Golf: Big field vies for entry to majors

Most of the 156 golfers teeing off in the Clearwater Classic in Christchurch today will be gunning for a free entry pass to the majors.

The top three finishers of the Buy. Com Tour will automatically qualify for entry into next year's British Open.

The first two players on the Order of Merit can compete in the US Open and the World Golf Championship.

All the second-tier players want to play the majors and nearly all of today's field will be chasing those major entry enticements.

A handful of the Australian and US competitors already have their US PGA Tour card.

Last week's winner of the Adelaide tournament, Australian Gavin Coles, gets a two-year exemption in the Buy. Com Tour.

But the Bathurst player is not thinking about last week's big pay cheque.

"I want to forget about that and just think about what I have to do from the first tee in the Classic."

The 33-year-old won more prizemoney than in his previous nine years on the tour by winning the $1.2 million Jacob's Creek Open at Kooyonga.

His victory came after young American Bryce Molder had bogeyed the last four holes to surrender the lead.

The Clearwater tournament is the richest tournament played in New Zealand, with a purse of $1.2 million.

To make up for a lack of trees, the new course next to Christchurch Airport has 15ha of water and a string of large fairways and greenside bunkers.

New Zealand's Greg Turner has been drawn to tee off with Molder, while promising young left-handed Gareth Paddison will be in a group with twice-Australian Open winner Aaron Baddeley.

The 140-plus Americans and Australians make up almost half of the field.

Among the Americans are the aptly named Keith Clearwater, who had two victories in his rookie year, and Jim Benepe, who became the first player in the history of the PGA Tour to win at his first start.

Leading Australian golfer Peter O'Malley fully backs the two new tournaments - the Jacobs Creek Open and today's Classic - on the Australasian tour.

O'Malley, fourth equal at Adelaide after being the halfway leader, is one of the favourites today.

"I'm a great believer in having the co-sanctioned tournaments in Australia and New Zealand. We need co-operation from other tours, like the European and Buy. Com Tours, to keep our tour strong," O'Malley said.

"We possibly wouldn't get the money we're playing for or the exposure without the help of those other tours."

- NZPA