Bjorn again Dane looking for more glory at Barclays Singapore Open

Singapore, November 7: The evergreen Thomas Bjorn and Alexander Noren, both multiple winners on The European Tour this season, and golf’s latest young sensation Tom Lewis will join the star-studded cast at next week’s US$6 million Barclays Singapore Open.

England’s Justin Rose, who won on the PGA Tour in September, former British Open champion Paul Lawrie and the ever-popular Miguel Angel Jimenez have also confirmed their participation in Asia’s richest national Open with the winner picking up US$1 million,

Many giants of the game including Major winners Phil Mickelson, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington, Y.E. Yang, Ernie Els, and Retief Goosen will grace what has become known as “Asia’s Major”.

Resurgent American Anthony Kim, edged out of a US$2 million payday by world number three Rory McIlroy in Shanghai last Sunday, and Camilo Villegas from Colombia will also tee it up at Sentosa Golf Club from November 10 to 13.

For the third successive year the Barclays Singapore Open will be joint sanctioned by the Asian Tour and The European Tour.

Bjorn’s recent form is testament to the old adage that life begins at 40.

The Dane won the Qatar Masters 12 days before his 40th birthday in February and then hit a purple patch in late August with back-to-back victories in the Johnnie Walker Championship and Omega European Masters.

Swede Noren has gone about his business quietly but effectively with triumphs in the Wales Open and Nordea Masters taking him to 12th spot in the Race to Dubai standings, four places below Bjorn.

Lewis burst to prominence at The Open in July when – playing as an amateur - his opening 65 gave him a share of the lead and he garnered more headlines by winning the Portugal Masters in just his third event as a professional.

After his heroics at the Open, the Englishman was then part of the victorious Great Britain and Ireland Walker Cup side before joining the professional ranks, posting a top-10 finish in his first event in Austria.

Rose like Lewis first made his mark at The Open when in 1998 he finished fourth as a 17-year-old amateur.

After a trying start to his professional career, he has blossomed into a world-class player and his victory in the BMW Championship in September was his third on the PGA Tour.

Lawrie has also tasted victory this season, his win at the Open de Andalucia being his first on The European Tour since 2002.

Pony-tailed Spaniard Jimenez has not added to his 18 European Tour wins in 2011 but has continued to show the consistency that earned him the nickname “The Mechanic”.

He has finished runner-up on three occasions, the latest at last week’s Andalucia Masters won by his countryman Sergio Garcia.

For the second successive season a starting field of 204 players will compete on both The Serapong and The Tanjong courses. Players will play on both courses for the first two days and after the halfway cut is made they will compete on The Serapong at the weekend.

The 48th staging of Singapore's national Open will have special significance as Arc Children's Centre is the official charity of the event.

Arc Children's Centre in Singapore provides a day centre for cancer stricken children and their siblings.

Throughout the week a series of events will take plus to raise money for the organization, which was officially opened last August.

The patron of Arc Children's Centre is Mrs Goh Chok Tong.