HAMBURG OPEN: The world's top two golfers Tiger Woods and Ernie Els are set to clash at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open at the Gut Kaden course near Hamburg on May 15th-18th
Woods is the defending champion and he has committed to play in the European PGA Tour event for the fifth time.
But Els has added his name to the list in a top-class field having passed on the event over the last few years.
Both Woods and Els are preparing for The US Masters on April 10th-13th.
BAY HILL: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer will make a rare appearance together on the PGA Tour next week when both play in the Bay Hill Invitational.
Free of pain from injuries that have plagued him for several years, Nicklaus has accepted an invitation from Palmer to play in the tournament at Palmer's Bay Hill Club in Orlando.
Nicklaus (63) played in the Ford Championship on the PGA Tour last week but missed the cut by three shots. Palmer (73) has not played in a tour event since the 2002 Masters.
US MASTERS: Next month's Masters will almost certainly be the 144th and final major championship of Gary Player's career.
The 67-year-old South African, disappointed that Augusta National has removed the lifetime exemption for its former champions, said yesterday he would not be back to compete next year.
Nor will he be trying to qualify for this July's British Open championship at Sandwich, which he fully intended to last year until suffering a rib injury lifting a suitcase as he began the journey.
"I'll be at the Open, but only as a spectator," said Player, in Doha this week as a guest of the Qatar Golf Association.
CHAMPIONS TOUR: Five birdies and just one dropped shot gave Des Smyth a share of the lead with Sammy Rachels at four under par after 13 holes in the SBC Classic in Los Angeles yesterday.
HONDA CLASSIC: It was a magical morning at Mirasol, even for an unheralded PGA Tour member with a grab-bag set of clubs.
Five days after clubs were stolen from his garage, Jeff Brehaut carded one of three course-record nine-under-par 63s on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with Notah Begay and Justin Leonard.
Playing short with fast fairways and little wind, The Country Club at Mirasol was there for the taking in the morning, and the co-leaders weren't the only ones to grab it.
Jim Furyk, Esteban Toledo of Mexico and John Senden of Australia were tied for fourth after shooting eight-under 64s, a stroke better than Chris Riley and David Peoples.
LEADING FIRST ROUND SCORES: Play suspended with 38 players still on the course. 63 - J Leonard, N Begay III, J Brehaut; 64 - E Toledo (Mex), J Senden (Aust), J Furyk; 65 - D Peoples, C Riley; 66 - W Austin, G Hjertstedt (Swe), A Baddeley (Aust), D Love III; 67 - T Byrum, C Franco (Par), B Gay, S Cink, C Paulson, S Micheel, K Green, B Jobe, M Brooks, C Beckman, H Sutton, F Funk, B Baird, P Sheehan, J Williamson, J Durant. Others: 68 - H Tanaka (Jap), J Parnevik (Swe), P Johansson (Swe), B Langer (Ger) 72 - C Montgomerie (Sco), B Watts (Can).
