Barclays Singapore Open on Asian Tour steals limelight from Australian Open
Top ranking players on both European and PGA Tour have now been spilt in the upcoming events in the sport. The whopping $6-million event on the Asian Tour, the Barclays Singapore Open has lured in major chunk of the celebrated players who have opted to play
for the lucrative title event while the Australian Open, a $1.5-mllion event will have the rest of the high ranking players on its field.
For some however, money is not the only decisive factor that has influenced their decision. The Australian Open will be played right ahead of the President’s Cup at the Royal Melbourne boosting some top-12 American players pitched against a strong 12-member
international team. Tiger Woods, Jason Day, Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar opted to participate in the Australian Open in order to familiarize themselves with the conditions ahead of the President’s Cup.
Barclays Singapore Open, however, still managed to attract some of the bigger names of the sport of the likes of Ernie Els, along with Korea's Yang Yong Eun, Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell and American Phil Mickelson. The event is scheduled to tee-off
on November 10 at the scenic Sentosa Golf Club, Singapore and with a total purse of US$6-million (S$7.6 million), it marks one of the richest events on the Asian Tour.
“As the Barclays Singapore Open draws nearer we are delighted that another wave of star players have announced their participation. Major champions Ernie Els, Retief Goosen and Jim Furyk are outstanding additions to the tournament as is exciting newcomer
Webb Simpson," said Quek Suan Kiat, Country Manager and Chief Operating Officer of Barclays Bank PLC, Singapore.
“With such an elite line up of players confirmed and with other marquee names still to be announced it is clear that the Barclays Singapore Open will boast one of its strongest ever international line up of competitors.” He added.
The course has been prepared meticulously by the ground staff and no fewer than 50 experts have been flown in to help prepare the course on the likes of Augusta National for the Masters. Sentosa Golf Club's chief agronomist Andrew Johnston expressed his
satisfaction over the course management and also revealed that SGC has been one of the top-ranked courses of the country for the past several years.
Barclays Singapore Open has grown from a purse of $3-million to a colossal $6-million in a matter of five years despite of the financial vows all over the world. Asian Tour officials are hoping to take to the richest event on the Asian turf in another five
years but insist that a rescheduling of the timing of the event is absolutely necessary in order to attract celebrated players from European and PGA Tours.
Also for the first time, the organizers will be holding charity gigs to raise S$150,000 for the Arc Children's Centre during the weekend.
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