Miguel Ángel Jiménez
Dustin Johnson and 18-time European Tour winner Miguel Ángel Jiménez have been added to the field for next month’s Ballantine’s Championship in Korea and the duo will be joined by two of Korea’s biggest talents – teenage sensation Noh Seung Yul, the reigning Asian Tour Order of Merit champion, and Kim Kyung Tae, a three-time winner in Japan last year.
Last year the event was won by Marcus Fraser of Australia when it was held in Jeju but had to be reduced to 54 holes after the opening round was delayed by dense fog.
Gareth Maybin from Ballyclare secured a share of second place last year, alongside Australian Brett Rumford, secured his playing rights for the season and will be looking to match the feat 0 or go one better.
Dustin -hitting Johnson – who has four victories on the PGA Tour, including two last year – will be making his first competitive appearance in Asia.
“It will be my first time playing in Korea and I'm really looking forward to the experience – not just from a golf point of view but also as a chance to travel and experience a different culture,” he said.
“I've heard great reports about Korean golf and I know the fans are extremely passionate and knowledgeable about the game, so I know it will be a memorable trip for me.
“Ballantine's have been busy assembling a fantastic field for the tournament and with so many great players taking part, I'm excited to get out there and give it my best for the Korean galleries.”
Johnson, 26, is regarded as one of the most thrilling talents in world golf and last year became the first player since Tiger Woods to go straight from college and win in each of his first three years on the PGA Tour.
Currently ranked No.11 in the world, he is the second longest hitter on the PGA Tour, behind Bubba Watson, averaging more than 311 yards per drive.
In addition to his PGA Tour victories, he had top-10 finishes in both the US Open and PGA Championship last year. Earlier this month, he finished runner-up at the WGC-Cadillac Championship in Miami.
Spanish icon Jiménez, meanwhile, has a brilliant record in the Far East with European Tour victories in Hong Kong – twice – Thailand and China. It will be his first competitive appearance in Korea since finishing joint second in the 2004 Korea Golf Championship.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my last visit to Korea and it really has been too long since I returned, so I’m greatly looking forward to taking part in the Ballantine’s Championship,” said the Ryder Cup star.
“Ballantine’s are putting together a world class field and I’ve heard fantastic reports about Blackstone Resort, so it promises to be a memorable week.
“I’m planning to relax, enjoy the Korean culture and hospitality and play my natural game. Hopefully I can put on a great show for the fans there."
The €2.2 million Ballantine’s Championship will be staged from 28 April to 1 May at the prestigious Blackstone Resort in Seoul. The first three editions of the tournament were played at Pinx Golf Club on the holiday island of Jeju.
The mouth-watering line-up already includes world No.2 Lee Westwood, three-time Major winner Ernie Els, world No.15 Ian Poulter and Korean hero Y.E Yang, Asia’s first Major winner.
Joining Yang in flying the flag for the host country will be young guns Noh, still only 19, and the 24-year-old Kim.
Noh ranks as the third youngest European Tour winner in history thanks to his victory in the 2010 Malaysian Open and he followed up that landmark effort by finishing fourth in the Ballantine’s Championship.
He crowned a fantastic 2010 season by becoming the youngest ever winner of the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit.
“I had a fantastic time at the Ballantine's Championship last year, finishing in the top five,” said Noh. “Now, I’m more than happy to play once again on my home turf with so many great players from around the world. I've yet to win as a professional in front of my home fans and the Ballantine's Championship would be the perfect time to do so. I’m really looking forward to it.”
Kim is the second highest ranked Asian player in the world, after Yang. His three victories on the Japan Golf Tour last year included two in the space of three weeks and he can also look back on previous tournament wins in Korea, including the Asian Tour’s Maekyung Open in 2007.
Christian Porta, Chairman and CEO of Chivas Brothers, the owner of Ballantine’s, hailed the latest star player announcements.
“The addition of Dustin Johnson, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, Noh Seung Yul and Kim Kyung Tae to an already world class line-up is hugely exciting and sets an exceptional standard for the Ballantine's Championship this year,” he said.
“We are delighted to welcome back Noh and Kim to Korea's biggest golf tournament and to see Jiménez making his debut in the event. We also look forward to Johnson's first competitive appearance in Asia, which promises great things.
“We're confident our prestigious new venue at Blackstone Resort in Seoul will provide a fitting stage for such high calibre international and local stars who are sure to put on a thrilling display next month."
Johnson’s participation in the 2011 Ballantine’s Championship is being sponsored by Bank of America.
The 2011 Ballantine’s Championship will once again be co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Korea PGA.
Blackstone Resort, in Icheon, just south of Seoul, will host the event for at least the next three years. It is the first time that the exclusive venue – which opened only in 2009 and has just 300 members – has staged a professional tournament.
