Parry and Lonard Boost 2005 Masters Field

Former champions Craig Parry and Peter Lonard will play at the 2005 MasterCard Masters from December 8-11 in Melbourne.

Parry and Lonard will join a strong list of Australian golfers - including world No.8 Adam Scott - at Huntingdale Golf Club for one of Australia’s premier golf tournaments next month.

Craig Parry, ranked 56 in the world, is the second most successful player in MasterCard Masters’ history winning the event on three occasions (1992, ’94, ’96). Only Greg Norman - with six gold jackets - has had more success in this event since its inception in 1979. Parry was also runner-up in the MasterCard Masters in 1988, 1989 and 2003.

A player of international renown, the popular Parry has won 22 times around the world. He most recently won the 2005 Heineken Classic (an event co-sanctioned by the European Tour) at Royal Melbourne after a tense four-hole playoff with Nick O’Hern.

Last year, Parry clinched his second US Tour title in spectacular fashion after holing a six-iron on the first playoff hole to win the Ford Championship at Doral. He won his first title in the US in 2002 at the WGC-NEC Invitational.

Lonard, ranked 46, has won the MasterCard Masters twice. In 1997, he beat Peter O’Malley in a playoff and prevailed again in extra holes in 2002 after a three-man playoff with Adam Scott and Gavin Coles. He has been the most dominant figure on the Australasian Tour since 2000 winning seven Tour events.

Lonard, renowned for his tremendous ball-striking, is the reigning MFS Australian Open champion and is aiming for a third straight Open title this month at Moonah Links. He is also the current Australian PGA champion.

This year, Lonard broke through for his first US Tour title winning the MCI Heritage after switching from his customary long putter to a short blade before the event.

Other prominent Australians set to play alongside Parry, Lonard and Scott at Huntingdale include six-time US PGA Tour winner Stuart Appleby, 2003 MasterCard Masters winner Robert Allenby, defending champion Richard Green, two-time winner Peter Senior and world no. 29 Nick O’Hern. The overseas contingent will include European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance, talented Englishman Paul Casey and young Colombian Camilo Villegas.

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