Westwood and Casey in Johnnie Walker Classic

Perth, Western Australia; Tuesday, October 7, 2008; English duo Lee Westwood and Paul Casey will join Australia’s Greg Norman in the line-up for the 2009 JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC when the event tees off from February 19 to 22 at The Vines Resort & Country Club in Perth, Western Australia. The early confirmation that Westwood and Casey will play in Asia Pacific's premier luxury golf tournament reflects JOHNNIE WALKER’s commitment to once again deliver a high-calibre field of international golfing stars to the prestigious tournament. “Since its inauguration in 1990, the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC has always boasted a line-up that has featured the crème de la crème of the game and 2009 will be no exception,” commented David Gates, Global Brand Director for JOHNNIE WALKER. “This well-established event has always had a reputation for producing legendary winners including Tiger Woods, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Fred Couples and of course Greg Norman, and I am confident we can look forward to continuing this tradition in Perth next year.” One of the UK’s most popular and consistent golfers, Westwood has won 29 tournaments worldwide and played on six European Ryder Cup Teams, including the recent clash at Valhalla. However he is perhaps best remembered for his fantastic 2000 season when he won six tournaments to top the European Tour Order of Merit, bringing to an end Colin Montgomerie’s record run of seven consecutive Order of Merit titles. Last year the 35-year-old showed a return to form when he won twice in Europe at the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia and The Quinn Direct British Masters. So far this year Westwood, currently ranked 12 in the world, has secured three joint second slots, most recently in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in August, along with three other top-10 finishes before concluding the US Open in third spot, one shot adrift of the Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate play-off. When Westwood and Norman last met on Australian soil at the Australian Open back in 1997, Greg was number one in the world although this did not stop the Englishman from unexpectedly overcoming the “Great White Shark” at the fourth hole of a sudden-death play-off in Melbourne to lift the title. “I’m already looking forward to playing in Perth and to the Australian sunshine which will be a welcome change from the European winter. One thing I’m sure about is that the welcome we’ll all receive at the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC will be just as warm as the weather,” said Westwood. “It will also be a tremendous challenge to come up against Greg (Norman) again on his home soil especially after the form he showed at this year’s Open Championship.” Casey will also no doubt relish the opportunity to take on the truly international field of an event that is tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian Tours. Currently ranked 38th in the world, 31-year-old Casey has secured six top-10 finishes this season, including a joint seventh spot in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale and a joint third in the BMW International Open. More recently he was a member of Nick Faldo’s European Team at last month’s Ryder Cup, securing two half points from three matches. A winner of the Johnnie Walker Young Player of the Year Award in 2006, Casey will no doubt be looking to repeat the form he showed that year when he won three titles around the world, including the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles, to finish the year in second spot on the European Tour Order of Merit. Over the past 18 years the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC has been played in eight different countries and 13 different golf clubs around the Asia Pacific region including China in 2005 and earlier this year, for the first time, India, reflecting the brand’s “KEEP WALKING” philosophy. It will be the fourth visit to Perth, Western Australia for the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC and the fifth time the event has been staged in Australia following its Antipodean debut back in 1997 at the Hope Island Golf Club.The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, presented by the world's number-one selling Scotch whisky, is owned by DIAGEO, the world's leading premium drinks business, and managed as it has been since the very first event, by IMG, the world's premier sports, lifestyle management and marketing company. For more information please visit www.johnniewalkerclassic.com Few brands can match the style and excellence of JOHNNIE WALKER and its flagship tournament - the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. It is an event that in 18 years has gained the reputation of being one of the best in the world, continually attracting outstanding players, huge galleries and worldwide television coverage. The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC is owned by DIAGEO plc, the world's leading premium drinks business, which is the proud owner of the JOHNNIE WALKER brand. JOHNNIE WALKER is the world's number-one selling Scotch whisky, with net sales reaching £1bln in 2008. IMG, which conceived the event back in 1989 and has staged and managed each successive event since the inaugural tournament, won by Nick Faldo, at the Hong Kong Golf Club, Fanling, is the world's premier sports and lifestyle management and marketing firm with an international staff of more than 2,000 people in 70 offices in 30 countries. JOHNNIE WALKER has a long association with golf. Golf and Scotch whisky are arguably two of Scotland's greatest gifts to the world, which may explain why the world's leading Scotch whisky brand, JOHNNIE WALKER, sponsors Asia Pacific's premier luxury golf event, the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. But there is more to this brand's long-term commitment to the game of golf. Says the JOHNNIE WALKER Global Brand Director David Gates; "This world-class tournament is an opportunity for us to build relationships on many levels, with our consumers, with our trade, and with the players themselves. Most of all the tournament is a platform to promote the philosophy that lies at the heart of the JOHNNIE WALKER brand: KEEP WALKING." "This philosophy is about inspiring personal progress, inspiring people to take the next step on their journey towards their goals. Professional Golfers are inspiring examples of this message as they have overcome challenges to excel at the highest level of the sport. We hope that the tournament inspires others to follow their own dreams." JOHNNIE WALKER has been associated with golf throughout the last century with involvement in many prestigious tournaments including the Ryder Cup in the 1990s and today across all levels of the game and across all continents. The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC was the first event to be tri-sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian PGA Tours. Uniquely, the location for the tournament changes every year as the event moves from one exotic location to another. It has been held in Hong Kong, Thailand, Singapore, Australia, Philippines, Taiwan, India and mainland China. The tournament attracts crowds of up to 60,000 people and hosts over 300 local and international media. The tournament also attracts one of the best fields of players assembled in the Asia Pacific region every year, drawing from the best international, world-ranked players from Europe, Asia, Australia and the USA.