Asbri Golf extends Cornish Festival support

13/12/2019

Asbri Golf, the leading supplier of branded golf accessories, has agreed to sponsor the region’s seasonal curtain-raiser, the Cornish Festival, for a fourth successive year.

The Caerphilly-based PGA Partner originally signed up in 2017 to back the popular event for three years and, such has been the success of the arrangement, it will follow suit in 2020.

Commenting on extending the sponsorship, Asbri Golf sales and marketing director Paul Williams, said: “PGA Professionals are the core of our business and the support from the South West region has been fantastic since we first supported the event in 2017 as title sponsors.

“It’s great to be able to give something back to the pros who continue to support us and choose Asbri for all their crested accessories.

“It’s a fantastic event and a brilliant way of opening the season. It’s played on three superb courses – St Enodoc, Trevose and the Point at Polzeath.

“The welcome and hospitality from all three venues is superb and the courses are always in great condition.”

As well as supporting the event, Asbri Golf, which also sponsors the Welsh National PGA Championship, enters two teams.

One is led by Richard Dinsdale (above), Asbri Golf’s business development manager and a PGA Professional who has a long association with the event.

He recalled: “I first played in the Cornish festival back in 1994 and am thrilled to now still be competing in the event as well as representing Asbri as official sponsors.”

Commenting on the company’s continued support for the event that, contested by 120 teams, is always over-subscribed, PGA South West regional manager Robert Moss said: “Asbri Golf is a key and valued supporter of golf in the region.

“We’re delighted they are supporting us again this year and, once again, have entered two teams. Long may their involvement continue.”

It was presented to Richard Dinsdale by JB’s widow Beryl following this year’s Asbri Golf Welsh PGA Championship at Conwy.

Commenting on the award, the company’s managing director Eryl Williams said: “I speak not only on behalf of Paul Williams and Richard Dinsdale who were close friends of John, but our entire team at Asbri.

“We are simply overwhelmed, very proud and truly honoured to receive this award and to be the first ever recipients. ‘JB’ was one of our first ever customers in Wales and supported us every single season through to his retirement.

“Like so many of our Welsh customers, John, Beryl and his family became a very special part of our business and we will never ever forget his unwavering support, the ideas he gave us and most importantly his friendship.

“Our sponsorship of the Welsh PGA is our small way of saying ‘thank you’ to John and every other Welsh professional that has supported us.”

Meanwhile, the company is celebrating becoming the first winners of the John Barnett Memorial Trophy.

Barnett, a former PGA Captain who was affectionally known as ‘JB’ and was head PGA pro at Royal St David’s, Harlech, for many years, passed away in 2017 at the age of 67.

The trophy, which is named after him and instigated by Peter Johnson, a key supporter of the Welsh PGA Championship for a decade, is to be awarded annually to a professional, golf club, sponsor or individual who, like Barnett, is a huge supporter of Welsh golf.

Asbri Golf has done that by sponsoring the Welsh PGA Championship for the past seven years and the company was the unanimous choice to be the first winner of the trophy.