The South African Ernie Els has been awarded life membership of the European Tour in recognition of his two US Open victories and three successive wins in the World Match Play Championship.
He beat Britain's Colin Montgomerie and the American Loren Roberts in a play-off to take the US Open at Oakmont in 1994 then defeated Montgomerie by one shot to take the title at Congressional three years later.
Els, who has won 25 professional events worldwide including four European Tour titles, said: "I am thrilled to be given this accolade, especially as it comes from my peers."
Els is only the fourth non-European to be awarded honorary membership, the others being Gary Player, the American Arnold Palmer and the New Zealander Bob Charles.
Greg Norman yesterday confirmed he will make his first appearance since 1994 at next year's Australian Masters. The former world number one has refused to play the Masters - a golf tournament he has won six times - since his dispute several years ago with the International Management Group (IMG) that stages the Melbourne tournament. His decision ends a five-year feud with IMG.
Craig Spence, fours shots ahead after two rounds, is attempting to pull off a start-to-finish victory in the storm-disrupted $186,000 Coolum Golf Classic in Collum, Australia. Tour officials suspended play yesterday after a lightning storm swept across the course, forcing 56 players to abandon their second rounds which they were hoping to resume earlier today.
