Ryder Cup star Andy Sullivan and Eddie Pepperell, already a winner on the European Tour this season, are preparing to head to the sunshine island of Sicily in May after being the latest names to be confirmed for the 2018 Rocco Forte Sicilian Open at Verdura Resort.

The English pair will join a star-studded line-up including defending champion Spain’s Alvaro Quirós who will gather at the exclusive resort for the event, which will take place from May 10-13.

Sullivan, who will be making his debut in the event, is a three-time winner on the European Tour, with the highlight of his career coming in 2016 when he qualified for Darren Clarke’s European Ryder Cup team that took on the United States at Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Pepperell enjoyed the best season of his career in 2017 – including registering four top-10 finishes in five starts in September and October – and has followed that up this year by winning his first European Tour title at the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters to move inside the world’s top 100 rankings.

Sullivan said: “I’ve spoken to a lot of guys who played in the inaugural event last year and they only had good things to say about the golf course and resort. Verdura looks like a sensational place to play golf and I can’t wait to get out there and enjoy some sun on my back.”

 

Pepperell added: “It was a great feeling to get my first win under my belt this season, and I’m hoping to build on that. I am looking forward to returning to Verdura, I enjoyed the course last year and it’s one of the events of the season where you look forward to experiencing the resort and Sicily as a destination, as well as hopefully having a good week on the course.”

Verdura Resort will be hosting the 2018 Rocco Forte Sicilian Open for the second year running, with the tournament again being played on a composite course combining the finest holes from the resort’s two award-winning 18-hole championship courses, the East Course and West Course.

 

Measuring 7,217 yards, the par-71 lay-out comprises of nine holes each from the two Kyle Phillips-designed layouts and features one of the most dramatic closing stretches in world tournament golf, with the final six holes running adjacent to the coast and set against the magnificent backdrop of the azure Mediterranean Sea.

In addition, golf fans attending the tournament can take advantage of an array of benefits including free entry and a range of exciting VIP experience packages – including the chance to play in the event pro-am.

As well as having the chance to test their skills on Verdura Resort’s world-class golf courses, Sullivan, Pepperell and the other players and families will also have the chance to experience Verdura Resort’s outstanding array of other first-class facilities this spring.

Nestling on the coast in 230 hectares of stunning landscape, Verdura Resort – a Rocco Forte hotel and European Tour destination – is ideal for a golf break and features two outstanding 18-hole championship courses – the East Course and West Course – as well as a par-three nine-hole course, all designed by Kyle Phillips.

 

Complementing Verdura Resort’s outstanding golf courses are extensive golf practice facilities including a double-ended driving range and outstanding academy. In addition, guests can enjoy numerous other sports and leisure amenities including six tennis courts, an array of different watersports, a 170sqm fully-equipped gym and an award-winning 4,000sqm spa complex with thalassotherapy pools.

Situated on Sicily’s southern coast between Agrigento and the fishing city of Sciacca, an 80-minute drive from Trapani and Palermo airports, the resort features 203 rooms, suites and villas all with a sea view, as well as three new villas which offer a perfect solution for family holidays, each with its own private swimming pool.

 

Serving up a mixture of sunny skies, a temperate climate and breathtaking scenery, combined with a plethora of historical, cultural and gastronomic delights, Sicily has all the ingredients for a relaxing break, and Verdura Resort is the ideal base to discover this authentic part of the Mediterranean’s largest Island.