Philadelphia, PA – EUROPEAN TOUR - SINGAPORE OPEN - The A huge field, both in size and stature head to Singapore this week.
Several European Tour stars are entered as the Race to Dubai is coming to a close. Multiple winners Thomas Bjorn and Alexander Noren fall into the category of players trying to catch Luke Donald.
Padraig Harrington, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Justin Rose and Graeme McDowell headline the European stars, but the international flavor really gives this field its star power.
First, several Presidents Cuppers are in the field as they prepare for next week's event. Quite a few, like Tiger Woods, and the respective captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman, are playing the Australian Open, but Phil Mickelson, Ernie Els, Y.E. Yang and Retief Goosen are set to tee it up on Thursday in Singapore.
There is no defending champion this week as last year's winner is in his native Australia and trying to avoid headlines.
Adam Scott shot a three-under 68 in a Monday finish to win this event for the third time in six years. He took the title by three strokes, but it took an extra day after nearly six hours of delays on Sunday set the tournament back.
Scott is in the field at the Australian Open and might be too busy making statements about his loud-mouthed caddy.
Steve Williams, Scott's bag man since the summer, made racially inflammatory comments about his former boss, Tiger Woods, at the caddy awards last week. The story naturally wouldn't die and Scott, who contended briefly at the HSBC Champions event until the story broke, issued a statement Sunday night, in effect ending the story, at least in his mind.
"On behalf of my team, I apologize personally to everyone that was offended by the reported comments. Please accept this apology so we can all move on," Scott said in part of his statement. "I now consider the matter closed. I will not be making any further comment."
Wishful thinking or not, Scott won't be on hand to defend his title.
Players in this abnormally large field will play each course over the first two rounds, then The Serapong Course will be the host for the final two rounds.
Golf Channel has the action all week.
The European Tour has two events next week - the inaugural Johor Open and the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa.
LORENA OCHOA INVITATIONAL - Guadalajara Country Club, Guadalajara, Mexico - After a month in Asia, the LPGA Tour heads a little closer to home with a stop in Mexico to pay tribute to one of its greatest stars.
Lorena Ochoa left the game at the top and proceeds from this event go to Ochoa's Foundation, although last year, the check was much bigger than anticipated.
I.K. Kim won the title then pledged half her winnings to Ochoa's Foundation and half to an American charity.
"It was truly amazing what Lorena's foundation does with the kids, and I could really see in the kids' eyes how happy they are. So it was very touching," Kim said in April when she made a trip to Mexico to present the check.
Last year, Kim fired an eight-under 64 on Sunday to come from behind and win the championship by three over Suzann Pettersen.
Ochoa came out of retirement for the tournament and posted a respectable tie for 25th.
This is a limited-field event with only 36 players teeing it up starting Thursday. This is also the last tournament before the season-ending CME Group Titleholders event in Orlando.
Golf Channel carries the broadcast all four rounds.
Next week is the finale, the CME Group Titleholders.
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