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Padraig Harrington seeking Wentworth bonus

Padraig Harrington will scoop a bonus of one million euros ($1.35 million) if he can follow Sunday's win at the Irish Open with another victory in this week's PGA Championship at Wentworth.

"Each event stands alone as a great title but this year it's nice to know there is a special bonus for winning both," the Irishman said in a news release on Monday.

"I think the bonus and associated prizes like that add to the excitement and buzz of an event."

The European Tour's flagship competition will offer a record prize fund of 4.35 million euros and boasts the strongest field to date this season.

World number five Ernie Els, who has a house on the Wentworth estate, tops a long list of big-name players including fellow South African Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh of Fiji, Swede Henrik Stenson and Britons Luke Donald, Paul Casey, Justin Rose and Colin Montgomerie.

Ten members of the triumphant 2006 European Ryder Cup side will be involved, and a total of eight major winners.

World number 11 Harrington is aiming to become the first Irish winner since Harry Bradshaw 49 years ago.

"The PGA has a wonderful heritage, a course with its own long and illustrious history and a list of champions that is second to none," he said.

"Put all those elements together and you have an event of considerable magnitude fit for the world stage. Wentworth presents a great challenge, undoubtedly one of the best we face on tour each year."

The 2006 edition was won by David Howell but the 31-year-old Briton pulled out of the tournament on Monday due to a recurrence of a long-standing back injury.

"I feel gutted," said Howell. "It is my first big event of the year back in Britain on a course where I have won and just half a mile from where I live."

Howell, who romped to a five-stroke victory 12 months ago, said scans on a joint at the base of his spine had shown signs of strain.

"I wanted to give it a shot and I checked with the physio but we felt it was really too soon to play," said the Englishman.

The chase for the first prize of 725,000 euros starts on Thursday.

Wednesday's pre-tournament pro-am features a host of celebrities including actor Hugh Grant, Chelsea and Ukraine footballer Andriy Shevchenko and ex-Formula One world champion Nigel Mansell.

May 22, 2007