO

RUSSIA: VICTOR OSTANKOV

SCOTLAND: IAN TAYLOR

SLOVAKIA: PETER BUCKO

SLOVENIA: JANEZ GRILC

SPAIN: MIKEL GALDOS, JUAN ANGEL ROSILLO, INAKI ALUSTIZA

SWEDEN: PETER GRIMJFORD, FREDERIC ALMSKOUG, TOMAS SETTERHILL

SWITZERLAND: JAMES JOHNSON, MARCUS KNIGHT

WALES: LEE ROOKE, SIMON EDWARDS

INVITES: DANNY KRALJIC (SLOVENIA), ALBERT MACKENZIE (SCOTLAND)

More information for media:

UniCredit Bulbank, Identity & Communications Department

Viktoria Blajeva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 993, wjlj/ebwjepwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Ekaterina Ancheva, Phone: + 359 2 9264 963, flbufsjob/bodifwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch

Magdalena Ivanova, Phone: + 359 2 9232 528, nbhebmfob/jwbopwbAvojdsfejuhspvq/ch