Desať rokov budovania profesionálneho golfu na Slovensku prinieslo výnimočné uznanie. Penati Slovak Open získal The President’s Award for Golf Development 2026, prestížne ocenenie udeľované Confederation of Professional Golf (CPG).

 

Ten years of building professional golf in Slovakia have brought exceptional recognition. Penati Slovak Open has received The President’s Award for Golf Development 2026, a prestigious honour presented by the Confederation of Professional Golf (CPG).

This award carries particular significance. It is not presented for a sporting result or for successfully staging a single tournament. Instead, it recognises projects and initiatives that make a meaningful contribution to the development of golf, create new opportunities for players and leave a lasting legacy for future generations.

Its significance is reflected in the list of previous recipients. Past honourees include The R&A for its Women in Golf Charter, EDGA for advancing golf for people with disabilities, and the French Golf Federation for a project expanding golf infrastructure.

Penati Slovak Open now joins these distinguished golf organisations and initiatives.

Ten Years That Have Helped Advance Professional Golf in Slovakia

The recognition is all the more symbolic because it comes in the year Penati Slovak Open celebrated its milestone 10th edition.

“This award is an enormous honour and a recognition we genuinely did not expect. When we began building Penati Slovak Open ten years ago, we had a vision: to create a professional golf tournament in Slovakia with quality, tradition and, above all, purpose.
Today, it is an incredibly moving moment for us to see that our work matters beyond Slovakia’s borders. We value this award all the more because it recognises not simply the organisation of a tournament, but its contribution to the development of golf.”

Pavol Bielik, Promoter of Penati Slovak Open

It is precisely this broader contribution that CPG highlighted in its official citation. The organisation recognised the creation of a national professional championship that gives Slovak professionals a competitive platform of their own, raises the profile of professional golf in the country and creates opportunities for its continued development.

Penati Slovak Open is also part of the CPG International Series, an international schedule of tournaments organised by CPG in collaboration with its Member Country PGAs. The series brings together professional and amateur golfers across borders, offering further opportunities to compete. Players can earn Order of Merit points, while event winners may receive invitations to the Series Grand Final. This connection strengthens the international reach of Penati Slovak Open and the opportunities it creates for Slovak golfers.

From Professionals to the Youngest Golfers

One example of how Penati Slovak Open extends its impact beyond the professional tournament is Penati Slovak Open Chip & Putt.

Held during the accompanying PRO-AM day, the children’s event gives young golfers aged 10 and under the opportunity to experience the atmosphere of a major professional tournament.

Children can be part of the same tournament week as professional players, meet leading figures in golf and find inspiration to continue developing in the sport.

The concept also attracted the attention of the Ryder Cup European Development Trust, which supported the initiative connecting professional golf with the development of young talent in 2026.

In this way, Penati Slovak Open builds a bridge between the present and the future of golf: between players competing for professional titles today and children who may one day follow in their footsteps.

“When we see the children at Chip & Putt watching the professionals with such excitement, we realise that this is exactly why it matters. We want young golfers to see that, here in Slovakia too, they can have role models, opportunities and dreams of their own.”

Peter Petrovič, Promoter of Penati Slovak Open

An Award That Belongs to Everyone

Penati Slovak Open grew out of the vision of its promoters, Peter Petrovič and Pavol Bielik. Over ten years, however, it has become a project shaped by dozens of people, organisations and partners.

Its title partner, Penati Golf Resort, has played an especially important role and has been inseparable from the tournament’s story since the very beginning.

Without its support, trust and provision of a professional setting at one of the region’s finest golf courses, the tournament could not have reached the level it has today.

Equally important is the support of other partners, the organising team, colleagues, volunteers and everyone who contributes to preparing and delivering the tournament each year.

“We know very well that Penati Slovak Open is not the story of just two people. It is the shared achievement of everyone who has believed in it over these ten years. Above all, our title partner Penati Golf Resort, but also all our other partners, our team and the people who have helped us along the way. This award belongs to them just as much as it does to us.”

Peter Petrovič, Promoter of Penati Slovak Open

Partneri Penati Slovak Open nepomáhajú financovať iba golfový turnaj. Spoločne vytvárame príležitosti pre slovenských profesionálov, podporujeme mladé talenty a budujeme budúcnosť golfu na Slovensku. A dnes má táto spoločná práca aj prestížne medzinárodné uznanie.

Penati Slovak Open’s partners do more than help fund a golf tournament. Together, we create opportunities for Slovak professionals, support young talent and help build the future of golf in Slovakia. Today, that shared effort has also earned prestigious international recognition.

Recognition That Also Inspires Us to Keep Going

“We see this not only as recognition of what we have achieved together, but also as a responsibility for the future. It gives us tremendous motivation to keep going, push boundaries and create more opportunities for Slovak golfers.

 

Because our goal has never been simply to organise another edition of a tournament. We want to leave something behind that will continue to bring value to Slovak golf for many years to come.”
Pavol Bielik, Promoter of Penati Slovak Open

A Shared Achievement and the Next Chapter

The tenth edition of Penati Slovak Open delivered memorable sporting moments, an international field and victory for tournament ambassador Rory Sabbatini.

Yet CPG’s prestigious award represents an achievement that goes far beyond the leaderboard of a single edition.

It confirms that ten years of dedication, collaboration and belief in professional golf in Slovakia have made a genuine difference.

Penati Slovak Open therefore enters its next decade not only as an established professional tournament, but also as an internationally recognised initiative helping to develop golf in Slovakia.

Penati Slovak Open tak vstupuje do ďalšej dekády nielen ako etablovaný profesionálny turnaj, ale aj ako medzinárodne ocenený projekt, ktorý pomáha rozvíjať golf na Slovensku.

PENATI SLOVAK OPEN | CPG PRESIDENT’S AWARD 2026