Harrington and Montgomerie top contestants In Iskandar Johor Open
The Iskandar Johor Open 2010 is here with some big names making it much bigger and better. The event, which carries a purse of US$1.25 million, is due to take place at Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, Malaysia from October 14th -17th, 2010.
The event’s organizers have confirmed that two big names of golf fraternity would also be contesting the event. These include three times major winner, Padraig Harrington and the captain of the Europe's 2010 Ryder Cup team, Colin Montgomerie. Both of them will join the defending champion KJ Choi of South Korea and Retief Goosen of South Africa in a notable layout of international players for the biggest professional golf championship in Asia. Y.A.B Dato Haji Abdul Ghani bin Othman, Chairman of the IJO organizing committee in a statement said that massive preparations for the Open are underway and the contestants will be greeted with welcome banners and posters upon their arrival at the venue.
For the Irish man, Harrington this won’t be his first time in Malaysia as he had played there previously in 2001. The 38-year-old won the British open two times in 2007 and 2008 concluding the three years of his career with three major championship wins and the record of being the first European after James Braid to have defended his title successfully. In 2008, he also won the PGA championship at Oakland Hills and became the first European to grab a Wanamaker Trophy. Talking to media about his upcoming Malaysian trip, Harrington said that he was very excited to go back there and the most thrilling part of his tour would be the fact that he didn’t have a chance to play in Johor before so it will be the first time for him.
The other top contestant, Colin Montgomerie, who is also the record holder of 31 European tour wins, is busy at the moment solving the riddles of whom to keep and not to keep in the European Ryder Cup team. This would be his first appearance in the Iskandar Johor Open. On the other hand, Retief Goosem had finished third at this very championship in 2009 with a ten under par sixty two after smashing nine birdies and one ace during the final round.
All in all, the mid of October after the Ryder Cup would be a busy time for the people of Johor as the Iskandar Johor Open is all set to make waves at the Horizon Hills Golf & Country with some big names like Harrington, Montgomery, Goosen and Choi.
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