Strong Australian Line up at 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic
IN: News | Australasian PGA | Johnnie Walker Classic (2003) | General | 20 Jan 2003
Craig Parry, Peter O'Malley, Stephen Leaney, Nick O'Hern and Peter Fowler join Robert Allenby and Adam Scott in the AUD$2.85 million Johnnie Walker Classic at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth from February 13 - 16, 2003.
Craig Parry has 20 tournament victories to his name worldwide and after a very successful 2002 is currently ranked 31 in the world. A ranking helped by victory in the Telstra New Zealand Open where he beat Tiger Woods by 6 shots. But Craig's career high point has undoubtedly been his victory in the 2002 WGC-NEC Invitational, his first victory in the US in 236 starts and one that meant he walked away with prize money of A$ 1.8 million. Craig finished tied for 14th in last year's Johnnie Walker Classic.
Peter O'Malley is one of Australia's most consistent players with six pro titles to his credit. Following his victory in the 2001 English Open on the European Tour, Peter won the 2002 Clearwater Classic in New Zealand (an event co-sanctioned by the Australasian and Buy.Com Tours). O'Malley also is one of the few players in the world to have beaten world No. 1 Tiger Woods in match-play, a feat he achieved in the opening round of the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship in the USA last year.
Stephen Leaney has been one of Australia's best players in Europe over the past five years winning four European events in that time. In 2002, the West Australian won the Linde German Masters and overall had seven top ten finishes on the European Tour including 2nd place in the Carlsberg Malaysian Open (after losing in a playoff to Alastair Forsyth). Leaney finished in 15th spot on the Volvo Order of Merit last season, the second best Australian behind Adam Scott, and is currently ranked 61st in the world.
Nick O'Hern, a solid West Australian left-hander, won the 1999 Coolum Classic and finished runner-up in the Holden Australian Open that year. In 2002 he came close to winning with five top 10 finishes. O'Hern's biggest moment on the international stage was a quarter-final finish at the 2001 WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship at Metropolitan in Melbourne.
Peter Fowler won the 1983 Australian Open Championship and clinched his first European title in 1993 at the BMW International Open in Munich. He has been runner-up on the European Tour on several occasions during his career - most recently at the 2002 Heineken Classic at Royal Melbourne. In all Peter achieved four top ten finishes in 2002 and completed last year's Johnnie Walker Classic tied for 10th.
Joining these leading Aussies will be the two top ranked Australian players Robert Allenby and Adam Scott, ranked respectively 20th and 44th in the world with a total of seventeen victories between them.
Robert Allenby, now playing virtually full time on the US PGA Tour, won three times in 2001 and registered ten top ten finishes in 2002.
Adam Scott, won the Qatar Masters and the Diageo Scottish PGA Championship on the European Tour in 2002 and with an overall eleven top ten finishes ended the year in 7th spot on the European Tour Money List.
These and the other 41 Australians in the Johnnie Walker Classic field will be facing three of the top six players in the world next month in Perth: Ernie Els, who jumped to world No. 2 after his record victory in the recent Mercedes Championship in Hawaii; defending champion and world No. 4 Retief Goosen and Sergio Garcia, the world No. 6.
The Johnnie Walker Classic is Asia's premier golf event sanctioned jointly by the European, Australasian and Asian Tours. Now in its 12th year the tournament is co-owned by Diageo and IMG.
