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Elkington to star in Macau

Steve Elkington, one of Australia's greatest golfers and a major champion at the 1995 US PGA, will be the star attraction of the 9th Macau Open from May 18-21.

In keeping with the tradition of the Macau Open which has attracted marquee names including Vijay Singh, Nick Faldo, Nick Price, Colin Montgomerie and Fred Couples over the years, the highly-decorated Elkington will start as firm favourite in the Asian Tour-sanctioned event at the magnificent Macau Golf and Country Club.

Title holder Wang Ter-chang of Chinese Taipei has confirmed his defence while China's Zhang Liang-wei, the only two-time winner of the Macau Open, will also be shooting for a record third victory at a venue he regards as his second home.

The Macau Sport Development Board (MSDB), the main sponsor of the Macau Open, has also increased its commitment towards the popular tournament by raising the total prize money to US$300,000, a jump of US$25,000 from 2005.

"We are delighted to take the Macau Open to new heights this year with an unprecedented US$300,000 in total prize money up for grabs for our international stars and the players from the Asian Tour," said Alex Vong, Acting President of Macau Sport Development Board.

"It is also wonderful news that Steve Elkington will feature in our flagship event in May. He is a true legend of Australian Golf and with multiple international victories to his credit, I am sure Steve will be contending for honours in the Macau Open.

"The Macau Sport Development Board has supported this exciting tournament for many years now and we have been privileged to witness so many great duels. We are truly committed in our goal to further escalate the prestige of the Macau Open."

Elkington, currently ranked 61st in the world, has been one of Australia’s brightest talents with an impressive 10 career victories on the US PGA Tour. The 43-year-old hit peak form in the 1990s where he raked in most of his wins, including the 1991 and 1997 The Players Championship and the 1992 Australian Open.

It was in 1995 that Elkington, nicknamed Elks, claimed his biggest career victory when he won the US PGA Championship, one of golf's four majors. The Australian trailed by six shots going into the last round but clawed his way into a play-off with Colin Montgomerie of Scotland with a closing 64 and eventually won his maiden major title with a 25-foot putt on the first extra hole.

Elkington has also won in Asia previously, lifting the Honda City Classic title in Phuket, Thailand in 1996 after outduelling Filipino Felix Casas.

"I'm looking forward to visiting Macau for the first time," said Elkington. "I have heard a lot of great things about the Macau Open and know that many world-class players like Vijay Singh, Fred Couples, Mark O'Meara, Nick Price and Padraig Harrington have played there before. I understand the Macau Golf and Country Club is a challenging test and I'm eager to have a look at the course."

Recently, Elkington has put in some strong performances, including a tied second finish at the US PGA Championship last year. He also posted five other top-10 finishes in 2005 and was runner-up in the 2002 British Open.

Asian Tour Chief Executive Louis Martin welcomed MSDB's long-term commitment to the game. “The Macau Open has been a regular feature on the Asian Tour since 1998 and we are proud to sanction this event once again with a bigger prize fund.

"MSDB has been a strong supporter of golf in Asia and on behalf of our talented players, I would like to express our deepest appreciation for their wonderful backing."

One player who has fond memories in Macau is Chinese Taipei’s veteran Wang. Last year, he walked away as champion after lifting his third career Asian Tour title. The 43-year-old is high in confidence as he has posted three top-15 finishes in recent weeks, including a third-place outing at the Enjoy Jakarta HSBC Indonesia Open.

Zhang, China's most famous golf expert has made Macau his stronghold with back-to-back triumphs in 2001 and 2002 which included a marathon five-hole play-off triumph over Price. The self-taught Zhang is adored on home soil as he is the first Chinese to win on the European Tour when he defeated Ernie Els at the 2003 Caltex Masters in Singapore.

March 24, 2006