Els to feature in Korea

Three-time Major winner Ernie Els will spearhead a world class field at the forthcoming Ballantine’s Championship in Korea. The South African ace will be joined in the line-up for the €2.1 million showpiece by Henrik Stenson of Sweden and England’s Lee Westwood. Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland will be back to defend his title while former Masters champion Fred Couples is also in the impressive field. The Ballantine’s Championship will return to Pinx Golf Club – venue for last year’s inaugural tournament – on the picturesque holiday island of Jeju, from April 23-26, 2009. “I’ve enjoyed my previous visits to Korea and I’m delighted to be returning to take part in the Ballantine’s Championship for the first time,” said Els, winner of the US Open in 1994 and 1997 and the British Open in 2002. “Korea is at the forefront of the Asian golf boom and the fans there are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the game, so I’m really looking forward to playing at Pinx Golf Club. “I know the inaugural Ballantine’s Championship was an outstanding success and I’m excited to be involved in what promises to be another fantastic tournament.” Els, currently 10th in the world rankings, has more than 50 victories worldwide to his name, including an astonishing seven World Match Play Championship titles. He has twice finished top of the European Tour Order of Merit and has triumphed 16 times on the PGA Tour. Westwood, the world No.11, has an impressive 18 European Tour victories to his name and another solid campaign last year included finishing third at the US Open. World No.12 Stenson is a six-time winner on the European Tour and ended the 2008 season in style when he partnered Robert Karlsson to victory for Sweden at the World Cup in China. McDowell triumphed in dramatic fashion at Pinx last year, edging India’s Jeev Milkha Singh on the third extra hole. The victory sparked a stellar season that yielded a second success at the Barclays Scottish Open and his Ryder Cup debut. “Winning the 2008 Ballantine’s Championship was an unforgettable moment in my career and also the start of a brilliant year for me,” said McDowell. “I have some wonderful memories of my week at Pinx Golf Club and I’m thrilled to be returning as defending champion. “I know Ballantine’s and the organisers are putting together a world class field and the Korean fans can be assured I’ll be doing my very best to mount a successful title defence.” Superstar Couples – hugely popular in Korea – won the Masters in 1992, one of 15 career victories on the PGA Tour, while he also has two European Tour successes. The evergreen American had three top 10 finishes on the PGA Tour last year.“I’ve always had so much fun playing in Korea and I cannot wait to return there to play in the Ballantine’s Championship,” said Couples. “I’ve heard great things about the tournament and Pinx Golf Club, so it promises to be an awesome week.” Ballantine’s is title sponsoring the tournament – which is co-sanctioned by the European and Asian Tours and Korea PGA – for a minimum of three years. “We are very proud to be launching the 2009 Ballantine’s Championship knowing we will play host to such a high calibre field of international golfers,” said Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, which owns Ballantine’s. “With the star players announced today, we have high hopes of a stylish and world class showcase in April, and are confident that this prestigious event will continue to build on the outstanding success of the inaugural tournament last year.” The 2009 Ballantine’s Championship will have a full field of 156 players headed by the top 60 available players from the official world rankings. In addition, the top 25 players from the Korea PGA, as determined by the Ballantine’s Points System, will be awarded places, giving homegrown golfers the opportunity to compete en masse alongside the game’s elite. The remainder of the field will be split between the European and Asian Tours, plus eight sponsor invitations.