The Celtic Manor Wales Open 2008 - Padraig Harrington Debut
OPEN CHAMPION MAKES CELTIC MANOR DEBUT
Harrington heads field at The Celtic Manor Wales Open as Dredge bids to turn the tables.
Open champion Padraig Harrington will head the field at this year’s Celtic Manor Wales Open when he makes his debut in the event from May 29-June 1.
Harrington ended an eight-year wait for a European winner of a Major title when he defeated Spain’s Sergio Garcia in a play-off for the Open Championship at Carnoustie last July.
The stunning triumph confirmed the Irishman’s status as one of the world’s leading players following 11 previous victories on The European Tour and he will be seeking more silverware when he makes his first appearance at The Celtic Manor Resort next month.
One of the players standing in his way will be home favourite Bradley Dredge who hopes to go one better than last year when he was squeezed into joint second place by a single stroke at The Celtic Manor Wales Open following a superb birdie at the final hole which clinched the title for South Africa’s Richard Sterne.
Currently Wales’ leading golfer with two European Tour wins and a World Cup triumph under his belt, Dredge was also narrowly beaten by Harrington in a play-off for the Irish Open last spring and would dearly love to turn the tables in his own home event at Celtic Manor.
World No 11 Harrington, who was Europe’s highest finisher in joint fifth place at this month’s US Masters, will head a strong field as the tournament moves to The Twenty Ten course for the first time with many of Europe’s leading golfers eager to get their first look at the layout which will stage the Ryder Cup in 2010.
Harrington said: “I’m really looking forward to making my debut in The Celtic Manor Wales Open, having watched the tournament go from strength to strength in recent years.
“This gives me an opportunity to get an early look at the course which will stage the next Ryder Cup in Europe and I’ve heard a lot of good things about it. I hear that it should provide a great challenge which will hopefully suit my game and provide good preparation for the tough conditions we can expect at the US Open a couple of weeks later.
“Last year was quite a year for me with everything that happened at Carnoustie and I’ve enjoyed a fantastic reception all over the world since winning The Open Championship. I’m sure the fans in Wales will give me a special Celtic welcome and I hope to give them something to cheer about in return.”
Now in its ninth year and with an increased prize fund of £1.8m, The Celtic Manor Wales Open is one of the top ten events on the European Tour and continues to enjoy a prime early summer date the week after the tour’s flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Past champions include Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Robert Karlsson while leading players to tee up at Celtic Manor in recent years include eight-time European No 1 Colin Montgomerie, former US Open winners Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell, and Ryder Cup stars Paul McGinley and Paul Casey.
Last year’s joint runner-up Dredge said: “The Celtic Manor Wales Open is one of the highlights of my year. It’s always great fun to play in with the way we are looked after here and all the support that we home players receive from the fans.
“It was great to be in such strong contention last year and an absolute thrill to be leading the tournament during the final round. Hopefully, I can finish the job this year.”
Celtic Manor’s Director of Golf Jim McKenzie said: “We are all very excited about this year’s tournament with the move to the new course. Adding a player of Padraig Harrington’s stature to the field will only heighten that sense of anticipation and it will be fantastic for the fans to watch the reigning Open champion up close.
“We’d love to see a first Welsh winner here at The Celtic Manor Resort and Bradley Dredge gave us so much to be proud of with his challenge for the title in 2007. We’ll all be rooting for him to go one better this year.
“We know many more of the world’s top players will also be coming back to challenge for the title and to plot their way around a course where they hope to be competing as part of a Ryder Cup team in 2010.”
The new Twenty Ten course has been built with the matchplay drama of The Ryder Cup in mind, but it will provide an equally exciting arena for the traditional 72-hole strokeplay of The Celtic Manor Wales Open. One thing’s for sure – no lead will appear safe until the leading protagonists have safely negotiated the 18th hole, a reachable par five with a protective moat guarding a raised green where any score from eagle to triple bogey and worse will be on the cards.
The Celtic Manor Wales Open always aims to provide an experience that is much more than just a golf tournament. Ladies Day, complete with champagne hospitality, on the Saturday of the event has become one of the hottest dates on the sporting social calendar, relaxed master-classes on the range give spectators a unique insight into some of their favourite players, and a family tented village provides additional entertainment for all.