Westwood, Casey to star in Perth
IN: News | Asian | Johnnie Walker Classic (2009) | General | 07 Oct 2008
English duo Lee Westwood and Paul Casey will join Australia’s Greg Norman in the line-up for the 2009 Johhnie Walker Classic when the event tees off from February 19 to 22 at The Vines Resort & Country Club in Perth.
The early confirmation that Westwood and Casey will play in Asia Pacific’s premier luxury golf tournament reflects Johhnie Walker’s commitment to once again deliver a high-calibre field of international golfing stars to the prestigious tournament.
“Since its inauguration in 1990, the Johhnie Walker Classic has always boasted a line-up that has featured the crème de la crème of the game and 2009 will be no exception,” commented David Gates, Global Brand Director for Johhnie Walker.
“This well-established event has always had a reputation for producing legendary winners including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Fred Couples and of course Greg Norman, and I am confident we can look forward to continuing this tradition in Perth next year.”
One of the UK’s most popular and consistent golfers, Westwood has won 29 tournaments worldwide and played on six European Ryder Cup Teams, including the recent clash at Valhalla. However he is perhaps best remembered for his fantastic 2000 season when he won six tournaments to top the European Tour Order of Merit, bringing to an end Colin Montgomerie’s record run of seven consecutive Order of Merit titles.
Last year the 35-year-old showed a return to form when he won twice in Europe at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia and The Quinn Direct British Masters.
So far this year Westwood, currently ranked 12 in the world, has secured three joint second slots, most recently in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in August, along with three other top-10 finishes before concluding the US Open in third spot, one shot adrift of the Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate play-off.
When Westwood and Norman last met on Australian soil at the Australian Open back in 1997, Greg was number one in the world although this did not stop the Englishman from unexpectedly overcoming the “Great White Shark” at the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off in Melbourne to lift the title.
“I’m already looking forward to playing in Perth and to the Australian sunshine which will be a welcome change from the European winter. One thing I’m sure about is that the welcome we’ll all receive at the Johhnie Walker Classic will be just as warm as the weather,” said Westwood. “It will also be a tremendous challenge to come up against Greg (Norman) again on his home soil especially after the form he showed at this year’s Open Championship.”
Casey will also no doubt relish the opportunity to take on the truly international field of an event that is tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours.
Currently ranked 38th in the world, 31-year-old Casey has secured six top-10 finishes this season, including a joint seventh spot in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and a joint third in the BMW International Open. More recently he was a member of Nick Faldo’s European Team at last month’s Ryder Cup, securing two half points from three matches.
A winner of the Johnnie Walker Young Player of the Year Award in 2006, Casey will no doubt be looking to repeat the form he showed that year when he won three titles around the world, including the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, to finish the year in second spot on the European Tour Order of Merit.
It will be the fourth visit to Perth, Western Australia for the Johhnie Walker Classic and the fifth time the event has been staged in Australia following its Antipodean debut back in 1997 at the Hope Island Golf Club.
Source – Johhnie Walker Classic
