Ryder Cuppers to reunite at Hong Kong, Rory McIlroy to defend his title
After the Ryder Cup success, the Europeans have turned their eyes towards the Race to Dubai. Now that the Ryder Cup fever is over, nearly all the Europeans are getting back to complete their European Tour schedule.
Rory McIlroy has announced that he will be defending his title at the Hong Kong Open, next month.
He will be joined by the likes of Jose Maria Olazabal, Paul Lawrie and even Matt Kuchar. Miguel Angel Jiménez will also be joining the other Ryder Cuppers at Fanling.
Rory McIlroy will be leading the pack of Ryder Cuppers, as they bid to end his dominance over the golfing world this season.
McIlroy enjoyed a superb second half of the season and a victory at the Hong Kong Open will surely make this year memorable for him.
Hong Kong Open is jointly sanctioned by the Asian and the European Tour, the tournament boasts prize money of $2,750,000.
It will be a Ryder Cup reunion, especially for the European players. From the American side, only Matt Kuchar will be taking the field in Hong Kong. This will also be the first European Tour appearance for Matt Kuchar.
"I'm very excited about making my debut at the Hong Kong Open," said Kuchar. “I look forward to finding out for myself what all the buzz is about”.
"The strength of the field is impressive and Rory's record in the tournament is even more impressive," added the American, a four-time US PGA Tour winner.
Kuchar knows a mammoth task lies ahead of him, as the quality of the field is immense. He shared, "It's going to be tough to win my first European Tour title but I'm certainly going to give it my best shot".
Paul Lawrie is also confident about his success in Hong Kong, even though his record here is a bleak one.
"My record in the event isn't quite as good as I would like," said Lawrie. "But the way I've been playing this year I feel very confident of giving a good account of myself".
Since the Ryder Cup ended, Rory has not been playing the standard of golf which he is known for. The Irishman has been a little off the radar.
However, now with the Ryder Cup over and the Race to Dubai in full swing, the world number one would surely want to do well at the Hong Kong Open.
It will not be easy for Rory McIlroy because he has played considerable golf this season and at this stage, the body starts tiring out.
Plus, another factor is that he has won almost everything this season. He won a major, he is leading the money tour list for the PGA Tour and he has won more titles than anybody else.
So the motivation level will certainly be low for the Irishman. Nevertheless, being a professional, his sole aim at the Hong Kong Open would be to defend his title at any cost.
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