Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin will lock horns six months ahead of The 2010 Ryder Cup when theyr line up against each other with individual pride, rather than the hopes of their respective continents, at stake in this week’s Volvo China Open.
Fresh from studying the form of their European and United States Team hopefuls competing at the Masters Tournament, the two Ryder Cup Captains will turn their attention back to the condition of their own games at Suzhou Jinji Lake Golf Club.
Montgomerie will be hoping to add to his extensive success in Volvo-sponsored tournaments on The European Tour, having won nine events backed by the car manufacturer since 1993, but none so far in China, where the 46 year old has enjoyed a notable degree of success.
As well as capturing the Omega Mission Hills World Cup for his country in tandem with, Marc Warren, the Scot has won three times under his own steam. He said: “I have enjoyed a good record in China, winning the TCL Classic in 2002 and both the Hong Kong Open and the Macau Open, so I would love to add China’s national open championship to make it a full house.
“Any tournament sponsored by Volvo enjoys a hallmark of quality and prestige and having been first into China, they are making their experience count by taking the Volvo China Open to the next level.
“I am delighted to have the opportunity to be part of it whilst also helping to promote The Ryder Cup to the widest possible audience.”
Pavin, who is a rookie on the US Champions Tour this season, is making his debut in the Volvo China Open.
He said: “I metup with Colin at the Volvo World Match Play Championship at the magnificent Finca Cortesín Resort last year and I am looking forward to mixing it with him and a very high quality field.
“I have won my ‘home’ Texas Open, the US Open as well as the German Open, the New Zealand Open twice; there is just something very special about playing a national ‘Open Championship,’ and it is a real honour to be able to play the Volvo China Open where golf is growing faster than anywhere else on earth.”
The two Ryder Captains will be hoping to succeed Scott Strange as champion following the Australian’s victory 12 months ago.
Strange produced three birdies in four holes over the back nine to finish one shot clear of Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño, having started the final round four strokes adrift of overnight leader Richard Finch.
He will attempt to become the first player to successfully defend the Volvo China Open title. Should he do so it would be his third successive European Tour season with a victory, equalling the current European Tour record for most consecutive winning seasons held by Richard Sterne (2007-09), Alvaro Quiros (2007-09), Ross Fisher (2007-09), Grégory Bourdy (2007-09) and Martin Kaymer (2008-2010).
Among those trying to get their hands on Strange’s trophy will be Sweden’s Henrik Stenson who is chasing a seventh European Tour title as he looks to move into The Ryder Cup placings and secure a place in Montgomerie’s Team for The Celtic Manor Resort.
Meanwhile Korean Y E Yang, the first Asian to win a Major Championship, will be hoping to become only the second Asian winner of the event - following Jeev Milkha Singh in 2006 - since it became part of The European Tour International Schedule in 2005.
Yang’s compatriot Noh Seung-yul will look to add the title to the Maybank Malaysian Open he won on The European Tour’s last visit to Asia, when he became the youngest professional in history to win a European Tour event at the age of at 18 years and 282 days.
It is the first time The European Tour has visited Suzhou Jinji Lake Golf Club, which is approximately 90 minutes from the city of Shanghai.
The tournament will be played over nine holes of Suzhou Jinji Lake’s Wetlands course and nine holes of its Links Course, which was designed by nine time Major Championship winner Gary Player.
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