The young and the old are coming to town for the Acer Taiwan Open.
Sixty-six-year-old Gary Player was revealed as the tournament's top drawer yesterday at a press conference in Taipei.
He will join a cast of international, regional and local golfers at the event next month, which is partly intended to boost young talent in the country.
International golfers named for the US$300,000 Taiwan Open are European Tour players Peter Senior and Arjun Atwal, along with Andrew Pitts of the US and a strong contingent of Asian PGA players like Charlie Wi of South Korea and Felix Casa of the Philippines.
"The Acer Taiwan Open has always attracted the leading players from the Asian PGA Tour and I'm expecting all the top Asians to enter this year's event, " said Ramlun Harun, Asian PGA director.
"In nine tournaments staged so far this season, we have produced five Asia winners, which reflects the strength in depth of the players from this region."
Strengthening the Asian game is one of the principal aims of the Taiwan Open, said John Cappo, a managing director of International Management Group (IMG).
"Gary Player is a legend and a great representative of the game. He has worked with kids through the academies he runs and is the perfect choice to share his experiences of the game," Cappo said.
IMG, in tandem with a number of corporate sponsors, has developed Taiwan's first junior golf program, in an attempt to match the success of Japan and South Korea in the world of golf.
The country's best young players are now playing regular competitions and a rankings system has been instituted.
Top-seeded juniors will benefit from attending a premier event and will be given coaching clinics by the professional players, Cappo said.
"The Black Knight," as Player used to be known because he wore black when competing, is one of the elite 10 players of all time.
Player, Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus were known as the trio of golf in the 1960s and 1970s.
The Acer Taiwan Open, Sunrise Golf and Country club, Taoyuan, Sept. 19 through Sept. 22.
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