Continuing a tradition of inviting top players to the Taiwan Open, top five PGA Tour money list golfer Scott Hoch has agreed to play at this year's event.
The 47-year-old was narrowly beaten by Sergio Garcia in last month's Buick Classic, but has run into a vein of good form recently, with victories at the 2001 Advil Western Open and the Greensboro Chrysler Classic.
Organizers at a press conference yesterday said they were hoping that the streak continues at the Sunrise Golf and Country Club tournament, near Taoyuan, from Aug. 30 to Sept. 2.
Club president Hsu Dien-ya (
"Last year Vijay Singh won the 200 Taiwan Open, in 1999 Australian Craig Parry set the current course record of 63, and New Zealander Frank Nobilo came third in 1998.
"If Hoch can continue the form he has shown throughout the first half of this year, we believe he will put some real pressure on the rest of the field this year."
Yeh Wei-tze (葉偉志), one of Taiwan's best young golfers -- who narrowly missed a chance to play in the British Open -- will get a chance to test his skills against the best the USPGA can offer, along with domestic players Lin Keng-chi (林根基), Hong Chia-yuh (
"This is a great opportunity for young or emerging talent in Taiwan to compete against the best the sport has to offer," said John Cappo, international vice president of IMG in Taiwan.
"We invite top players every year for this reason. It gives local players a chance to measure themselves against the stars."
Cappo said last year's Taiwan Open attracted the best field of any event in Asia and played up this year's event.
"It will be a great family occasion," There will be lucky draws, golfing clinics and a chance to pick up tips from the top players, he said.
Following Acer's decision to back the Taiwan Open, it has put in over US$300,000 to ensure the event is a success.
For the first time there will be two instructors from the David Leadbetter golf academy coming to the Open.
They will be giving lessons and assisting aspiring professional golfers from Taiwan with their swing, putting and other elements of their game.
Organizers said they were trying to get Scott Hoch's wife to accompany her husband to Taiwan.
Hoch has not played in the country before, but has had some outstanding successes in Asia, including wins at the Korean Open in 1990 and 1991, and the Casio World Open in Japan in 1982 and 1986.
As an interesting aside, organizers revealed that they had been trailing Retief Goosen -- this year's US Open and Scottish Open winner -- in the hope that he would play at the Taiwan Open.
"But with the kind of success he has been having," Cappo said, "you want to keep the streak going. We will see again next year if he can come."
Bayer 04 Leverkusen go into today’s match at TSG 1899 Hoffenheim stung from their first league defeat in 16 months. Leverkusen were beaten 3-2 at home by RB Leipzig before the international break, the first loss since May last year for the reigning league and cup champions. While any defeat, particularly against a likely title rival, would have disappointed coach Xabi Alonso, the way in which it happened would be most concerning. Just as they did in the Supercup against VfB Stuttgart and in the league opener to Borussia Moenchengladbach, Leverkusen scored first, but were pegged back. However, while Leverkusen rallied late to
The lights dimmed and the crowd hushed as Karoline Kristensen entered for her performance. However, this was no ordinary Dutch theater: The temperature was 80°C and the audience naked apart from a towel. Dressed in a swimsuit and to the tune of emotional music, the 21-year-old Kristensen started her routine, performed inside a large sauna, with a bed of hot rocks in the middle. For a week this month, a group of wellness practitioners, called “sauna masters,” are gathering at a picturesque health resort in the Netherlands to compete in this year’s Aufguss world sauna championships. The practice takes its name from a
Roger Federer on Wednesday said that staying involved with tennis in retirement helped him avoid feeling “like an alien” ahead of this week’s Laver Cup in Berlin. Federer, who helped create the tournament, retired at the Laver Cup in London two years ago and has since stayed involved with the competition as an ambassador. “I’m happy I went back right away to some tournaments,” the 43-year-old told reporters. “I feel I ripped the Band-Aid off quite quickly and when I walk around the tennis sites I still feel I belong there,” he said. “I don’t feel like an alien, which is a
Japanese players are moving to English soccer in record numbers and more look set to follow with clubs attracted by their quality, strong work ethic and value for money. Kaoru Mitoma is the standout talent of five Japanese players in the English Premier League, with eight more in the Championship and two in League One. Liverpool midfielder Wataru Endo, the captain of Japan, believes his compatriots are “being held in higher esteem” by English clubs compared with the past. “The staff at Liverpool ask me about lots of Japanese players, not necessarily with a view to a transfer, but just saying this or