In form Oosthuizen has Iskandar Johor Open on the horizon
Johor Bahru, November 9, 2011 - World Number 45 and 2010 Open champion, Louis Oosthuizen has confirmed his appearance for the Iskandar Johor Open 2011 happening at the Horizon Hills Golf & Country Club, adding even more quality to an already star-studded field.
Oosthuizen, 29, will be among the top players vying for US$2 million championship scheduled to happen on the November 17-20 alongside defending champion, Padraig Harrington, Camilo Villegas, Anthony Kim, Colin Montgomerie, Henrik Stenson and Thongchai Jaidee.
Having appeared in the Maybank Malaysian Open in April, the Iskandar Johor Open will be the South African's second start in Malaysia this year. With Oosthuizen showing such good form in the last few weeks, he should be arriving to Johor in good spirits and confident of winning the title.
“I’m really looking forward to play in Johor this month against some of the world’s best players,” said Oosthuizen. "It is nice that I’m coming into form at the right time for the year-end swing. I’m eager to play well, and hopefully give the players a run for their money. Most importantly, I'd like to have a good time."
Oosthuizen, who split his playing schedule between the European and the PGA Tours, had a flying start to the year winning the African Open on the European Tour in January.
October proved a happy month for the South African when he finished fifth at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship on the European Tour, and fourth at The McGladrey Classic on the PGA Tour. He continued his fine performance at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai, shooting a 63 and a 68 in the second and third rounds respectively before closing with a 72 for a share of seventh place on 14-under-par 274.
Besides Oosthuizen, the organizer has also confirmed the participation of four-time European Tour winner, Ross Fisher from England.
The Iskandar Johor Open 2011 will boast a field of 156 players consisting of 67 players each from the Asian and European Tours, eight invites, eight national qualifiers and six international qualifiers, all vying for the top purse of US$317,000 (approximately RM954, 000).
About The Iskandar Johor Open
The Iskandar Johor Open is one of the fastest-growing tournaments on the Asian Tour, and has attracted some of the best golfers in the world. The event was successfully staged at the Royal Johor Country Club for the first three years, and at Horizon Hills Golf and Country Club in 2010.
It returns to Johor for the fifth time at Horizon Hills, where once again golf fans will be able to witness yet another exciting golf tournament which is staking its claim as one of the top events on the Asian Tour calendar. It reaches a new level on the international golf schedule with its elevation to a co-sanctioned tournament with the Asian and European Tours for 2011.
Iskandar Malaysia and Johor Golf Association are continuing with their support of this event, and have created the biggest international event in Johor. Since the inaugural event in 2007, the prize money for the tournament has increased by five-fold from US$300,000 in 2007 to US$1,250,000 in 2010. In 2011, the prize money will grow to a minimum of US$2,000,000.
Past winners include Artemio Murakami of the Philippines, who won the inaugural event in 2007, and South African Retief Goosen, who took home the prestigious prize in 2008. KJ Choi lifted the coveted trophy in 2009, and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington ended a two-year winless run in 2010 with a very popular win.
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About The Asian Tour
As the official sanctioning body for professional golf in Asia, the Asian Tour leads the development of golf across the region, enhancing the careers of its members while maintaining a commitment to the integrity of the game. The Asian Tour, through its membership of the International Federation of PGA Tours, is the only recognised pan-Asian professional golf tour in Asia. This unique feature positions the Asian Tour at the pinnacle of professional golf in Asia; providing its events with Official World Ranking status. Tour Partners include Rolex (Official Timekeeper), J.Lindeberg (Official Apparel Partner), Ricoh (Official Office Solutions Provider), Inetol Headwear (Official Headwear Supplier), Royal Selangor (Official Trophy Supplier), Singha Beer (Official Beer), BlackBerry (Official Mobile) and Srixon (Official Ball). The Asian Tour has offices in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.
About The European Tour
The PGA European Tour, a company limited by guarantee, operates a broad range of business initiatives essential to its primary mission of administering professional tournament golf. It is a unique business which generates profits for the benefit of its Members – the tournament players – who receive their dividends by way of competing and winning prize money.
The growth and development of The European Tour is well documented. In 2010, The European Tour International Schedule consisted of 48 tournaments in 27 destinations, with prize money of €132,204,838 compared to a total prize fund of €350,000 when the Tour was born in 1972.
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