By IANS
Seoul : Homegrown hero K.J. Choi, who won the Sony Open last week, British Open champion Padraig Harrington and World Cup winner Colin Montgomerie will head a stellar field, which will also include leading Indian golfers at the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea this March.
Indian stars expected to play the event are Jeev Milkha Singh, Jyoti Randhawa and Shiv Kapur, besides Gaurav Ghei, S.S.P. Chowrasia and Rahil Gangjee.
The field for the two million Euros ($2.96 million) showpiece is also likely to include the fast-rising American-Korean star Anthony Kim and newly crowned Asian Tour Order of Merit king Liang Wenchong.
The Ballantine’s Championship, which will be held at Pinx Golf Club on the picturesque island of Jeju March 13-16, is the first European Tour event to be held in South Korea and is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and the Korea PGA.
Korean star Choi is relishing what promises to be a special homecoming. “As someone who cares passionately about Korean golf I’m delighted that the European Tour is coming to my country for the first time,” said Choi, the highest ranked Asian and the world No.7.
World No.9 Harrington will also be one of the favourites to win the inaugural tournament. Harrington, 36, joined golf’s elite with his victory in the 136th Open Championship at Carnoustie in July 2007, in the process becoming the first Irishman in 60 years to lift the Claret Jug.
Scotsman Montgomerie, meanwhile, will head to South Korea looking to add to his impressive record in Asia. Montgomerie, 44, the most prolific British winner in European Tour history, finished 2007 on a high by teaming up with Marc Warren to win the World Cup for Scotland in China last November.
Liang, who will be looking to build on his success in 2007, will spearhead the Asian Tour’s challenge at the Ballantine’s Championship.
China’s No.1 achieved his maiden European Tour victory last March at the Singapore Masters and rounded off a brilliant year by becoming the first player from his country to win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit title.