DELHI, India -- Adam Scott, the Australian superstar, ranked six in the World and winner of the 2005 Johnnie Walker Classic in Beijing, China, together with European Ryder Cup stars Ian Poulter and Colin Montgomerie, have confirmed they will play in the prestigious JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC at the DLF Golf & Country Club in Gurgaon, Delhi, February 28 to March 2, 2008.
The trio of top international players will join Vijay Singh, the world number nine, when Asia’s premier luxury golf event makes its debut in India since its establishment 17 years ago during which time it has been held in seven different countries in Asia Pacific.
“JOHNNIE WALKER always puts on a great tournament, both on and off the course, so I am looking forward to playing the event,” commented Scott, currently considered one of golf’s most talented young players.
“I have heard so much about India and how golf is growing there but I’ve never been there, so it will be exciting to be in Delhi for the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC next year.”
In a relatively short career, Scott now 27 has already established himself as a truly international player with wins around the world. In 2004, at just 23 years old, he became the youngest winner of The Players’ Championship on the US PGA Tour, an event considered by many to be the games fifth ‘major’.
Born in Adelaide, Scott enjoyed a good start to 2007 with a second-place finish at the Mercedes-Benz Championship and a win at the Shell Houston Classic on the US Tour, giving him a total of 13 victories worldwide.
Englishman Poulter is one of golf’s most flamboyant characters which he proved at the 2006 JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC in Australia when he played the tournament in four different coloured outfits that represented the four blends of JOHNNIE WALKER; Gold Label, Blue Label, Green Label and Black Label.
Whilst renowned for his extravagant dress sense, Poulter has also gained recognition for his achievements on The European Tour where he has won five times since turning pro in 1994. Though he has not secured a victory in 2007, a second place in the British Masters and a number of solid performances on the US Tour, where he has spent a good part of the year, has seen the 31-year-old rise to 29 in the world ranking.
Montgomerie, a stalwart of numerous JOHNNIE WALKER events, is Scotland’s most successful golfer. In a prolific career spanning 20 years, Glasgow-born Monty has topped The European Tour Order of Merit a record eight times and won 40 tournaments around the world. This year he secured the European Open at the K Club in Ireland, his first win since the UBS Hong Kong Open in December 2005 and came the week after he finished third in the French Open.
“In keeping with the tradition and heritage of the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, the confirmation of Singh and now Scott, Poulter and Montgomerie means that we are building up yet another stellar field for Asia Pacific’s premier luxury golf event,” said Ben Anderson, Global Brand Director for JOHNNIE WALKER.
“All four players have participated in the tournament on numerous occasions – in fact Vijay competed at the inaugural JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC in Hong Kong – so it’s fantastic to be able welcome them back to the event as old friends.
“I am confident that the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC will boast the strongest field ever seen at a golf tournament in India and that JOHNNIE WALKER’s reputation for putting on fabulous entertainment both on and off the course will be further enhanced against the richness and colour of India.”
First played in Hong Kong in 1990, the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC broke new ground by not only being the first tournament to be jointly sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian golf Tours, but also by being unique in that the event has been played in seven countries and at 12 golf clubs over the past 17 years. The 2008 JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC has also gained the all-important support of the PGTI, the Professional Golfers Tour India.
The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, presented by the world's number-one selling Scotch whisky, offers prize money of £1.25m (US$2.5m), and will be televised live around the world. Past winners include a host of golfing legends such as Tiger Woods, Nick Faldo, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Ian Woosnam, Retief Goosen and Scott.
The event 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 further information please contact Helen Heady of Heady PR on T: +44 (0) 20 8789 0900 or M: +44 (0) 7966 491 509 or E: helen@headypr.co.uk
The JOHNNIE WALKER, JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC, Keep Walking words, the Striding Figure device and associated logos are trademarks. © John Walker & Sons 2007
In the game of golf, there are few brands that can match JOHNNIE WALKER and its association with the sport, the style and excellence of its tournament - the JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC. It is an event that in 17 years has gained the reputation of being one of the best in the world, continually attracting outstanding players, huge galleries and worldwide television coverage.
PROUDLY PRESENTED BY DIAGEO AND IMG
The JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC is owned by DIAGEO plc, the world's leading premium drinks business, and is the proud owner of the JOHNNIE WALKER brand. JOHNNIE WALKER is the world's number-one selling Scotch whisky, with annual sales of 15 million nine-litre cases. 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® AND GOLF GO HAND-IN-HAND
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 Ben Anderson; "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."
The association of JOHNNIE WALKER with golf dates back to the mid 19th 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 on earth.
ASIA PACIFIC'S PREMIER LUXURY GOLF EVENT
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 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.
For more information please visit www.johnniewalkerclassic.com
