Colin Montgomerie and Lee Westwood are among the star players who have confirmed their participation in the South African Airways Open, further strengthening the field for the 93rd edition of the world’’s second oldest national Open.
The starting line-up for the event, which takes place at Erinvale Golf Club, Somerset West, Western Cape, from January 15-18, 2004, also includes no fewer than 13 champions from The 2003 European Tour International Schedule.
Montgomerie topped the Volvo Order of Merit for seven successive seasons from 1992 and last year captured the Macau Open, extending his run of consecutive years with a victory to 12.
Westwood’’s triumph in the 2000 Dimension Data Pro-Am in South Africa was the last of seven titles he won worldwide that year and completed a haul of victories from every continent. In 2003 he won both the BMW International Open and the dunhill links championship of The European Tour International Schedule before partnering Simon Hobday to victory in the Nelson Mandela Invitational at Arabella.
Trevor Immelman, who last month teamed up with Rory Sabbatini to capture the World Golf Championships – World Cup, returns to defend the South African Airways title he won after a play-off with compatriot Tim Clark.
Other European Tour champions from 2003 in the field for the event joint sanctioned by The European Tour and the Sunshine Tour include Robert-Jan Derksen, Bradley Dredge, Kenneth Ferrie, Darren Fichardt, Mark Foster, Marcus Fraser, Philip Golding, Maarten Lafeber, Ian Poulter, Phillip Price and Brett Rumford.
“Winners of the South African Airways Open like Ernie Els, Bobby Locke and Gary Player have gone on to become legends of the game,” said Rich Mikhondo, Executive Manager, Communications, of South African Airways. “We at South African Airways want to foster that tradition, and re-establish this tournament as one of the great national opens of the world. With the strong field we have this year we believe we are getting there.”
The tournament will be co-sponsored by Telkom, BMW and LG Electronics.
