The European Tour’s regular season comes to end this weekend, as they travel to Australia for the ISPS HANDA Perth International to be played the Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Perth.
Being that this is the final event of the regular 2014 European Tour season, once the final putt drops, the Top 110 players on the Race to Dubai will retain their playing privileges for 2015. With a €202,810 winning purse and an estimated €230,000 required to earn a card for 2015, is all systems go this week in Perth.
It will be an interesting tournament to watch as it will be a week full of anxiety and nerves for those juggling to crack that Top 110.
The bubble boy on the 110th spot is Lee Slattery of England. He got there thanks to his T-15th finish in last week’s Hong Kong Open. But, he doesn’t have a lot of cushion between him and his countryman Matthew Nixon who is right after him at 111th just under €5,000 behind.
This is just the third edition of this tournament. On the inaugural year in 2012, American Bo Van Pelt claimed a two stroke victory over fellow countryman Jason Dufner for his first European Tour win.
Last year Jin Jeong of South Korea carded a three-under 69 final round and England’s Ross Fisher a four-under 68 and had to go extra holes to decide the championship. In the end Jeong made par on the first extra hole to down Fisher and claim his first European Tour victory.
Jeong is back to defend his championship, but not in the best of forms. He has struggled mightily this year with his game as he has missed the cut in 15 of his last 16 European Tour starts.
He will face a very fine field this weekend as there are some big name players making the journey to Western Australia. The field of challengers is headlined by Charl Schwartzel who is joined on the starters’ sheet by fellow Major champs, Jason Dufner and Geoff Ogilvy.
Among the other notable starters are Frenchmen Victor Dubuisson, Grégory Bourdy, Julien Quene and Raphael Jaquelin, England’s Danny Willett and David Horsey, American Peter Uihlein , Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen, Scotland’s Scott Jamieson and Italy’s Edoardo Molinari.
Among the home country favorites besides Ogilvy are Brett Rumford, Steven Bowditch, Marcus Fraser, Oliver Goss, Daniel Popovic and Greg Chalmers.
Venue: Lake Karrinyup Country Club, Perth, Australia
Date: Oct 23-26, 2014
Course Stats: par 72, 7,143 yards
Purse: €1,200,000, Winner’s Share: €202,810
Defending Champion: Jin Jeong (-10)