Spirit 38 - Volvo Construction Equipment

Nine of Montgomerie’s victories were in events sponsored by Volvo
“There are not many companies who can
claim to have been integral to the growth
of a nation’s golf, but Volvo in China
certainly can.”
“The contribution Volvo has made to golf, first on
the European Tour, then in Asia has been truly remarkable,”
says the charismatic if occasionally controversial Montgomerie,
adding, “Volvo brought to the European Tour not only much
improved prize money but also set the gold standard some of the
younger players today take for granted - courtesy cars, players’
lounges, physiotherapy services, first class practice facilities - whilst
its groundbreaking involvement in the European Tour since
1988 helped persuade other blue-chip brands to invest in golf
sponsorship based on Volvo’s quality production values and
a proven return on investment.”
And, when, in 1995, Volvo became the first western
brand to engage with the fledgling game of golf behind the Great
Wall of China, the number of golf courses could be counted
on the fingers of one hand, professional players in single figures,
regular golfers in the hundreds rather than thousands.
“I had played quite a bit in China in the early years of
the new Millennium when golf in China was very much still in its
infancy, but when I made my debut in the Volvo China Open in
Beijing in 2009 I was immediately struck by the manner in which
Volvo’s benchmark for quality was evident in a country where golf
had clearly developed very considerably,” continued the man they
call ‘Monty,’ who adds, “There are not many companies who can
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