Bogota is hosting South America’s first ever PGA Tour golfing tournament, from March 4 to 7.
The Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open will feature a 132-player field and a prize pool of $600,000, according to the PGA Tour’s official website.
Professional golfer Camilo Villegas, a native of Colombia, played an important role in bringing the event to Colombia, according to the PGA Tour. Villegas says “It means a great deal to me to see an event of this stature come to my country. I am delighted my fellow players will experience a country and a culture full of hospitality and wonderful people. Most importantly, I’m looking forward to Colombian youth being exposed to the PGA TOUR’s next stars in person and planting the seeds for them to dream of a career in golf.”
NASCAR star and Colombian native Juan Pablo Montoya will also be part of the event, hosting the “Juan Pablo Montoya Celebrity Pro-Am.”
The event is part of the plan of ProExport, a governmental organization which promotes foreign investment in and tourism to Colombia, to bring large international events to Colombia in 2010.
According to ProExport, “projecting Colombia as a suitable destination for the practice of a sport that today has 80 million players worldwide, will help strengthen the country’s image abroad, which is essential to increase exports, foreign direct investment, and the number of tourists who visit the country.”
The Pacific Rubiales Bogota Open is part of a larger PGA Tour series, called the Nationwide Tour.