Masters draws strong Aussie contingent

Stuart Appleby, Robert Allenby, Nick O’Hern, Rod Pampling and 2004 winner Richard Green will join world No. 8 Adam Scott at the MasterCard Masters in Melbourne from December 8-11.

Former winner Peter Senior will also play in the 27th staging of the event at Huntingdale Golf Club along with promising talent Brett Rumford and 2004 runner-up Greg Chalmers who recently reclaimed his US PGA Tour card.

Appleby (ranked 32), O’Hern (35) and Pampling (48) occupy the top 50 in the world rankings while Green (66) is looking to join them. Allenby (ranked 71) has been in the top 15 in the world and is looking to start a surge back up the rankings this summer.

Stuart Appleby is a world-class performer having won six US PGA Tour titles and began this year in fine style successfully defending the Mercedes Championships in Hawaii. At home, Appleby won the 2001 Australian Open Championship and finished second in last year’s Open at The Australian Golf Club. The Victorian has yet to win at Huntingdale and will be looking to rectify that this year.

Robert Allenby won his first MasterCard Masters title in 2003 in a four-man playoff. It completed his set of Australia’s premier golf events having already won the Australian Open once and the Australian PGA Championship twice. He has won 17 times worldwide covering the Australasian, European and US PGA Tours.

Former Australian Amateur champion Brett Rumford is threatening to break into the top 100 in the world thanks to winning twice in Europe since 2003. His first win came in France two years ago and he posted his second win at the Irish Open in 2004.

Rumford won the 1999 ANZ Players Championship while still an amateur. The young West Australian has twice threatened at the MasterCard Masters finishing second in 2000 and third in 2001.

Peter Senior has a tremendous record at Huntingdale winning gold jackets in 1991 and 1995. The Queenslander also finished second in 1987 (behind a rampaging Greg Norman) and in 1993 after losing a playoff to Brad Hughes. His popular win in the 2003 Australian PGA Championship brought an end to a lengthy winless streak and he is still hungry for victories to add to his tally of 26 titles won in Australia, Europe and Japan.

One player deserving of a big win in Australia is West Australian left-hander Nick O’Hern. He won at Coolum back in 1999 and has played impressive golf since without adding to that victory. Over the past three seasons alone, O’Hern has finished runner-up on the European Tour five times. He’s also shown this year he’s comfortable playing in the US, stunning American golf fans by beating Tiger Woods in the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship and advancing to the quarter-finals.

Queensland’s Rod Pampling has established himself in the US having won The International in Colorado last year. He’s backed up well this season with multiple top-10 finishes - including an impressive tie for fifth at the US Masters in his first visit to Augusta. Pampling came home third in last year’s Australian Open and should pose a threat on his home Tour this summer.

Richard Green won last year’s MasterCard Masters in a three-man playoff with Greg Chalmers and David McKenzie to claim his first gold jacket. The left-hander has been playing fine golf on the European Tour over the past two seasons posting three runner-up finishes. He has one European Tour title to his credit – the 1997 Dubai Desert Classic won in a playoff over Greg Norman and Ian Woosnam.

Greg Chalmers pushed Green all the way last year at Huntingdale before bowing out in extra holes. The left-hander showed his ability early on his career winning the 1998 Australian Open and has since focused his efforts in the US. Chalmers is set to resume on the US PGA Tour in 2006 after winning on the Nationwide Tour this year.