Tuesday, November 03, 2009

US PGA Tour 2010 dates & venues

The US PGA Tour today released its 2010 schedule, which includes 37 regular-season events and the four Play-off Series events to decide the FedEx Cup champion.
The FedEx Cup season opens the week of January 4-10 with the SBS Championship at Kapalua, Hawaii, and will conclude with the September 23-26 Tour Championship in Atlanta.
“Despite difficult economic times, we once again have a full slate of events,’’ commissioner Tim Finchem said in a news release.
Among the changes:
• The Greenbrier Classic debuts on July 29-Aug. 1 at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va.
• The Turning Stone Resort Championship moves from the Fall Series to the FedEx Cup on Aug. 5-8.
• The Reno-Tahoe Open moves to July 15-18, opposite the British Open.
The Fall Series will be announced later.
2010 US PGA Tour Schedule
Jan. 7-10 SBS Championship (Kapalua, Hawaii)
Jan. 14-17 Sony Open (Honolulu, Hawaii).
Jan. 20-24 Bob Hope Chrysler Classic (La Quinta, California).
Jan. 25-31 Century Club of San Diego Invitational (La Jolla, California).

Feb. 4-7 Northern Trust Open (Pacific Palisades, California).
Feb. 11-14 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am (Pebble Beach, California).
Feb. 18-21 WCG-Accenture Match Play Championship (Marana, Arizona).
Feb. 18-21 Mayakoba Golf Classic (Playa del Carmen, Mexico).
Feb. 25-28 FBR Open (Scottsdale, Arizona).

March 4-7 Honda Classic (Palm Beach Gardens, Florida)
March 11-14 WGC-CA Championship (Doral, Florida).
March 11-14 Puerto Rico Open (Rio Grande, Puerto Rico).
March 18-21 Transitions Championship (Palm Harbor, Florida).
March 25-28 Arnold Palmer Invitational (Orlando, Florida).

April 1-4 Shell Houston Open (Humble, Texas)
April 8-11 The Masters (Augusta, Georgia).
April 15-18 Verizon Heritage (Hilton Head Island, South Carolina).
April 22-25 Zurich Classic of New Orleans (Avondale, Louisiana).
April 29-May 2 Quail Hollow Championship (Charlotte, North Carolina).

May 6-9 The Players Championship (Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida).
May 13-16 Valero Texas Open (San Antonio).
May 20-23 HP Byron Nelson Championship (Irving, Texas).
May 27-30 Crowne Plaza Invitational (Fort Worth, Texas).

June 3-6 The Memorial Tournament (Dublin, Ohio).
June 10-13 St Jude Classic (Memphis, Tennessee).
June 17-20 United States Open (Pebble Beach, California).
June 24-27 Travelers Championship (Cromwell, Connecticut).

July 1-4 AT&T National (Newton Square, Pennsylvania)
July 8-11 John Deere Classic (Silvis, Illinois).
July 15-18 British Open (St Andrews, Scotland).
July 15-18 Legends Reno-Tahoe Open (Reno, Nevada).
July 22-25 RBC Canadian Open (Etobicoke, Ontario).
July 29-Aug. 1 Greenbrier Classic (White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia).

Aug. 5-8 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational (Akron, Ohio).
Aug. 5-8 Turning Stone Resort Championship (Vermont, New York State).
Aug. 12-15 United States PGA Championship (Kohler, Wisconsin).
Aug. 19-22 Wyndham Championship (Greensboro, North Carolina).
Aug. 26-29 The Barclays (Paramus, New Jersey).

Sept. 3-6 Deutsche Bank Championship (Norton, Massachusetts).
Sept. 9-12 BMW Championship (Lemont, Illinois).
Sept. 23-26 The Tour Championship (Atlanta, Georgia).

Oct. 1-3 Ryder Cup (Celtic Manor, Newport, South Wales).

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JAMES BYRNE NOW RANKED NUMBER 35 IN

WORLD - AND THAT'S WITHOUT PLAYING
!


Arizona State University student James Byrne from Banchory cannot get a place in his college team of five but he continues to rise in the R&A World Amateur Golf Rankings.
In the Week 44 re-rankings, Byrne goes up seven places from No 42 to 35, his highest position yet. In the corresponding week in 2008, he was disqualified in a US college tournament.
The next highest-ranked Scot is Ross Kellett (Colville Park) who goes down one place to No 54.
There is a new No 1 in the WAGR - Frenchman Victor Dubuisson who is promoted two places from last week. Italy's British amateur champion Matteo Manassero gives Europe a 1-2 dominance of the rankings.
The leading WAGR positions are:
1 Victor Dubuisson (France) (+2).
2 Matteo Manassero (Italy) (no change).
3 Nick Taylor (Canada) (-2).
4 Bud Cauley (US) (+2).
5 Morgan Hoffman (US) (no change).
6 Matt Hill (Canada) (-2).
7 Peter Uihlen (US) (+2).
8 Nicol Van Wyk (South Africa) (no change).
9 Blayne Barber (US) (+2).
10 Russell Henley (US) (-3).
11 Stiggy Hodgson (England) (-1).
12 Tommy Fleetwood (England) (no change).
13 David Lingarth (Sweden) (+8).
14 Matt Haines England) (-1).
Scots' WAGR:
35 James Byrne (+7).
54 Ross Kellett (-1).
165 Glenn Campbell (-9).
179 Mark Hillson (-5).
217 Michael Stewart (-13).
229 James White (+3).
231 David Law (+3).
333 Philip McLean (-13).
384 Steven McEwan (-11).

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New golf PR consultancy launched in Scotland

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY GOLF COMMUNICATIONS INTERNATIONAL
Golf Communications International has been formed by Helena Woodcock and aims to provide a full suite of media handling, marketing and event organisation services to resorts, courses, hotels and other businesses involved in the golf industry.
Operating from a base close to the historic Home of Golf in St Andrews, Golf Communications International is already working with several clients in the UK and Europe .
With more than five years’ experience of the golf tourism industry, having worked as VisitScotland’s Golf PR Executive and previously heading up the Golf Department at the Czech Tourism Authority, Helena has a substantial database of media and golf contacts throughout Europe and beyond.
“I am very excited at the prospect of working with courses and businesses in the golf tourism sector to help them achieve their full potential,” explained Helena . “The industry is going through a tough period at the moment thanks to the global economic situation but that just makes it all the more important to find effective ways of getting the right message across.
“I can help courses reach their target media and work with them to ensure they raise their profile and promote themselves in as effective a fashion as possible without having to invest a fortune.”
Golf Communications International offers clients four main services. It can assist with all media activity from organising press trips to placing magazine features or attracting broadcast coverage. It can assist with preparing marketing materials from publications and brochures to display stands and copywriting. Clients can also receive support in working with tour operators to create packages for their venue and in official representation at trade shows and exhibitions.
Helena will be meeting with potential clients at the International Golf Travel Market in Malaga , Spain in November, the European Golf Course Owners’ Association Conference in Amsterdam , Holland in December and the USPGA Merchandise Show in Orlando , Florida in January.
Having helped establish a national golf department for the first time at the Czech Tourist Authority, Helena was instrumental in the country winning the Undiscovered Golf Destination of the Year Award at the prestigious International Association of Golf Tour Operators’ awards in Marbella in 2006.
From there Helena moved to VisitScotland where she worked with some of the most famous courses in the world of golf including the Old Course at St Andrews Links, Carnoustie, Turnberry, Gleneagles, Royal Aberdeen, Kingsbarns and Machrihanish Dunes.
Helena has worked with some of golf’s most important organisations including the R&A, IMG, the International Association of Golf Tour Operators, the European Golf Course Owners’ Association and the European Golf Travel Media Association. She has worked at major golf events such as The Open Championship, the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship, the Johnnie Walker Championship, the BMW International Open and the SAS Scandinavian Masters and has attended trade shows in the UAE, Czech Republic , Germany , Holland , Hungary , Spain , Scotland , Mexico , England , Finland and Sweden .
For more information visit:
www.golfcomms.com
Email:
helena@golfcomms.com
Skype: helenkene

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Portmarnock Golf Club, Co Dublin has won a legal battle to deny women full membership - log on to our sister website, www.kirkwoodgolf.co.uk, to read the full story.

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East Lothian Winter League will have new

look next season when Musselburgh join

FROM THE EDINBURGH EVENING NEWS WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
The East Lothian Winter Golf League is set for a radical shake-up next season after Musselburgh's application to join was given the green light.
It means the league will comprise of 17 clubs and from next year the top flight will feature an elite division of just six teams, with the other 11 fighting it out in Division 2. In addition, a new cup competition will be introduced, running from January to March, and will be contested by teams from both divisions.
"The changes are exciting, and seem to have been generally well received," said league secretary Torquil McInroy. "From next year, teams in the top division will play each other home and away, and we expect the standard of competition to be pretty high.
"Meanwhile, the second flight will see a return to the old structure where each team plays each other team once only, reviving something of the league's original ethos."
Delighted with his own team's fast start in this year's campaign, league chairman Mike Currie, of the Glen, is looking forward to challenging for the single guaranteed promotion spot this term. "All-in-all, there should be something for everyone in the new structure, and the introduction of a cup competition adds another dimension," he said.
The changes mean three teams from eight will be relegated from Division 1 this year, with just one guaranteed promotion spot available. In addition, the Division 2 runners-up will play off against the fourth-bottom team in Division 1 for the remaining spot in next year's top flight. Musselburgh will join the restructured Division 2.

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NO NORTH-EAST ALLIANCE GOLF THIS WEDNESDAY

There will be no North-east Golfers Alliance competition tomorrow.
The scheduled fixture at Banchory Golf Club has been cancelled because the course is waterlogged and it has not been possible to arrange an alternative North-east venue which is still playable after all the recent rain.
Tee times for Banchory will be carried over to next Wednesday at Deeside Golf Club or another venue if the Bieldside course is closed because of excess water.

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Donald Trump course needs to be extra-special to

justify hype - do we need another links course?

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE
By MARTIN DEMPSTER
After all the fuss – and there's more of it to come, no doubt – Donald Trump damn well better be about to deliver something special.
Never before has a proposed golf project in Scotland commanded more column inches in newspapers and slots on TV news bulletins. To be perfectly honest, I have found the scenario that has developed since the American billionaire revealed his ambitious plans quite tiresome.
During last month's Dunhill Links Championship, one colleague from a London-based newspaper was in a fair old lather the day before one of umpteen decisions was due to be made in the saga, making me wonder if I've been missing something here.
Yes, of course, it is important to the people in the North-east in general and, in particular, those close to Menie Estate, where Trump plans to transform the dunes into the "world's greatest golf course."
If the environmentalists and those who may lose homes aren't prepared to welcome the bold Donald with open arms, then it is only right that their concerns are listened to and taken on board by whoever is now dealing with the matter.
However, I sometimes get the impression that those involved – both the Trump camp and those protesting vigorously against the project – think that everything else on the Scottish golf front has come to a stop while we wait to see what's going to happen next.
The future of the game in Scotland isn't going to be affected or shaped by whether or not the country has a golf course within its shores bearing the name of Donald Trump. As a decent golfer himself even Trump knows there are plenty of great courses here already and, whisper it, Scotland doesn't really need any more. Particularly not a links, even if Trump thinks it could be on a par with the likes of St Andrews, Muirfield and Troon.
What has really irked me about the Trump project, however, is the perception that the development has been the only one on the table in Scotland over the past few years. That's not the case.
Courses continue to spring up around the country, with each deserving to be judged on its own merits. Marc Parsinen and Gil Hanse, for example, have created Castle Stuart, a gem of a course on the Moray coast just along from Inverness. That has been earning deserved rave reviews since it opened earlier this year. In my opinion, it is as good, if not better, than Kingsbarns, where Parsinen was also involved with Kyle Phillips.
And what about Machrihanish Dunes? David McLay Kidd, who, incidentally is also working on the gWest project next to Gleneagles, designed this one and, by all accounts, it is going to be popular with those who head down the Mull of Kintyre every year to savour its established neighbour.
It's not just brand-new courses either. Take the Torrance Course at Fairmont St Andrews, for example. It has undergone dramatic changes recently and the result is a much better test of golf – the lay-out of some of the holes on the back nine, for instance, having been changed to bring a burn into play.
But although there are plenty of developments going on in Scottish golf, you would hardly know it due to all the spotlight being on the Trump project. The man himself says he wants his course to stage The Open one day. Good luck to him.
Does he know we've already got five world-class courses on the R&A's rota for that event? What is more, the St Andrews-based organisation doesn't jump to attention simply because a rich American clicks his fingers.
Having passed the site recently en route to Fraserburgh, I can see why Trump is so excited about the prospect of building a golf course in those dunes, but will it necessarily be any better than the likes of Royal Aberdeen, Murcar Links and, in particular, Cruden Bay?
These are not resorts, of course, and that's where Trump will be hoping his pad scores over the other golfing venues in the North-east. Build it and they will come, to coin a phrase from the movie Field of Dreams.
St Andrews, as the home of golf, will always be on the list of any visiting golfer to Scotland and, judging by a recent trip up there for the Scottish Junior Masters, Gleneagles looks as though it continues to prove a popular haunt, as will be the case, no doubt, in the build-up to the Ryder Cup there in 2014.
However, there have been job losses recently at both Turnberry and Loch Lomond and, with all due respect to Trump, what exactly is he going to deliver that is any different to those two venues?
He'll struggle to eclipse Turnberry for either location or the quality of the golf course, and it's the same at Loch Lomond, which remains one of the favourite venues on the European Tour for players and spectators alike.
Having gone this far, there is probably no way back for Trump and, if we do see his course, hotel and houses eventually come into being, I hope it all proves to be a resounding success both for him and the Scottish economy.
Despite those diggers starting work last week, though, I have my doubts.

Dewer successor MacDougall can freshen up Scottish region

It was no real surprise to hear about a shake-up of personnel in the PGA Scottish region, having listened to Sandy Jones, the PGA chief executive, express some concerns about the set-up a few weeks ago.
Gordon Dewar, who has been the PGA's top man in Scotland for the past three years, is leaving to take up a post at the PGA's national headquarters at The Belfry, with Michael MacDougall replacing him at Gleneagles.
MacDougall, a very likeable young man, is well known to competitors on the Tartan Tour, having cut his teeth as a tournament controller with the Scottish region before taking on a similar role at national level.
He'll hopefully provide a dynamic approach in his new position which, with all due respect to his predecessor, seemed to be lacking during Dewar's tenure, though, in fairness, it is tough at the moment when it comes to attracting sponsorship in any sport.
It will be a help to MacDougall that the Northern Open, one of his flagship events, will have a title sponsor again next season and he'll be keen to try and build up the Scottish circuit in the countdown to the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles.
Personally, I think a lot more young golfers should think seriously about training to become PGA pros instead of trying straight away to become Tour players. Many of them aren't good enough to make it to the top of the playing ladder and, what's more, they are playing for peanuts when it comes to minor placings on the EuroPro Tour, Alps Tour etc.
Take former Scottish Amateur champion John Gallagher, for example. He played 11 events on the EuroPro Tour this year and earned a grand total of £1,347.50p.
The Tartan Tour provided the likes of Paul Lawrie and David Drysdale with a good grounding in the game and they've not done badly for themselves, have they?

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Meltdown in sweltering Singapore and it's only 5.30am

FROM THE IRISH TIMES WEBSITE
BY COLIN BYRNE, European Tour caddie
Some sort of sustained sleep is what you crave when the European Tour takes you eastward to Singapore for the start of the exotic part of the Golf Tour.
You twitch and turn in bed, sort out a hundred things in your head and try to avoid finding out the time. Finally you give a quick glance in the direction of the clock and just hope that it’s somewhere close to twilight. Of course it’s not, it’s pitch black and deadly silent, it’s two in the morning and you are ready to run a marathon.
I finally gave up the fight of mind over body and accepted there is no way of cheating this state of disorientation with an eight hour time change to Singapore: the body won.
So I prepared myself with extra care and attention for the long day ahead in the moist sun and headed out onto the street towards my player’s hotel to catch the first bus to the golf course.
At 5.30 in the morning the air was already heavy, hot and humid. I passed through some dense, exotic foliage and its eerie rasps and in my over alert state wondered if snakes hung from these tangled sinews waiting for an unsuspecting European early passer-by.
I made it to the bus without being ambushed by any scaled creatures from the undergrowth and was already overheating in the soupy morning tropical heat.
My senses were heightened but I was not sharp, I was wide awake but lethargic, I was hungry for food but not for breakfast, I was in other words jet-lagged and disoriented to the hilt. On arrival at the course, with the slightest glimmer of day break on the horizon I realised I was not alone in my state of confusion, there were plenty of my colleagues wandering around the vast Serapong clubhouse on Sentosa Island feeling exactly the same way early last week on our arrival for the Singapore Open.
I met my player, Alex Noren, who had also given up on feigning fatigue and we ordered breakfast at just after six in the morning. There are not many golf clubs that no matter what tournament is taking place will serve food at such an hour. Of course in south east Asia early is the most popular time, trying to avoid the excessive heat of the day.
My boss in his own state of disorientation, ordered a double espresso in order to try to establish some state of equilibrium. It was the first cup of coffee he had this year.
I stumbled upon an unusual sign in one of the car parks at the course that had a warning about the safety of vehicles. I was expecting a notice about leaving valuables in your car but instead realised the sign was warning owners that the indigenous peacocks roaming the vicinity could possibly attack the cars.
Interesting then that our own peacock on tour, Ian Poulter, should have captured the Singapore title last Sunday wearing a crushed pink ensemble as his feathers rose above his peaked visor.
The course was set on a part of Sentosa Island that overlooked the busiest port in south east Asia.
Standing high on the third tee overlooking the reclaimed land that makes up much of the front nine and beyond to a sea of cargo ships moored in the bay, was an impressive nautical spectacle. There was a constant flow of activity in the port involving massive cargo ships which held up to 3,000 containers each.
Tug boats were constantly manoeuvring these hulking vessels about the port close enough to the fifth green to almost be a distraction to the players.
Beyond, lay hundreds of idle ships waiting for the recession to lift and give them some cargo to transport across oceans again.
As if the time-change confusion was not difficult enough to deal with we were battling with the unpredictable nature of thunderstorms in what is the peak electric storm season in Singapore. So for three days it was the dawn to dusk patrol at the golf course with no time or inclination for anything else but survival.
Some locals advised us in some of our idle moments waiting for the thunderclouds to burst that traditionally this time of year is the peak time for lightning. It seems to be an incessant battle to fit events into weeks that are known to be problematic from a weather perspective. From fog, torrential rain, frost and wind, it is a battle at either end of the year to dodge major delays.
The problem with an event held near the equator is no matter how fit or young you are the intensity of the heat and humidity seems to melt the golfer’s brain. It was no coincidence when we went out to try to complete our third rounds last Saturday afternoon as the sun was beating down relentlessly upon us many golfers’ brains went to mush.
No matter how much water you drink and other precautions you take it would appear to be an almost insurmountable challenge to function in such humidity. It must be akin to what happens to climbers at extreme altitude, there is not enough oxygen getting to the brain and therefore it doesn’t function.
It seems that the sleeping patterns of a travel-weary European will settle in south east Asia, given a reasonable adjustment period. The hot, wilting and melting heat is something I don’t think even the Asians themselves get used to but they have come to accept the mind-boggling melt in a way us foreigners never will.
*This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times

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O'Meara and Curtis join field for UBS

Hong Kong Open next week

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE ASIAN TOUR
Hong Kong, November 3: Major winners Mark O’Meara and Ben Curtis have been added to the strongest field ever assembled for the UBS Hong Kong Open.
The American duo – both former British Open champions – will be making their debuts in the US$2.5 million showpiece.
They are joined by South African ace Rory Sabbatini – who has five US PGA Tour titles to his name – and reigning European Tour Order of Merit champion Robert Karlsson, plus recent Hong Kong winners Colin Montgomerie and Miguel Ángel Jiménez.
“It is, far and away, the best field ever seen in Hong Kong,” said Martin Capstick, managing director of the tournament promoter, Parallel Media Group.
“The latest player confirmations, together with those already unveiled, mean we have 14 of the world’s top 50 according to the Official World Golf Ranking, which is unprecedented.
“We have 40 of the leading 60 players in the European Tour’s Race To Dubai – including four of the top six – and all the top 10 in the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.”
The latest players to be announced join a star-studded line-up that already includes world No 4 Paul Casey, world No 5 Lee Westwood – the current Race To Dubai leader – and Asia’s first Major winner, Yang Yong Eun.
The 2009 UBS Hong Kong Open will be staged at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from November 12 to 15.
O’Meara has 16 US PGA Tour victories to his name and enjoyed an incredible year in 1998 when he won both the Masters Tournament and the British Open and then beat his close friend Tiger Woods in the final of the World Match Play Championship at Wentworth.
Aside from his British Open triumph, achieved at Royal Birkdale, he has three other European Tour titles to his name, the last being the Dubai Desert Classic in 2004.
“Over my career, I have always prided myself on playing all over the world, so to finally make my debut in the UBS Hong Kong Open is very special,” said O’Meara.
“I have heard from a number of my friends on Tour how great the tournament is and, since I already love the city of Hong Kong, I’m very excited about the week.
“I’m also going to try my hardest to get an American name back on that trophy – I understand the last US player to win was 14 years ago, so I’ll be shooting to change that!”
Curtis astonished the golf world in 2003 when, as a virtual unknown, he won the British Open at Royal St George’s – so becoming the first player since Francis Ouimet at the 1913 US Open to win a Major at his first attempt.
He also jumped from 396th to 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the biggest single leap since the ranking system began in 1986.
Since then Curtis has consolidated his status as an elite player with two victories on the PGA Tour and was a member of the United States’ victorious Ryder Cup team last year.
“I am delighted to be making my debut in November at the UBS Hong Kong Open,” said Curtis.
“As a member of the European Tour, I have always enjoyed competing in the great events around the world, and I know the history of this event is very strong.
“All you have to do is take a look at the strength of the field which UBS has assembled this year to know how respected this tournament is.
“And its place on the schedule is very important as well, with this being the final chance to qualify for the Dubai World Championship. I need to make up some ground on that list so I’m looking forward to a great week at the UBS.
“I’m sure the sports fans in Hong Kong will enjoy some fantastic golf during the week.”
Other stars confirmed for the UBS Hong Kong Open include defending champion Lin Wen Tang of Chinese Taipei and the man he beat in last year’s unforgettable play-off, brilliant Northern Irish youngster Rory McIlroy, who is currently No 18 in the world.
In addition, English ace Ian Poulter – who leaped up to world No 15 with his victory in last weekend’s Singapore Open – and Northern Irish star Darren Clarke, a 13-time winner on the European Tour, are in the line-up.
Also vying for honours will be brilliant New Zealand teenager Danny Lee, who became the youngest winner in European Tour history when, aged 18 years and 213 days, he won last February’s Johnnie Walker Classic while still an amateur.
An ultra-strong Asian contingent will be led by Korean icon Yang and the man currently second to him in the continent’s rankings, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, a player with three European Tour victories to his name.
Also confirmed are Thai ace Thongchai Jaidee, who leads the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit with earnings of US$937,658, and Chinese No 1 Liang Wenchong, presently second in the money list and runner-up to Poulter in Singapore.
The UBS Hong Kong Open – Hong Kong’s oldest professional sporting event, having started in 1959 – will once again be co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours.
The tournament has been won by nine Major champions: Peter Thomson, Kel Nagle, Orville Moody, Greg Norman, Ian Woosnam, Bernhard Langer, Tom Watson, José María Olazábal and Padraig Harrington.
This year’s UBS Hong Kong Open is the penultimate ranking event on the European Tour schedule, taking place a week before the season-ending Dubai World Championship.
With only the top 60 golfers on the European Tour money list eligible to play in Dubai, the Hong Kong event has assumed even greater significance with players scrambling to secure their spot in the season finale.

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