BEIJING, 18 December 2004 — South African star Ernie Els will be one of the top names in a star-studded field when the prestigious 2005 JW Classic makes its debut in China next year.
Els, the world No. 3, will tee off along with Ryder Cup stars Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and English former champion Nick Faldo for the $2.3 million tournament at the Pine Valley Golf Resort from April 21-24.
It will be Els’ first appearance at a golf tournament in Beijing, where he will be attempting to win the JW crown for the third time following victories in 1997 and 2003.
One of Asia’s most prestigious events, the JW classic is tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian tours and will be the richest golf tournament ever held in China.
Tennis Player Draper to Join Australian Golf Tour
In Melbourne, Australian tennis player Scott Draper qualified yesterday for Australia’s secondary golf tour and said he planned to play both sports next year.
Draper, a former Davis Cup player, qualified in 12th place with a four-round total of one-over-par 289 at Peninsula Golf Club in Victoria. “My ball-striking, as usual, was pretty solid but I need to work on my short game,” Draper told Australian Associated Press. “I still love tennis but it’s frustrating when your body won’t do what you want it to do,” the 30-year-old added.
