The Barclays Singapore Open will once again be graced by the presence of many giants of the game as South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen, and Jim Furyk and Webb Simpson from the United States have all confirmed their participation…
This comes following the recent announcement that American Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell from Northern Ireland, Ireland’s Padraig Harrington and Korean YE Yang – all Major winners –confirmed they will play.
They will be joined by American Anthony Kim and Camilo Villegas from Colombia.
The Barclays Singapore Open will tee-off at Sentosa Golf Club from November 10-13 with players competing for an overall purse of US$6 million. For the third successive year the Barclays Singapore Open will be joint sanctioned by the Asian Tour and The European Tour.
In addition, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh, winner of the 2008 Barclays Singapore Open and Louis Oosthuizen from South Africa, who triumphed in last year’s Open Championship, will compete in The Lion City.
“As the Barclays Singapore Open draws nearer we are delighted that another wave of star players have announced their participation. Major champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk are outstanding additions to the tournament as is exciting newcomer Webb Simpson,” said Quek Suan Kiat, Country Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Barclays Bank PLC, Singapore.
“With such an elite line up of players confirmed and with other marquee names still to be announced it is clear that the Barclays Singapore Open will boast one of its strongest ever international line up of competitors.”
Three-time Major winner Els has been a regular visitor to the Barclays Singapore Open and has finished second on two occasions. In 2006 he was beaten in a sudden-death play-off by Adam Scott and in 2008 he and Harrington ended joint second finishing one shot behind Singh.
Els has claimed 64 titles around the world, including the Open Championship in 2002 and the US Open in 1994 and 1997, and will no doubt like to add the Barclays Singapore Open title to his collection.
The South African, along with Goosen, Furyk and Simpson are all playing in the Presidents Cup the week following the Barclays Singapore Open.
Goosen will be making his debut in the Barclays Singapore Open and as a two-time winner of the US Open, in 2001 and 2004, he is expected to draw huge crowds.
Furyk and Simpson are also playing in the Barclays Singapore Open for the first time and bring with them impressive credentials.
Furyk was the 2010 FedEx Cup champion and the 2010 PGA Tour player of the Year. He also triumphed in the US Open in 2003 and has claimed 16 titles on the PGA Tour.
Simpson is one of the new stars to emerge from the PGA Tour and came agonizingly close to winning the PGA Tour Money List this year. England’s Luke Donald won the final counting event on Sunday to overtake Simpson at the last hurdle.
Simpson won twice this year, in the Wyndham Championship and the Deutsche Bank Championship, to finish second on the List with earnings of US$6,347,353.
Singh will be looking to emulate his 2008 success. He has been recovering from injury over the past few seasons but is showing signs that he is returning to form.
His win in 2008 was one of four victories across the globe. He also lifted the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit crown that season for the second time in three years.
Oosthuizen‘s participation ensures that yet another Major winner will compete in the Barclays Singapore Open.
He secured his place in the history books with a magnificent victory in the Open Championship at St Andrews in 2010, his seven stroke victory placing him alongside South African legends Bobby Locke, Gary Player and Els as Open Champions.
For the second successive season a starting field of 204 players will compete on both The Serapong and The Tanjong courses. Players will play on both courses for the first two days and after the halfway cut is made they will compete on The Serapong at the weekend.
The 48th staging of Singapore’s national Open will have special significance as Arc Children’s Centre is the official charity of the event. Arc Children’s Centre in Singapore provides a day centre for cancer stricken children and their siblings.
Throughout the week a series of events will take plus to raise money for the organization, which was officially opened last August. The patron of Arc Children’s Centre is Mrs Goh Chok Tong.
