CAPTAIN TORRANCE READY FOR TAKE OFF AT STAR ALLIANCE OPEN

Sam Torrance, next year’s European Ryder Cup captain, will star in the forthcoming US$300,000 Star Alliance Open at Clearwater Bay Golf and Country Club from November 9 to 12.

The Scotsman will join Spain's Severiano Ballesteros in the inaugural event, in what promises to be an intriguing clash between two of the greats of European golf.

Torrance, who has 21 titles under his belt in Europe, has confirmed his appearance for what is the 17th leg of the Davidoff Tour and is certain to mount a serious challenge after rediscovering some of his best form in recent months.

Mr Friedel Roedig, Chief Executive Officer of Star Alliance, the global partnership of 15 of the world's top airlines, is delighted with the latest big name addition to the Star Alliance Open, which has also attracted the best players from the Asian PGA circuit. The charismatic Ballesteros, who captained the European team to Ryder Cup victory in 1997, was the first marquee name to sign up for the tournament earlier this month.

“The presence of these two great players whose names are so strongly associated with the Ryder Cup will be a tremendous plus for the Star Alliance Open," he said.

The Star Alliance Open will be covered live on television at the weekend on ESPN Stars Sports and on the Golf Network (Jupiter) in Japan. The tournament will go live on Saturday and Sunday between two and four o’clock.

Asian PGA Executive Director Ramlan Dato' Harun is also pleased. "Sam Torrance is a great champion and his bubbly personality is something that we will all be able to enjoy on and off the golf course at Clearwater Bay," he said.

“I’m truly confident that Sam will launch a serious bid for the top prize as he has been playing some great golf in Europe of late.”

In early October, Torrance finished tied sixth at the rain-shortened German Masters for his best result of the season. He also posted two recent top-20 finishes at the Scottish PGA Championship and the Trophee Lancome, results to suggest that he will be one of the title contenders at the Star Alliance Open.

Torrance, who is 47, finished second on the European Tour Order of Merit twice in his career which has spanned over 28 years and is the first player in European Tour history to notch up 600 tournaments.

“I’m thrilled to be heading out to Asia for the Star Alliance Open. I have always enjoyed my trips to the Far East and hope to make my presence felt on the golf course with four solid rounds,” said Torrance, one of the early pioneers to use the broom-handle putter.

Torrance, who has played in eight Ryder Cups, was appointed captain for the European team to face the United States at the Belfry course next year. It will be a homecoming of sorts for the Scotsman as at the Belfry in 1985 he holed the winning putt that ended a 28-year drought against the Americans.

The Star Alliance Open will also be a crucial event for the Asian PGA stars, who are fighting hard to win the Davidoff Tour Order of Merit title. The contenders, including Merit list leader Yeh Wei-tze of Taiwan and third placed Craig Kamps of South Africa, will all be gunning for glory at Clearwater Bay

The Star Alliance network covers 815 destinations in more than 130 countries through its partner airlines: Air Canada, Air New Zealand, All Nippon Airways, Ansett Australia, the Austrian Airlines Group (consisting of Austrian Airlines, Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways), British Midland, Lufthansa German Airlines, Mexicana Airlines, SAS Scandinavian Airlines, Singapore Airlines, Thai Airways International, United Airlines and VARIG Brazilian Airlines.