Els, Goosen, Clarke and Rose commit to play MCI Heritage
BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2004 MCI Heritage | General | 02 Apr 2004
Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Darren Clarke and Justin Rose, four of the best international shotmakers in the game today, have just committed to play in the 36th annual MCI Heritage, adding to the growing number of top 50 players in the world to tee it up at Harbour Town in April.
The PGA TOUR event, with a record purse of US$4.8 million, will be conducted for the 36th consecutive year over the Harbour Town Golf Links, April 12-18.
“We always welcome foreign-born golfers to our field,” said Tournament Director Steve Wilmot, “but this quartet is even more special. All are well-established with outstanding World Golf Rankings and they will make a great addition to our field.”
Els, a two-time U.S. Open champion, and currently ranked No. 3 in the world, has been one of the premier players in golf for the past decade. The “Big Easy” from South Africa is probably the most heavily traveled player in the game. He truly enjoys competing at Harbour Town, where he’s had four top-10 finishes in his six appearances here. He came within a whisker of winning last April when he shot a 6-under 30 on the first nine on the final day. Then, leading at 14-under par, Els drove out of bounds on the 16th hole to finish in a tie for 10th.
Goosen, another South African, captured the 2001 U.S. Open. He is currently ranked No. 7 in the world and is just one of only five players to capture a PGA TOUR event each of the past three years. Goosen owns 16 international victories. This will be the second time he’s teed it up in the MCI Heritage.
Clarke, with a world ranking of 13th, gained international acclaim first as a Ryder Cupper and then as the smooth-stroking star from Ireland who defeated Tiger Woods to win the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship in 2000. Clarke also engaged in a new fitness regimen that cost him more than 25 pounds and his wardrobe of 200 golf shirts and 100 pairs of trousers. He’ll be making his third Harbour Town appearance.
Rose, another native South African who moved to England when he was just 5, is just outside the top 50 with a very impressive No. 62 world ranking. He caught everyone’s attention when he finished fourth as the low amateur in the British Open when he was just 17. This will be Rose’s first Harbour Town showing.
Source – MCI Heritage
