- Organisers Golf Saudi hosted #PinkSunday at weekend’s Aramco Team Series – Shenzhen
- Initiative saw golfers mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month by playing final rounds in pink
- Partnership with Vista-SK International Medical Center saw life-saving mammograms donated for every birdie or eagle made at Mission Hills Resort’s par-five 16th hole
- Scheme resulted in Golf Saudi & Vista-SK International Medical Center donating 1,095 mammogram appointments for the women of Shenzhen
The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF has left a “potentially lifesaving” legacy in host city Shenzhen, China, after running a Breast Cancer Awareness Month initiative that will see more than 1,000 women receive private breast cancer screenings.
The tournament – which climaxed at Mission Hills Resort yesterday – transformed its par-five 16th hole into a sea of pink to celebrate what organizers Golf Saudi dubbed #PinkSunday as the event threw its support behind the world’s fight against breast cancer.
In doing so, not only was the 16th hole bathed in pink, but for every birdie or eagle scored by the stars of the Ladies European Tour, ten and 25 mammograms respectively were donated for availing by the women of Shenzhen at private healthcare provider Vista-SK International Medical Center, providing invaluable, best-in-class access to the preventative screening process.
And with 78 birdies and 2 eagles carded over #PinkSunday, a huge 1,095 mammograms can now be booked in free-of-charged at the Vista-SK International Medical Center, thanks to the skill of many of the world’s best golfers.
Noah Alireza, CEO of Golf Saudi – co-organizers of the weekend’s Shenzhen leg of the Aramco Team Series, along with the Chinese Golf Association – said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be able to leave Shenzhen having not only continued to grow golf, elevate the women’s game, and inspire the next generation of Chinese golfers, but with a longer-term impact that could be potentially life-saving for women living here.
“Backing Breast Cancer Awareness Month is something that we know the players on the Ladies European Tour are passionate about – as are we. To partner with the team at Vista SK to be able to leverage the incredible talent of the LET’s golfers and kick-start a scheme as positive as this is a wonderful way to commemorate a fantastic weekend of women’s golf here in Shenzhen – and to allow its impact to continue to be seen and felt off the golf course, too.”
Vista-SK International Medical Center is a joint venture between Beijing’s Vista Medical Center and Korea’s SK Healthcare, which together bring advanced medical management systems and family-focused healthcare to Shenzhen.
Michael Yim, General Manager at Vista-SK International Medical Center, said: “To be able to offer this number of mammogram screenings will be hugely beneficial in helping us detect the early signs of cancer in some women, or to just give others peace of mind. More than two million women are diagnosed with breast cancer every year – if even one of these mammograms detects the early signs of breast cancer early here in Shenzhen, then its impact on that person’s life could be immeasurable. It’s a legacy that may well save lives and we’re immensely proud to be part of it.”
Alex Armas, CEO of the Ladies European Tour, said: “Breast cancer awareness is naturally a cause close to all of us here on the Ladies European Tour. Our golfers loved to be part of an initiative that allowed their talents to contribute to enabling greater access to preventative screening that could prove to be a lifesaver, even for some of women who watched them compete here in Shenzhen over the weekend.”
The Aramco Team Series presented by PIF concludes with its final leg of the season in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, October 31 through November 2, where organizers Golf Saudi will continue to mark Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
At last year’s tournament, a Pink Ribbon Walk was held around the grounds of Riyadh Golf Club as a means of honoring the annual October awareness initiative. Coined WALK THE IMPACT, spectators, officials, caddies, and players alike weaved 2km through the golf club’s grounds, with every completed walk seeing one breast cancer prevention check-up donated by the Kingdom’s Dr Sulaiman Al-Habib Medical Group.
For more information, visit www.golfsaudi.com
