Asian giants to star in Phuket

Korea's Yang Yong-eun, famed for beating Tiger Woods last November, will make his first appearance of the season on the Asian Tour next week when he headlines a powerful Asian line-up for the Johnnie Walker Classic.

The US$2.44 million event, tri-sanctioned by the Asian, European and Australasian Tours, will also see the return of India's Arjun Atwal, Asia's number one in 2003. The 16th edition of the Johnnie Walker Classic will be played from March 1 to 4 at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Phuket, Thailand.

Other top Asians who will challenge the likes of Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Adam Scott, all former champions of the Johnnie Walker Classic, include last season's Asian Tour's UBS Order of Merit champion Jeev Milkha Singh of India, Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wiratchant and current number one Frankie Minoza of the Philippines.

Yang will be confident of contending against the world's best players as his career has sky-rocketed since cutting his professional teeth on the Asian Tour in the early 2000s.

A regular on the Japan Tour now, he hit international fame when he held off world number one Woods to win the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last year. The powerfully-built Korean, presently ranked 31st in the world, resurfaced from a long winter break at this week's WGC-Accenture Match Play in the United States but fell in the first round to Australian Rod Pampling.

Atwal made a name for himself by becoming the Asian Tour's first million-dollar man with six victories across the region. He claimed a first Order of Merit triumph in 2003 and sweetened his season by earning his US PGA Tour card.

The talented Indian has conditional status in America this season, guaranteeing him approximately 15 starts, after failing to finish inside the top-125 of the money list last year. However, Atwal, who recently overcame a back injury, started the year strongly with a tied 35th finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am earlier this month.

The man in form is the evergreen Minoza, who claimed a second Philippine Open title three weeks ago. Subsequently, the Filipino who is nicknamed "The Boss", also finished joint second in the Enjoy Jakarta Astro Indonesia Open last weekend to cement his position atop the UBS Order of Merit.

India's Shiv Kapur will also fly into the holiday isle of Phuket in buoyant mood after coming close to a maiden victory in a co-sanctioned field in Jakarta. Currently ranked second behind Minoza, the Indian, who has tasted victory in Thailand following his triumph in the 2005 Volvo Masters of Asia, has grown in stature over the years and finished tied 12th in last year's Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia where he earned the admiration of playing partner and former US Masters champion Fred Couples.

China's Liang Wen-chong, backed by two top-10s in Qatar and Malaysia, continues his quest for a breakthrough victory while other Asian Tour stalwarts who will tee up in Blue Canyon with their confidence soaring include Malaysia's Airil Rizman Zahari, who secured a maiden Asian Tour victory at the season-opening Pakistan Open.

Last season's European Player of the Year, Paul Casey of England, and eight-time European Tour number one Colin Montgomerie of Scotland will also headline the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Former Masters champion Mike Weir of Canada will also make a rare appearance in the region for the prestigious tournament, billed by organisers as the premier event in the Asia Pacific region.

February 23, 2007

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