Spain’’s José Maria Olazábal will make his first appearance in the Telecom Italia Open for five years when he tees up at Castello di Tolcinasco Golf & Country Club next week seeking his maiden victory in the event after three runner-up finishes.
Olazábal, a winner of 22 European Tour titles including two Masters Tournament victories, will head a strong field in Milan for the 61st Telecom Italia Open from April 29 to May 2 where prize money of €1,200,000 will be on offer.
Olazábal has competed in the Telecom Italia Open on ten previous occasions since making his debut 20 years ago. During that time he has finished runner-up on three occasions - to England’’s Richard Boxall in 1990, to Germany’’s Bernhard Langer in 1997 and to Sweden’’s Patrik Sjöland in 1998.
Joining Olazábal will be Ian Poulter, the Englishman chasing a hat-trick having won the title twice in the last four years, emerging triumphant in 2000 at Is Molas and again in 2002 at Olgiata.
Other leading players in action in Italy include 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, runner-up to Poulter in 2002, the last three winners of the Volvo PGA Championship in Ignacio Garrido, Anders Hansen and Andrew Oldcorn, New Zealand’’s Michael Campbell and the Argentine pair of Eduardo Romero and Ricardo Gonzalez, last year’’s joint runner-up and winner of last week’’s Open de Sevilla.
In addition to Gonzalez, five champions from The 2004 European Tour International Schedule will be in action, namely England’’s Brian Davis, Sweden’’s Joakim Haeggman and Christopher Hanell, Thailand’’s Thongchai Jaidee and Germany’’s Marcel Siem.
The Italian challenge will be led by Emanuele Canonica, Costantino Rocca and Alessandro Tadini, winner of the Costa Rica Open on the Challenge Tour in February, all of whom will be aiming to become the first home winner since Massimo Mannelli in 1980.
Castello di Tolcinasco Golf & Country Club, which opened in 1993 was designed by Arnold Palmer and will be hosting the 61st Italian Open Telecom Italia for the first time.
Telecom Italia are sponsoring the event for a third successive season. The partnership with the Italian Golf Federation is part of “Progetto Italia”, a communication programme aimed at three main targets – culture, sports and social affairs.
