Ger’s American dream a reality after Bridgestone golf success

An amateur Dublin golfer will be swapping his Carton House club surroundings for the Firestone Country Club in Ohio, after winning a prestigious Bridgestone golf competition at The Belfry.

Ger Breen overcame the odds – and the weather – by winning the Bridgestone Amateur Golf Championship last weekend, which paves the way for a trip to the prestigious Bridgestone Invitational in Akron, where he will actually play a round himself before the competition begins on August 6.

The 48 year-old from Terenure won a qualifying event to earn a place at the final of the Bridgestone Amateur Golf event at the Belfry and went on to win it outright with a stableford score of 34.

Ger, who is a partner at two Atlas Autocentres in Sandyford and Blanchardstown, said he was ‘absolutely over the moon’ to triumph and be given a money-can’t-buy prize of a visit to a tournament won by Rory McIlroy in 2014.
“Playing at the Belfry was a magical experience in itself, but to go on and win the event and such a phenomenal prize like a trip to America is a dream come true,” Ger said.

“The conditions were challenging and the course was long, so while I thought I had half a chance of winning with my score, you just never know in golf.

“The event was brilliantly organised and I can’t thank everyone at Bridgestone enough for the way they looked after us and made us all feel.”

A trip to the Bridgestone Invitational, a World Golf Championship (WGC) event now lies in wait, which world number one Rory McIlroy won 12 months ago.

The Bridgestone Amateur Golf Championship event allowed Bridgestone to showcase its portfolio of premium tyre products, whilst forging a closer link between the automotive world and golf, where Bridgestone is an equally big name.

Bridgestone’s consumer sales and marketing director Farrell Dolan said: “Bridgestone is already strongly associated with golfing products but as the world’s largest tyre manufacturer, we really wanted to connect with a wider audience.

“We couldn’t be more delighted for Ger. He was great company over the weekend and a lovely man. He was a fitting winner and we hope he has a wonderful time in Ohio in August.”

During the Belfry final, Bridgestone offered golfers the chance to be fitted for the golf ball most suited to their game. The Bridgestone Ball Fitting Challenge – which last year fitted a record 3,600 golfers in the UK & Ireland and recorded an average distance increase of 10.1 yards per player fitted – analyses swing speed, launch angle and spin rates to determine the ball that delivers the most distance and accuracy for each golfer.
Bridgestone is the world’s largest manufacturer of tyres and other rubber products.

It has been the sponsor of the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational at the Firestone Country Club, Ohio, since 2006.