Celtic Manor Wales Open affected by PGA
BY Bruce Young | European PGA Tour | 2002 The Celtic Manor Resort Wales Open | Preview | 04 Aug 2002
As could be expected the week before a major (USPGA) on the other side of the Atlantic, the Celtic Manor Wales Open has attracted very few of the top echelon of the European Tour.
Of those who could be currently considered in that category only Darren Clarke, Lee Westwood and defending champion Paul McGinley are entered with just three from the top twenty of the money list in the field. Gary Evans, Malcolm McKenzie and Clarke make up those from the top twenty.
Still several of this season’s winners are in the field and it does open up the opportunity for a rising star to shine. Graeme McDowell, so brilliant in his few starts as a professional and surely one of the great hopes of British golf, will be there. McDowell, from Northern Ireland, starred in his role on the University of Alabama golf team and was ranked as the number one collegiate golfer in the US when he turned professional just a few weeks ago
Australasians entered are Lucas Parsons, Richard Green, Greg Turner, Brett Rumford, Jarrod Moseley, Stephen Scahill, Peter Fowler, Elliot Boult and Scott Gardiner.
The event is being played for the third time at Celtic Manor, near Newport in South East Wales, with Steen Tinning winning in 2000 and McGinley last year.
