Major winners of 2010 will not play tour opener
The 2011 PGA Tour will start next week with the Hyundai Tournament of Champions at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. Seeing how it is the first event of the world’s most prestigious and expensive golf circuit, many golfers should
be inclined towards it. However, in reality, they are not. Only one of the four major champions will be playing the tournament next week.
South African golfer, Louis Oosthuizen, was supposed to play in the event, but he changed his mind at the last moment. Louis said he does not want to start travelling soon in this season. That is an odd statement by the player
since he will have to travel eventually. Another reason, apart from avoiding jet lag could be that the British Open Champion wants to be near home and play in the Africa Open. Part of the European Tour, the Africa Open will also feature Oosthuizen’s compatriots,
Charl Schwartzel and Retief Goosen.
"I decided not to go and play the two tournaments in Hawaii because that won't leave me with enough off time before the start of the new season," Oosthuizen told europeantour.com.
USPGA winner, Martin Kaymer, will start his season later in January. Kaymer, who has had an amazing year this year, would surely like to rest up before he embarks on yet another journey of greatness. Apart from winning a major,
Martin also topped the European Tour money list this year and hence won the Race to Dubai. Ranked number three right now, Kaymer is hoping to achieve a lot more in 2011.
Another major winner, Phil Mickelson, who won the Masters this year, also wants to start his season later in January. Phil was the only American golfer to win a major tournament. This leaves only one major champion that would play
in the Tour Opener, and he is the one and only, G-Mac.
Graeme McDowell is definitely feeling on top of the world right now. Having had an amazing year, McDowell is being awarded by many awards now that 2010 is almost over. American and British golf writers, both, awarded McDowell the
player of the year award.
Along with the absence of major winners, a lot of other big names won’t be participating in the tournament. The world number one, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, and Tiger Woods will not play in the tournament as well.
Despite their absence, all these amazing golf players are eager to tee off in 2011.
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