Bjorn joins strong field at Johnnie Walker Classic
IN: News | Australasian PGA | Johnnie Walker Classic (2003) | General | 04 Feb 2003
Danish star Thomas Bjorn is the latest big name to be confirmed for the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth. Bjorn, a seven-time winner on the European Tour and a member of last year's victorious European Ryder Cup team, will be part of an impressive international field at Lake Karrinyup Country Club headed by world No. 2 Ernie Els.
The Johnnie Walker Classic will be played February 13 -16 and boasts three of the world's top 10 players: Els, Retief Goosen, world No. 5 and defending champion, and world No. 6 Sergio Garcia. Els has been in red-hot form this year winning the Mercedes Championship and Sony Open on the US PGA Tour, finishing runner-up at the Caltex Singapore Masters and this week winning the Heineken Classic in Melbourne. Bjorn adds further depth to the £1 million/$2.8 million event that will also feature Nick Faldo, John Daly, Robert Allenby, Craig Parry, Justin Rose and Adam Scott.
31-year-old Bjorn won the 2002 BMW International Open in Munich for the second time in three years, a victory that meant he had won at least one European Tour event in each of the past five years. He posted four other top-10 finishes in Europe last year - including a tie for eighth in the Open Championship at Muirfield. He was also a member of the victorious European Ryder Cup team winning his singles match on the final day.
In 2001, Bjorn played all four rounds of the Dubai Desert Classic with Tiger Woods, finally beating the world No. 1 by two strokes in a nail biting drama.
Bjorn, currently ranked 41 in the world, has an impressive record in Western Australia winning the 1998 Heineken Classic at the Vines and finishing runner-up there two years later. He made a name for himself in the majors in 2000 tying for second in the British Open and finishing third in the US PGA Championship.
The Johnnie Walker Classic, now in its 12th year, is jointly sanctioned by the European, Australasian and Asian Tours. Live TV coverage will be seen around the world and in Australia on Fox Sports (Thursday and Friday) and Channel 7 (Saturday and Sunday).
