The Celtic Manor Wales Open 2008 - Double Ryder Cup Incentive
DOUBLE RYDER CUP INCENTIVE FOR STARS
AT THE CELTIC MANOR WALES OPEN
Players chase qualifying points for Nick Faldo’s team
while getting first look at stage for 2010 Ryder Cup
The Celtic Manor Wales Open may be switching later this month to the new course which will stage The Ryder Cup in 2010 but many of the tournament’s competitors will have one eye fixed firmly on a more immediate date with the Americans.
With the prize fund increasing by 20 per cent to a bumper £1.8m on the Twenty Ten course, there are important Ryder Cup qualifying points on offer for Nick Faldo’s European team at Valhalla this September.
Leading the chase will be British young guns Graeme McDowell and Nick Dougherty who both return to The Celtic Manor Wales Open eager to propel themselves towards debuts in golf’s most prestigious team tournament.
McDowell and Dougherty lie sixth and ninth respectively in the current rankings and they can go a long way towards securing those coveted first Ryder Cup appearances with strong performances at Celtic Manor from May 29-June 1.
Both players have enjoyed their biggest wins on The European Tour since the current qualifying period began last September with Dougherty landing the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship during the autumn and McDowell capturing the Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea this spring.
They will face fierce competition for the £300,000 winner’s cheque in South Wales from established Ryder Cup stars like Padraig Harrington, the Open champion who last month announced he would be making his debut at The Celtic Manor Resort, Colin Montgomerie, Robert Karlsson, Niclas Fasth, Paul Lawrie, Thomas Levet and Jean Van De Velde.
Also on the entry list is a talented pack of other players chasing a Ryder Cup debut including recent winners Peter Lawrie, Damien McGrane, Alastair Forsyth, Raphael Jacquelin, Gregory Havret, Gregory Bourdy, Martin Kaymer and Mikko Ilonen.
Last year’s champion Richard Sterne of South Africa will return to defend his trophy following his brilliant birdie down the final hole which denied Bradley Dredge the opportunity of becoming the first Welsh winner of the event.
Celtic Manor Wales Open Tournament Director Dylan Matthews said: “It is great to see that so many champions on The European Tour will be teeing it up at Celtic Manor later this month.
“The chase for 2008 Ryder Cup points on the course that will host the next Ryder Cup in Europe in 2010 should add another exciting dimension to the tournament. I’m sure many of the players will have one eye on qualifying for Nick Faldo’s team and another on getting their first glimpse of the course which will host the fantastic occasion in two years’ time.
“We expect even more star players to announce they will be coming to The Celtic Manor Wales Open with a couple of weeks still remaining until entries close. I’m sure we’re going to see big crowds turning out to see the exciting new course and watch how these highly talented players plot their way around it.”
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 complete with KidZone provides additional entertainment for all.