Montgomerie set for Avantha debut in India

AFP/Delhi

Montgomerie, an eight-time winner of the European Order of Merit, faces a tough challenge from a strong field in which 50 of the 156 players have tasted victory on the European Tour and 38 have secured titles on the Asian Tour.

The Scot will be joined by fellow former European Ryder Cup stars Niclas Fasth of Sweden, Ignacio Garrido of Spain, England’s David Howell, Italy’s Edoardo Molinari, Frenchman Thomas Levet and Philip Price of Wales.

Leading the Asian challenge at the 1.8 million euro ($2.3 million) event will be four Asian Tour Order of Merit champions—Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand, the Indian duo of Jyoti Randhawa and Jeev Milkha Singh, and China’s Liang Wenchong. Montgomerie, who turns 50 in June, will make his maiden appearance at the tournament as he strengthens his ties with India, where he has designed a new course in the popular tourist destination of Goa.

“India is unquestionably one of the world’s biggest growth areas for golf, so I’m really looking forward to teeing up in the Avantha Masters,” the Scot said in a statement released by the organisers.

“Having recently added a project in Goa to my golf course design portfolio, I hope to play my part in the development of the game in India.” Among the home crowd favourites for the tournament, co-sanctioned by the European and Asian tours, will be caddie-turned pro SSP Chowrasia, who won the Avantha Masters in 2011. South Africa’s Jbe Kruger won in 2012.

Chowrasia, 34, became only the third Indian after Arjun Atwal and Jeev Milkha Singh to win a European Tour title when he captured the Indian Masters in 2008.

“When you win on the European Tour twice, it means you must be doing something good,” said the soft-spoken Chowrasia, who was formerly a caddie at the Royal Calcutta Golf Club where his father tended the greens.

“Now I am a much better player. I am excited about this tournament because I have played at the Jaypee Greens many times and know what to expect. This is one event every Indian player wants to win.” The fourth edition of India’s richest golf event will be held at a new venue—the Greg Norman-designed 7,347-yard (6,718 metres) par-72 Jaypee Greens in Greater Noida on the outskirts of the capital New Delhi.

Stormy season ahead as ‘golf war’ returns

Bangkok: Asia’s “golf war” makes an unwanted return this week when the OneAsia season starts with the Thailand Open—in direct competition with another big event on the rival Asian Tour.

While a strong field has been lined up for the Bangkok tournament, attention will inevitably be shared with the Avantha Masters near New Delhi, co-sanctioned by the European Tour and headlined by Colin Montgomerie.

The clash follows a landmark court judgement in Singapore in November that found the Asian Tour had illegally barred four of its players from OneAsia events.

OneAsia is expected to hold about 12 events this season, its fifth year of operations since emerging in 2009. It is seen by the longer-standing Asian Tour, which organised more than 20 tournaments last year, as a direct challenge. The Thailand Open features local favourite Thaworn Wiratchant and a strong Japanese contingent led by Shingo Katayama, after OneAsia entered a partnership with the Japan Golf Tour Organisation (JGTO).

“It’s wonderful to see so many great players from the JGTO in the field this week... their presence certainly raises the bar for our OneAsia stars,” OneAsia commissioner Sang Y. Chun said in a press release.

“We are working hard to bring more tournaments on board and offer our players greater opportunities.” Last month, Asian Tour CEO Mike Kerr told AFP there had been no formal contact between the two tours, tempering hopes of a thaw in relations following the Singapore court ruling. And according to Asian Golf Monthly’s managing editor Spencer Robinson, “Asia is bracing itself for the first of what will inevitably be a number of absurd and harmful date clashes between high-profile tournaments”.

“As well as diluting the media coverage for each of the events and creating conflict for the players, the confusion in the marketplace serves only to scare off potential sponsors,” he commented during a regular video briefing.

“In short, it’s a mess, and a situation that is unlikely to sort itself out any time soon.”

Sore right hip causes Els to withdraw from Tampa Bay

New York: Reigning British Open champion Ernie Els said Tuesday he has withdrawn from this week’s $5.5mn US PGA Tampa Bay Championship because of nagging soreness in his right hip.

The 43-year-old South African said in a blog posting on the PGA website that his only outing of the week will be a Tuesday trip to Augusta National for a “gentle walk” around the Masters course ahead of next month’s first major of the year. “Other than that I’ll have to pretty much rest-up for most of this week,” Els said. “Doctors orders, as they say.”

Els failed to qualify for last year’s Masters, missing the event for the first time since 1993, but ensured his return last year by capturing the British Open after a collapse down the stretch by Australian Adam Scott.

At last week’s World Golf Championships Cadillac Championship, Els finished in a share of 28th at Doral, where he had won twice before.

“The week didn’t go too great, mainly because my right hip was causing me problems again,” Els said. “It has been bugging me for a while now and then it really went into spasm in the morning.”