Friday, December 21, 2012

THREE SCOTS IN FIELD FOR 2013 VOLVO CHAMPIONS

NEWS RELEASE FROM IMG

Three-time Major winner, Pádraig Harrington, confirmed his entry yesterday afternoon as entries closed for the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions. The European Tour’s elite year-opening ‘tournament of champions’ for European Tour winners only will have a field of 35 players who have won 234 European Tour titles between them including 14 Major titles.
Harrington qualifies along with along with Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Thomas Björn as a current Tour Member with more than ten European Tour victories.  
They will compete against 28 European Tour champions from 2012 in the year-opening Volvo Golf Champions at the Durban Country Club from the 10th to the 13th January 2013 where players will compete for a prize fund of €2 million (approx. R22.5 million).
Five South African’s have qualified for the Volvo Golf Champions this year with 27-time winner on the European Tour, Ernie Els, heading the strong home challenge along with defending Champion, Branden Grace, the afore-mentioned, Retief Goosen, 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and first time winner on the European Tour, Jbe Kruger.
They will face a tough challenge from a field that is represented by a total of 16 nationalities including Matteo Manassero, Miguel Ángel Jiménez,Jeev Milkha Singh, Nicolas Colsaerts, Paul Casey, Peter Hanson, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson,
Harrington, who won the 2012 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, explained:
“I was playing really well towards the end of 2012 and now that I am part-way through my winter training programme,  I am looking forward to getting out on Tour and competing. 
"I think this is an ideal tournament to start my year off where there is a limited elite field to test myself against, no cut and beautiful weather. It is a great event and I am very much looking forward to returning to South Africa in January.”
As Christmas approaches, two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen also shared some positive news as he continues his recovery from the back operation he had in August. He explained:
“Everything has been going really well with my rehabilitation and I am back out on the course enjoying playing golf with my family and friends. I am confident I will be ready to compete come the Volvo Champions and I am very excited to play my first tournament back at the Durban Country Club in front of my home fans.”
The renowned Durban Country Club was recently voted one of the Top 100 golf courses in the world by Golf Magazine USA and boasts an impressive résumé having hosted the South African Open on no less than 17 occasions.
 
2013 Volvo Golf Champions Qualification Update
 
Category (a):


Winners of all the fully sanctioned and co-sanctioned tournaments listed below:


1
Volvo Golf Champions
Branden Grace


2
Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship
Robert Rock


3
Commercialbank Qatar Masters
Paul Lawrie


4
Omega Dubai Desert Classic
Rafael Cabrera-Bello


5
Avantha Masters
Jbe Kruger


6
Open de Andalucia de Golf
Julien Quesne


7
Trophee Hassan II
Michael Hoey


8
Sicilian Open
Thorbjorn Olesen


9
Maybank Malaysian Open
Louis Oosthuizen


10
Ballantine's Championship
Bernd Wiesberger


11
Reale Seguros Open de Espana
Francesco Molinari


12
Madeira Islands Open
Ricardo Santos


13
Volvo World Match Play Championship
Nicolas Colsaerts


14
ISPS Handa Wales Open
Thongchai Jaidee


15
Saint-Omer Open presented by Neuflize OBC
Darren Fichardt


16
BMW International Open
Danny Willett


17
Irish Open
Jamie Donaldson


18
Alstom Open de France
Marcel Siem


19
Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open
Jeev Milkha Singh


20
The Open
Ernie Els


21
Omega European Masters
Richie Ramsay


22
KLM Open
Peter Hanson


23
Italian Open
Gonzalo Fdez-Castano


24
Portugal Masters
Shane Lowry


25
Barclays Singapore Open
Matteo Manassero


26
Hong Kong Open
Miguel Angel Jimenez


27
South African Open
Henrik Stenson


28
Nelson Mandela Invitational
Scott Jamieson






Category (b):


Past winners of the Volvo Golf Champions under 50 years of age on the first day of the tournament.






29

Paul Casey






Category (c):


PlPlayers with 10 or more official Race to Dubai/European Tour Order of Merit tournament wins under 50* years of age on the first day of the tournament.  






30

Colin Montgomerie


31

Padraig Harrington


32

Retief Goosen


33

Darren Clarke


34

Thomas Bjorn


35

José Maria Olazabal

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DEAR AND DUNCAN JUST OUTSIDE FLORIDA TOP 20

AND THE WINNER OF THE GUNSLINGER.COM  TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP IS BROOKS KOEPKA

Edinburgh exile Greg Duncan and Scone's Gavin Dear, wintering in Florida, finished joint 22nd in a field of 81 for the Gunslinger.com Tour Championship over 36 holes at Abacoa Golf Club, Jupiter in South Florida this week.
Duncan shot 69-74 and Dear 78-65 for both to finish on one-under-par 143 and earn $273 each.
Neither Scot was able to recoup his entry fee of $480 to this $40,500 event although Dear, who plays out of Murrayshall House Hotel, did earn an additional $100 with an eagle in a skins event on the first day.
Winner of the championship and its $10,000 first prize was European Challenge Tour player Brooks Koepka from Lake Worth, Florida. A winner at Catalunya, Spain in September, Koepka had rounds of 70-66 for eight-under 136 to finish one stroke ahead of Canadian Ben Silverman  who earned the $4,500 runner-up prize by birdieing the last two holes for 68-69 and a 137 total.
The Gunslinger.com Tour now takes a Festive break until January 7.

   OH TO BE IN SOUTH FLORIDA (Abacoa golf course pictured) NOW THAT WINTER'S HERE IN SCOTLAND!

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INDONESIAN OPEN TO GET IMG SUPPORT

NEWS RELEASE FROM THE ASIAN TOUR
Jakarta: The Indonesian Golf Association (PGI), Asian Tour and IMG have signed a landmark three-year agreement to stage the Indonesian Open from 2013 onwards, officials announced today.
The new partnership will focus on elevating the stature of the Indonesian Open into one of the most prestigious national championships on the Asian Tour, which is the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia.

EDITOR'S COMMENT: The Asian Tour will be looking on this as a "victory" over their arch-rivals, the OneAsia Tour.
The Indonesia Open was the season opener on the OneAsia Tour this year and jointly sanctioned with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation. Australian Nick Cullen won the $1 million title at the Emeralda Golf Club in March.
OneAsia released a preliminary January-May schedule earlier this month with five events including the Indonesia PGA Championship in March.

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