Australian Peter Lonard and Scot Colin Montgomerie are the latest star attractions set to tee up in the Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne, joining an exceptionally strong cast from February 3-6.
Lonard is the form player down under, winning a hat-trick of titles at the end of 2004 when he captured the NSW Open, the Hillcross Centenary Australian Open and the Cadbury Schweppes Australian PGA Championship in successive weeks. He finished second to Ernie Els in the 2003 Heineken Classic.
Montgomerie, a seven time European Tour Order of Merit winner, joins the list of international stars in the field that already boasts Ernie Els, who will be bidding for a fourth successive Heineken title, along with Thomas Björn, Michael Campbell and Nick Faldo and home players Stuart Appleby, Greg Norman, Craig Parry and Adam Scott.
‘It’’s almost an embarrassment of riches,’’ said Tony Roosenburg, President of Golf at SFX.
"Our slogan at SFX has been for a long time that quality does matter and we are clearly seeing the benefits, as the Heineken Classic has the support of not only some of the best players in the world, but also a host of international companies namely, Heineken, BMW, SAP, NEC, Liberty International Underwriters, Omega, Qantas and of course the Victorian Government.
“This field is the strongest ever presented in our thirteen year history and it is clear that the package the Heineken Classic offers together with the hospitality the City of Melbourne provides, and the superb Royal Melbourne Golf Course makes the week of the Heineken Classic an attractive proposition for players and sponsors alike.”
