MANCHESTER CITY LINK UP WITH THE OPEN

Pep Guardiola showcased his golfing prowess alongside two-time Masters’ champion Jose Maria Olazabal to reveal a collaboration between Manchester City and The Open Championship.

The Club has teamed up with the oldest of the four golf majors for an exclusive content series in the build up to the 146th instalment of the Championship at Royal Birkdale in July, with Olazabal visiting the City Football Academy to mark the beginning of this agreement.

Having already posed with the famous Claret Jug, Guardiola gavethe former Ryder Cup captain a guided tour of the Club’s training ground before the pair picked up their clubs.

A keen golfer, Pep watched his good friend demonstrate his immense talent on a golf simulator before teeing off himself.

Olazabal, who also met Ilkay Gundogan, Gabriel Jesus, Jennifer Beattie and Steph Houghton, as well as Club legend Paul Dickov, spoke of his excitement ahead of a tournament he describes as particularly special for European players.

“The Open is huge, especially for us,” he said.

“Obviously it is huge for the world of golf but for us Europeans it is the only major played on this side of the Atlantic so for us it is everything.

“It has a lot of history behind it and the rotation of the courses make it special, but what makes it really special is the knowledge of the crowds as they are always fantastic.”

City fans also had the opportunity to pit their wits against the Spaniard, who was present at the Etihad Stadium for the 1-1 with Liverpool and took part in a series of golfing challenges at half-time.

And the opportunities didn’t end there for Blues supporters, who can get up close and personal with the Claret Jag on visits to the City Store and at Manchester City’s annual Golf Day. 

The Open, of course, has a rich heritage and Omar Berrada, Chief Operating Officer for Manchester City, is pleased to be partnering the competition.

“The Open is a cherished sporting institution, steeped in history, with an ever-growing global fan base,” he said.

“As a proud North West club, we’re delighted The R&A are hosting the next Championship in the region and look forward to collaborating on innovative and engaging content for both sets of fans.”

Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director of Championships at The R&A - the organisers of The Open - is equally pleased and is exited by the opportunities the link up will present.

“Manchester City is one of the biggest clubs in the world and The Open is one of the world’s greatest sporting events", said Cole-Hamilton at the official launch.

"We are looking forward to working with Manchester City to help promote the Championship ahead of its return to the historic links at Royal Birkdale for the tenth time.”