Defending champion Colin Montgomerie and Major winners Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell will spearhead next month’s UBS Hong Kong Open.
The trio are among the first players to be confirmed for the $2-million tournament at the Hong Kong Golf Club on November 16-19.
India’s Jeev Milkha Singh and China’s number one Liang Wenchong will lead the Asian challenge, hoping to break a seven-year spell of European winners at the event.
Monty, who has bagged 42 titles worldwide, is looking forward to returning to the scene of his thrilling one-shot triumph last year.
”I benefited from my fair share of luck on my way to winning last year, but it was a real honour to see my name go on the trophy,” he said.
”I’m looking forward to trying my luck at successfully defending the title, which I know hasn’t happened very often in the last 50 years or so.”
Monty’s triumph last year came after South African James Kingston shot a double-bogey at the last to lose the lead.
Taiwan’s Hsieh Yung Yo remains the only player to have won back-to-back titles in Hong Kong, in 1963 and 1964.
Goosen, the United States Open champion in 2001 and 2004 and current world number seven, will be making his first appearance in Hong Kong.
”The players are all aware that the UBS Hong Kong Open is one of the traditional events of Asian golf and that some great players, including Monty last year and plenty of Major winners, have won the title,” said the South African.
”I would love to be able to add my name to the list of players that have won this event and a Major, which is a pretty exclusive club.”
Campbell joined golf’s elite with victory in last year’s US Open but has been struggling for form of late.
Kathryn Shih, chief executive of UBS in Hong Kong, said they still hoped to announce more big names.
”Moving the calendar closer to the Shanghai event [HSBC Champions tournament] has already helped us to bring in some top players,” she told reporters on Tuesday.
When asked if Tiger Woods would come to Hong Kong, she added: ”If he would like to play, I am sure we could find him a tee-time.” – Sapa-AFP