US Open champion Retief Goosen will make his return to The European Tour for the first time since his stunning win at Southern Hills Country Club, when he lines up in the field for this week's £2 million Smurfit European Open at The K Club.
The 32 year old South African memorably beat American Mark Brooks in the 18 hole play-off in Tulsa to move to the top of the Volvo Order of Merit, a position he maintains going into the 27th tournament on The 2001 European Tour International Schedule.
Goosen played last year at The K Club but had to take a role in the supporting cast as Lee Westwood grabbed the headlines, winning for the second year running on his way to topping the Volvo Order of Merit for the first time.
In 1999, the 28 year old from Worksop came from seven shots behind to pip stablemate Darren Clarke and claim the title for the first time with a superb final round 65.
Last year Westwood started the final round only one shot behind leader Angel Cabrera but still had to produce an excellent 66 to win by a shot from the Argentinian whose own closing 68 pushed the Englishman all the way.
It was the 12th of his 14 European Tour titles to date and pushed his official career earnings through the £4 million mark.
All of which means, this year, Westwood will attempt to become the first player in the history of the event to notch a hat-trick of titles and try to go one better than Sweden's Per-Ulrik Johansson who took possession of the trophy in both 1996 and 1997.
Westwood, and Goosen will be joined by a star-studded field at the venue for the 2005 Ryder Cup Matches, including seven time Volvo Order of Merit winner Colin Montgomerie, who captured last week’s Murphy’s Irish Open and Germany's Bernhard Langer, the winner of the inaugural Smurfit European Open at The K Club in 1995.
Amongst other players confirmed for the event are several winners on this season's European Tour including Thomas Björn, Tony Johnstone, Robert Karlsson, José Maria Olazábal, Andrew Oldcorn and Phillip Price.
All will be vying for a total prize fund which has increased by £500,000 on the 2000 figure and one which has more than trebled from the £650,000 on offer in the first Smurfit European Open in 1995.
