Advertisement
Advertisement

Garcia on course for showdown with Chinese ace

Spanish world number six Sergio Garcia, South Korean number one Choi Kyung-ju and China's leading player, Zhang Lianwei, have confirmed their participation in this year's GBP1.25 million ($18.621 million) Johnnie Walker Classic in Beijing in April.

The tournament is Asia's richest event and has already attracted three former champions - world number three Ernie Els, who won in 1997 and 2003; six-time major winner Nick Faldo, who took top honours in 1990 and 1993; and defending champion, Miguel Angel Jimenez, ranked 14 in the world. 'We are excited to welcome three more of the best and most inspiring names in golf to our tournament to join what is shaping up to be one of the strongest fields in the 14-year history of our event,' said Ben Anderson, global brand director for the sponsors. 'Past winners include former world number ones Tiger Woods, Els, Faldo and Greg Norman, so I am confident we will once again see a world-class winner raise the trophy.'

Garcia, 25, will spearhead the battle for the GBP208,333 cheque at the prestigious Pine Valley Golf Resort and Country Club from April 21 to 24.

Nicknamed 'El Nino', Garcia has won five tournaments on the US PGA Tour, five in Europe and four more around the world, including two wins at the Nedbank Million Dollar Challenge in South Africa. He is one of the best-known and popular players around the world, and although always smiling, he is extremely competitive, having played on three Ryder Cup teams and the two Dunhill Cup teams. Joining Garcia will be South Korean K.J. Choi. Ranked 26th in the world, the 36-year-old has won twice on the US PGA Tour, once in Europe and twice on the Asian Tour. He was also voted Asian golfer of the year in 2002. Choi's hallmark is his consistency, achieving seven top-10 finishes last year, including a memorable third place in the US Masters, which helped him win over US$2 million, to finish the year 26th on the US tour money list.

The pioneering Zhang became the first Chinese player to win on the European Tour when he beat Els to win the 2003 Caltex Masters in Singapore. He followed this victory with a remarkable home-soil win at the Volvo China Open. Last year he notched up two more 'firsts' for China when he became the first Chinese player to be invited to the US Masters and to make the cut in a US PGA Tour event. The Johnnie Walker Classic is jointly sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours and the China Golf Association.

Post