Euro Tour launch new ‘Slam’
The European golf tour yesterday announced an event almost identical to the PGA Grand Slam of Golf which has been played in Bermuda for the last four years and is again scheduled for this October.The new event will take place at one of England’s most prestigious courses, Wentworth in Surrey.And the tournament will feature all four major winners, the only difference to the two-day Slam at Port Royal in Bermuda is that the major winners of last year, rather than this year, along with last Sunday’s Masters champion, South African Charl Schwartzel will take part.Also in the field are world number one Martin Kaymer of Germany and Briton Graeme McDowell, as well as last year’s British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen who was unable to come to Bermuda last October because of injury and was replaced by fellow South African Ernie Els, who won the tournament.McDowell and Kaymer took part as well as American David Toms who replaced the 2010 Masters champion Phil Mickelson.By winning the Masters on Sunday, Schwartzel has aleady booked his place in this year’s Grand Slam that takes place on October 18-19 with the winners of the next major, the US Open, and the British Open and PGA Championship.This year’s Bermuda Slam will have a purse of $1.35 million with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.TNT will broadcast the event, which last year attracted a worldwide TV audience estimated at 88.9 million.This year’s US Open will be held from June 16-19 at Congressional Country Club in Potomac, Maryland, the Open Championship from July 14-17 at Royal St. George’s, England, and the PGA Championship from August 8-14, at Atlanta Athletic Club in Johns Creek, Georgia.n Bermuda professional Michael Sims will attempt to turn around the disappointing start to his 2011 Natiowide Tour campaign when he plays in the Fresh Express Classic at TPC Stonebrae in Hayward, California this week.The tournament is offering a $600,000 purse with the winner earning $108,000.Sims has so far failed to get into the money after not making the cut in all of the events in which he has played this year.