Owing to the support from Grupa LOTOS, the most important Polish golf tournament returns as LOTOS Polish Open after a three-year break. LOTOS Polish Open is Poland's premier championship in professional golf.

The event will be held between July 21st and July 24th 2013 on the Sand Valley Golf & Country Club course in Pasłęk near Elbląg. After a three-year break, the competition is back on Poland's tournament calendar as a part of the European professional golf league Pro Golf Tour (formerly known as European Professional Development Tour). The league launched the careers of such players as Martin Kaymer, the world's best golfer in 2011.

"We are very happy to be organising such a tremendous event," said Marek Michałowski, President of the Polish Golf Union. "By doing so, we want to demonstrate that the golf we play in Poland stands at a high, European level."

"The inclusion of LOTOS Polish Open in Pro Golf Tour adds prestige to the tournament and creates an opportunity for Polish golfers to enter more prominent European golf events like Challenge Tour and European Tour," added Jarosław Sroka, President of PGA Poland (Golf Instructor Association), the spiritus movens of bringing the Polish Open tournament back.

"Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world. People from all walks of life play it – professional golfers, families and managers," stressed Paweł Olechnowicz, CEO of Grupa LOTOS. "This is a gentlemen's game in which firm rules apply, with no exemptions allowed. Applying the rules of golf in business brings multiple benefits."

A press conference on the event was followed by a panel session hosted by PGA Poland, which focused on the development of golf in Poland. The theme was also discussed in the context of the next Olympics to be held in Rio de Janeiro in 2016, during which golf will be reinstated as an Olympic sport after 112 years of absence. During the debate, participants also considered changes in financing of the sport by the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.

"Organising professional golf tournaments and getting such names as Grupa LOTOS involved offers Polish golf a unique opportunity to make up for the many years of inactivity compared with Western countries," said Mateusz Kusznierewicz, ambassador for the LOTOS Polish Open tournament. "I hope that the Polish team will prove it is capable of competing with Europe's top golfers."

The media patron of the panel was the Rzeczpospolita daily and panelists included Marek Michałowski, President of the Polish Golf Union, Jarosław Sroka, President of PGA Poland, Paweł Olechnowicz, CEO of Grupa LOTOS S.A., Mateusz Kusznierewicz, ambassador for the LOTOS Polish Open tournament, sailor, Olympic athlete and golfer, Andrzej Person, senator of Poland, and Marek Majewski, President of Sand Valley G&CC.

Grupa LOTOS became involved in golf more than a year ago when it was the patron of LOTOS Open, a major golfing event held in the 2012 season. The two-day tournament on the Sand Valley G&CC golf court was played by 120 golfers, with athletes known for their passion for golf, such as Mateusz Kusznierewicz and Tomasz Iwan, among them.

Grupa LOTOS is known to be a committed sponsor of sports. It is Poland’s General Skiing Sponsor and the Official Partner of Robert Kubica. The company also supports rally drivers in the LOTOS Rally Team, Kajetan Kajetanowicz and Michał Kościuszko. It is involved in social and sports programmes, such as the National Ski Jumping Development Programme “In Search for the Champion’s Successors”or the “White and Green Future with LOTOS” programme.

Polish Golf Union (PZG) is an organisation of Polish golf clubs. Currently, 59 clubs with over 3,000 players belong to the Union. PZG's main objectives include the promotion, development and organisation of golf in Poland. From among its members, PZG appoints Polish national teams in various age groups and enters them for international tournaments. The Union was established on July 31 1993.

PGA Polska (Professional Golf Association Polska) is an organisation of professional golf instructors and tournament golf players. PGA Polska's mission is to promote golf, implement the highest standards in golf instruction, perfect players' skills and represent ethical values inherent in the tradition and history of golf. PGA Polska was established in 1993.

Communication Office, Grupa LOTOS S.A., ul. Elbląska 135, 80-718 Gdańsk, Poland, tel. (+48) 58 308 87 31, (+48) 58 308 83 88, e-mail: media@grupalotos.pl