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MARC WARREN WINS THE JOHNNIE WALKER CHAMPIONSHIPMarc Warren birdied the second play-off hole to beat England’s Simon Wakefield and give the Scottish public the home victory they craved in the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. Warren two-putted from 90 feet for a four after the pair had parred the 18th first time around. To scenes of wild enthusiasm, the Scot claimed his second European Tour success and his first on home soil after he and Wakefield had finished tied on 280, 12 under par. His 69 to Wakefield’s 70 saw them finish one stroke ahead of Denmark’s Søren Hansen and Martin Erlandsson of Sweden at the end of a thrilling final day in front of record crowds amid the rolling Perthshire hills. Warren was forced to hole a testing eight footer for a birdie in regulation play to get into the play-off, having dropped a shot at the 17th. Wakefield was unable to get down in two from the front of the green and the stage was set for a sudden-death play-off. After two regulation fives, it was Warren who seized the initiative second time around, booming a huge three wood second onto the front edge of the green. His 30 yard putt finished up three feet away and with Wakefield safely down in five, the Scot rapped in his winning putt to set up a massive roar followed by the skirl of the bagpipes as he was piped onto the green to receive his trophy. Victory - the first by a Scot in the event - carried Warren past the €1 million mark in prizemoney in just his 69th start on The European Tour and his win was his second after a play-off. Just over 12 months ago, he defeated Robert Karlsson in Sweden to win the Scandinavian Masters. On that occasion, Karlsson carried the home support. This time there was no doubting who the galleries wanted to win. He admitted: “It doesn’t get any better. It’s a dream come true. To win in Scotland is overwhelming. Victories don’t sink in very quickly and I think this one will take a bit of time to register.” Warren admitted that he may have repaid the sponsor, Diageo, who had helped him with invitations to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles when he was a rookie professional on the European Challenge Tour. “Hopefully I’ve been able to pay them back for that support” he said. “There’s not doubt it helped me massively. I was able to come back again this year and knew the course well and with more experience behind me.” The win moved Warren to 34th on the Order of Merit and left Wakefield disappointed but not deflated. The long-time leader played solidly all day and barely put a foot wrong. In the final analysis, Warren’s two birdies at the 18th in regulation play and in the play-off proved the deciding factors. “I felt comfortable all day” he said. “I don’t remember any really bad shots. I took the advice of my manager, Chubby Chandler, and played for the middle of the greens and let other make mistakes. I didn’t change that game plan all day and I feel quite proud of how I played all week.” Hansen had a five footer to get to 12 under par but saw his effort slip past while Erlandsson’s closing 66 took him agonisingly close to the play-off as well. Lee Westwood and Paul McGinley sign up for Johnnie Walker Championship at GleneaglesTop European golfers, Paul McGinley and Lee Westwood have confirmed their entries for this year’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles (August 30-September 2). The inclusion of these players provides further endorsement for the Championship now in it’s ninth year. Westwood and McGinley are currently standing at 30 and 67 respectively in the European Tour rankings and will be looking to improve on this with a great performance at this year’s tournament. Westwood has already had success on this year’s tour by winning the Valle Romano Open de Andalucia whilst McGinley finished inside the top 20 at the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie. Both players have featured strongly in recent Ryder Cup teams and will relish the challenge of The PGA Centenary Course, which will host the 2014 Ryder Cup matches. Lee Westwood said, “It is always special to play in Scotland, the home of golf, in front of Scottish crowds. They are probably the most knowledgeable in the world. Having enjoyed success on the tour this year I am looking forward to building on this at the 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship and playing on The PGA Centenary Course at Gleneagles.” Paul McGinley added, “Having a Scottish coach makes me feel a great affinity with Scotland. This event is one of the highlights on the European Tour and always enjoyed by players and their families. The Perthshire setting is one of the most picturesque on the tour. Hopefully we will have some good weather to enjoy the challenges of the course!” Since its inaugural tournament in 1999, the Johnnie Walker Championship has continued to develop into one of the most popular golfing events and has had winners including Adam Scott and Pierre Fulke. Along with Championship Chairman, Colin Montgomerie, last year’s winner Paul Casey has already confirmed his intention to defend his title. Tickets are priced at £18 for a daily adult ticket (£15 concession) and £35 for an adult season ticket (£25 concession). These are available in advance at The Golf Shop at Gleneagles or by calling 01764 694361. Alternatively tickets will be available at the gate during the tournament -ends- Further information: 13 LUCKY FOR SOMEWhen the players tee-off in this year’s Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles (August 30-September 2) on The PGA Centenary Course, they will find some changes on the 13th. Gleneagles Head Professional, Russell Smith, said: ‘The original 13th hole was a left to right dogleg measuring just over 400 yards. Following some changes last year, the new 13th hole now plays 481 yards from the back tees and has changed to a right to left dogleg. ‘The newly designed 13th hole requires an accurate drive, which ideally should skirt the bunker on the right side of the fairway. The big hitters can carry the bunker on the left hand side but the tee shot position is crucial to leave the best possible angle to the green. Even after a good drive it is still leaves a demanding second shot which is played to a slightly raised, undulating green. It is important to take enough club for the approach shot as the bunker on the left hand side and the swale on the right side await any mistakes. ‘It is vital that we keep looking at ways to improve and develop the playing experience of The PGA Centenary Course for all levels of golfers. The changes that we have implemented this year are part of the long-term plan to ensure the course is in perfect condition for the 2014 Ryder Cup.’ Originally the 13th was a relatively short part 4 with a left to right ‘dog leg’. Completing last year’s changes to the 14th hole now plays as a longer par 4 with a right to left ‘dog leg’. Colin Montgomerie, Championship Chairman, said: ‘Gleneagles is a favourite place with the players and their families and they all look forward to returning to play in this Johnnie Walker Championship. The PGA Centenary Course always offers real challenges and this year will be no different. The team at Gleneagles always delivers a course with a few surprises and I’m sure this new 13th will be lucky for some.’ The Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles offers a prize fund of £1.4m with the winner lifting £233,330. Defending Champion Paul Casey has already indicated that he will compete. -ends- Further information: Paul Casey to return to Gleneagles for 2007 Johnnie Walker Championship at GleneaglesEuropean Tour Player of the Year and world number 15, Paul Casey, has announced his intention to defend his Johnnie Walker Championship title in August. Paul Casey’s golfing career has progressed with pace to become one of the world’s outstanding players. After an exceptional season in 2006, during which he became World Match Play Champion and only the fifth golfer in history to have a hole in one during a Ryder Cup match, Casey will return to Gleneagles where he has won twice before. He joins a field, which includes Scottish legend and chairman of the championship Colin Montgomerie, to compete for the £1.4 million prize fund from the 30th August- 2nd September. The tournament will be played over The PGA Centenary Course, which will also host the 2014 Ryder Cup matches. Championship Chairman Colin Montgomerie said ‘I am delighted that Paul plans to return to Scotland for this year’s tournament. The support of a world class player like Paul makes The Johnnie Walker Championship one of the best golfing events on the European Tour and we are thrilled to welcome him again for 2007.’ Paul Casey said, “I am looking forward to playing the Johnnie Walker Championship this year. Having won here twice now I’m really looking forward to playing again”. Casey is one of a number of exceptional winners the championship has produced since its inception in 1999. Adam Scott, Pierre Fulke, and Emanuelle Canonica are but a few of the distinguished golfers who have claimed victory at Gleneagles. -ENDS- Notes to Editors: Today this progressive and innovative approach continues. In
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All prize winners will be contact week commencing 26th June to arrange collection of prizes Paul Casey wins Johnnie Walker Championship at GleneaglesAt the end of a week which saw nearly all four seasons weatherwise, Paul Casey held off Colin Montgomerie and the rest of the field on the closing day to win the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles. The Englishman is the first player to win the event twice and survived a ‘nerve-wracking’ closing few holes when it looked at one stage as though he might lose a four-stroke lead. Ultimately, the player’s 72 proved good enough for a one stroke victory over fellow Englishman Andrew Marshall and Denmark’s Soren Hansen. Colin Montgomerie bogeyed the short 17th and shared fourth spot with Dane Thomas Bjorn. With this win Paul Casey secured his sixth European tour International Schedule victory in his 115th European Tour event as a professional. It was also his sixth victory as a professional and his second victory on the 2006 European Tour International Schedule, following the Volvo China Open. This victory also lifts him to fifth place in the Ryder Cup race. He said: ‘It feels fantastic, more so because I had a couple of great players chasing me. ‘To play with Colin Montgomerie in Scotland in the final group is a treat, very special, and it’s difficult when you have a guy like him breathing down your neck. But I had a great start and battled through.’ Tournament Director Graeme Marchbank, said: ‘It was certainly an interesting and entertaining week for players and spectators alike. The strong winds played a part in the scores at the start of the tournament. The sun shone for the final two days and we were delighted to welcome record crowds both for the final day and the tournament this year. ‘Paul Casey is a worthy winner and we were delighted that our Championship Chairman Colin Montgomerie was on the leader board all week too.’ In addition to the specially commission trophy and a bottle of Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Paul Casey won £235,632 (341,667 euros) Behind the scenesWant to know what effort really goes into mounting a tournament like this Johnnie Walker Championship? Then think iceberg. What you see all around you, the course, the hotel, the tented village represents about one tenth of the activity involved in mounting such a prestigious event. Around 100 people are directly concerned with the setting up and maintenance of this championship, but add on the hotel staff and others who contribute to its smooth running and the total number comes to well over 600. Heading up this team in Graeme Marchbank, Events and Sponsorship Manager, Diageo. For four years now Marchbank has been officially connected to this grand estate, but really Gleneagles has been embroidered into his life – his father Ian was the golf professional for 30 years. ‘I couldn't work at a better place or with a better team,’ he says. ‘The Johnnie Walker Championship lasts a week but the planning of it, the worrying about it, covers at least 10 months a year. ‘But it's fun and hugely satisfying. It’s no problem motivating people to work very hard to put on a good show. Everyone, no matter what their involvement, enjoys the 'hit' we all get from staging it and seeing it grow more successful each year. ‘If there is a problem, it is the days immediately after the championship that can be hard for those of us who have been running off adrenalin and working 25 hours a day leading up to it. That's the really difficult bit.’ And then there is the occasional drama. Like the night the big wind blew in, smacked the doors open on all the marquees and threatened to lift the hospitality units into a leaden sky. The weather is a worry because in Scotland, as you may have noticed, spring sometimes doesn't arrive until what is technically mid-summer and even then it occasionally comes with a hint of winter about it. The problem here is encouraging the sort of growth in the ground that allows Gleneagles’ expert greenkeeping staff to prepare a course worthy of some of Europe's finest golfers. Somehow, no matter what perverse nature decides, they manage this trick wonderfully well.
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