England's Barry Lane says he wants to end a 'decade of despair' when he plays in next month's Andersen Consulting Hong Kong Open. en. Lane, winner of the inaugural first World Championship of Golf, will be seeking to emulate the deeds of Ian Woosnam, the last Briton to win the Open, and end a decade of British disappointment. 'I know Woosie was the last of my countrymen to win the Open back in 1987,' he said. Although the field is far stronger today than when I last appeared in 1994, I am coming to put an end to this decade of despair.' Lane confirmed yesterday he would join an illustrious field of overseas golfers for the December 4-7 tournament at Fanling. The five-time European Tour champion will join a highly competitive field for the oldest sporting tournament in Hong Kong, including three-time Ryder Cup player Costantino Rocca, world number 22 Frank Nobilo, 1996 US Open champion Steve Jones, 10-time US tour winner David Frost, former European number one Ronan Rafferty of Northern Ireland, and compatriots Stuart Cage, Richard Boxall and Mark Davis. With the confirmation of Lane, the tournament has now secured 15 stars from the European Tour. Among them are nine Englishmen, three Irishmen, two Scots and one Italian - all of whom will be bidding to take the title home. Lane picked up a US$1 million purse for winning the World Championship which was also titled by Andersen Consulting. 'Winning prize-money pays the bills, but capturing a title, particularly a National Open, feeds one's competitive drive,' said Lane. Lane and his fellow European Tour members will face top world-ranked stars and Asia's premier field.
