Sport

McGinley has added incentive

Indonesian Open: The European Tour breaks new ground this week at the Indonesian Open in Jakarta where tournament favourites…

Wed Mar 23 2005 - 00:00

Indonesian Open: The European Tour breaks new ground this week at the Indonesian Open in Jakarta where tournament favourites, Colin Montgomerie of Scotland and Ireland's Paul McGinley, have added incentives in mind.

McGinley, who is 61st in the world rankings at present, needs to win the tournament to move into the top 50 and earn a place in next month's US Masters.

The Dubliner was pipped for the TCL Classic in China last weekend and is in great form. The other Irish contenders are Philip Walton, Stephen Browne and Michael Hoey.

Former world number two Montgomerie is also desperate to qualify for next month's first major. Like McGinley, Montgomerie has to win this week to make virtually certain he avoids missing the Masters for the first time since 1991.

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Ranked 54th in the official world list, he needs to move back into the top 50 by next Monday to book a place in the field at Augusta National.

A second-place finish at Jakarta's Cengkareng Golf Club might give him an outside chance of sneaking through, but it would hinge on results at this week's Players' Championship, widely regarded as the sport's fifth major.

"A win anywhere in the world is good but winning the first ever European Tour event in Jakarta would be great," said Montgomerie.

The 41-year-old Scot, who was in the throes of a divorce for much of last year before ending 2004 81st in the world rankings, believes he is close to his best form after an impressive start to the season.

"I feel, if I can get into the field, I have as a good chance as I have had in the last 20 years of winning the Masters," said Montgomerie, who has finished no worse than tied for 11th in his last four European Tour events.

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee, India's Arjun Atwal, Frenchman Raphael Jacquelin and Denmark's Soren Kjeldsen are other leading contenders.

•Thomas Bjorn, the first golfer from Denmark to play in the Ryder Cup, will bankroll a new tournament in his home country on this year's European Challenge Tour. The Thomas Bjorn Open will take place at the Esbjerg Golfklub in Esbjerg from June 9th to 12th.