Latest European Tour Stories
LONDON (Reuters) - The European Tour has announced the first four months of its schedule for the 2006 season, featuring an unprecedented three weeks in the United Arab Emirates during January and February. The Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, one of two new events, will be played at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 19-22 before the Qatar Masters, in Doha from January 26-29, and the prestigious Dubai Desert Classic, from February 2-5. The Desert Classic, again being staged at the...
LONDON (Reuters) - Abu Dhabi will become the 36th country to feature on the European Tour when it makes its debut as a venue on next year's schedule, the tour said on Tuesday. The inaugural Abu Dhabi Golf Championship, with a prize fund of $2 million, will be played at Abu Dhabi Golf Club's National Course from January 19-22. "Each season on the European Tour brings a keen sense of expectation and anticipation of the challenges which lie ahead and that is never more the case when the...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes LONDON (Reuters) - Denmark's Thomas Bjorn is still recovering in a San Francisco hospital from the viral infection that forced his withdrawal from last week's WGC-American Express Championship, his management company said on Tuesday. The 34-year-old Dane, who pulled out before Sunday's final round at San Francisco's Harding Park Golf Course, is expected to make his European Tour return at the season-ending Volvo Masters in Spain later this month. "Thomas is still...
By Steve Keating SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Big-hitting John Daly, one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour, is considering crossing the Atlantic before the end of the season in a bid to secure a European Tour card. Daly said on Friday that several things would have to fall into place but added that he was keen to play more events in Europe. "I've got a decision to make and it depends on how well I play here," said the American after joining Briton David Howell in second place...
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - Twice U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen has withdrawn from this week's WGC-American Express Championship because of a groin injury, organizers said on Wednesday. The world number five, who has not played since beating Tiger Woods 2 and 1 in the last-day singles at the Presidents Cup a fortnight ago, skipped last week's Greensboro Classic on the PGA Tour. South African Goosen joins compatriot Ernie Els, the world number four, as the only absentees this week...
LONDON (Reuters) - Record prize money of four million euros has been confirmed for the season-ending Volvo Masters at Valderrama in Spain, the European Tour announced on Monday. The prize fund, up from the 3.75 million euros on offer last year, equals the tournament purse at the tour's flagship BMW Championship at Wentworth in May. Apart from the four majors and the four World Golf Championship events, this week's Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland, with prize money of 4.14 million...
By Mark Lamport-Stokes LONDON (Reuters) - World number 14 Luke Donald has chosen fellow Ryder Cup player David Howell as his partner for England's World Cup title defense in Portugal in November. Although Donald won last year's team competition in Spain with Paul Casey, he has opted for Howell because of his higher world ranking and 2005 form. Howell, who won last month's BMW International Open in Munich, is the world number 19 while Casey, who has struggled for form for much of this...
By Tony Jimenez VIRGINIA WATER (Reuters) - U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell says the absence of most of the world's top players from this week's World Match Play Championship "is a slap in the face to the sponsors." World number one Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh and Phil Mickelson have chosen to miss the elite 16-man event at Wentworth while six-times winner and world number four Ernie Els is sidelined by a long-term knee injury. "It's a little bit disheartening that here we have the...
By Norman Dabell MUNICH (Reuters) - United States-based Luke Donald is in two minds as to how he wants to retain his Ryder Cup place, but the 27-year-old Briton is adamant he will retain his full European Tour status. Englishman Donald was persuaded to play the mandatory 11 European Tour events by European Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer and former Tour chief Ken Schofield to ensure he had full rights to qualify for last year's Cup campaign. While Donald narrowly failed to qualify...
BEIJING (Reuters) - World number one Tiger Woods will head at least 20 of the world's top 50 players in November's Champions tournament in Shanghai, set to be the richest golf event in Asia. Up to 100 players will compete for $5 million in prize money at the November 10-13 tournament, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, the PGA Tour of Australia and the South African Sunshine Tour, the China Daily said Monday. "This is the richest event in China and the richest event in Asia," Tong Jinqiang,...
