EUROPEAN OPEN DIARY

Vardon gets name on trophy

THE European Tour has gone back to the past to signal a new era. With the Race to Dubai - a season-ending tournament with a €6.3-million pot of gold as a carrot for the tour's top players - due to come into being in 2009, the PGA European Tour yesterday unveiled its restyled branding that includes an image of Harry Vardon in its new logo.

Vardon won a record six British Opens and his name is attached to the trophy awarded to the European Tour's money winner each year.

Monty thinking  of Ryder points

COLIN Montgomerie's runner-up finish to Pablo Larrazabal in last week's French Open has catapulted him into contention for a Ryder Cup place. And the Scot, who has moved to 13th on the European points list, is determined to make the team for Valhalla in September.

"I don't feel I've played my last one, and it would be a shame if I had. I think I've got at least one Ryder Cup left to play. It's been part of my life since 1991," said Montgomerie, the defending champion of this tournament, although his win 12 months ago came at The K Club.

Random testing starts here

FROM now on, golfers will be asked - randomly - to go for a pee. It follows the PGA European Tour's decision to implement an official drug-testing programme starting with the European Open at The London Club.

Up to now, a number of tournaments on the Continent have conducted drug testing (the Frenchman Marc Farry has the distinction of having failed one, after taking a cortisone injection and anti-inflammatory tablets for a wrist injury) but this move by the European Tour will be effective throughout the entire season.

At last year's British Open, Gary Player went on record to say he believed some players were taking drugs, which the European Tour's director of operations, David Garland, has admitted left him "slightly shocked . . . and slightly disappointed that he didn't name names if he was so convinced about his convictions."

Garland added: "I personally don't think there is a problem (with drugs in golf)."

Michele Verroken, the European Tour anti-doping policy advisor, said of the new procedure: "They will be asked to provide a urine sample under the supervision of a testing officer, and to seal that sample, which will then be sent away to a laboratory for analysis."

Veteran Fowler joins 500 club

PETER Fowler, the 49-year-old Australian who made his European Tour debut in 1983, completes a milestone with his appearance in the European Open. It will be his 500th event on the European Tour, and he is only the 17th player to achieve the feat. Sam Torrance, with 703 appearances, tops the list. Two Irishmen - Eamonn Darcy (610) and Des Smyth (593) - have achieved the milestone.

Players have attended seminars in recent months to prepare them for the change

Selected tee-times

Today

8.00 - Sterne, Poulter, Montgomerie

8.10 - Clarke, Karlsson, Harrington

8.20 - Hedblom, Jacquelin, Lawrie

9.30 - Delamontagne, Gallacher, Murphy

12.50 - Garcia, McDowell, Wilson

1.00 - Rose, McGinley, Fasth

1.10 - Edfors, McGrane, Lawrie

2.10 - Frost, Jonzon, McIlroy

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