Thomas Björn, Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood are the latest star players to enter the Johnnie Walker Classic which will be played at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth, Western Australia on January 24-27.
They join a world class field that already boasts World Number Four Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia and Colin Montgomerie.
Denmark's Björn is currently ranked 17th in the world. In 1997, he became the first Dane to compete in the Ryder Cup. Last year he finished tied second behind Tiger Woods in the Open Championship and outright third behind Woods in the US PGA. In 2001, he produced arguably his greatest result in winning the Dubai Desert Classic - a tournament in which he finished two
shots clear of Woods after playing all four rounds with the World Number One.
World number 19 Westwood achieved history in 2000 as he equalled the European Tour record by winning six titles in a year. He won seven times in total, a feat which secured him the 2000 Volvo Order of Merit Crown, ahead of close friend Darren Clarke. The 28 year old Englishman's best performance in a Johnnie Walker Classic was when he finished tied for fourth in 1998 in
Phuket.
One of the highest profile golfers of the last decade, Faldo is another former winner to return to the Johnnie Walker Classic. Faldo won the first event in Hong Kong in 1990 and again in Singapore in 1993. Best remembered for his six major titles - three Open Championships and three Masters Tournament victories – Faldo also won the 1992 Johnnie Walker World Championship of Golf.
Global Brand Director of Johnnie Walker, Stephen Morley said, "It is great to have these three inspiring Europeans joining us in Perth for this year's Johnnie Walker Classic. Faldo, particularly has long been a favourite of galleries at the event at which he has had a long and illustrious history.
“The last time Westwood ventured Down Under to Australia, he won the national title - the Holden Australian Open – in play-off with Greg Norman. He will again be looking forward to continuing this trend. Johnnie Walker has been associated with golf since 1820 and we are proud that, almost 200 years later, the tradition continues."
The Johnnie Walker Classic is jointly sanctioned by the Australasian Tour, The European Tour and Asian PGA Tours and will be played in Australia for only the second time in the events' ten year history. In 1997, the tournament was played at Queensland's Hope Island Club where Els won against a strong field which included Fred Couples, John Daly, Montgomerie and Germany's Bernhard Langer.
The 2002 Johnnie Walker Classic will have a starting field of 156 players: 60 from the Australasian Tour; 60 from the European Tour; 28 from the Asian PGA Tour and eight specially invited players.
