Irish trio among 22 Europeans in US PGA

AN UNUSUALLY high number of Europeans, 22, will compete in the 84th US PGA Championship, the last of the season’s four majors, at Hazeltine National Golf Club, Chaska, Minnesota, beginning on August 15.

The list includes three Irishmen, Padraig Harrington, ranked a

career-best seventh in the world, Darren Clarke, 17th, and Paul McGinley, 58th.

The US PGA claims to have the strongest entry of any of the majors because it gives a place to the top 100 in the world. The norm is the leading 50 with the Masters, and the US and British Open championships.

That’s why McGinley’s run of poor form has not cost him a place in the championship, and why Lee Westwood, who has struggled over the past few years, will also be there.

Furthermore, the event presents English youngsters Justin Rose and Paul Casey with the chance to take part in their first major in the States.

The unrelated Hansens from Sweden, Anders (Volvo PGA Championship winner) and Soren (Murphy’s Irish Open champion) are similarly elevated. At the other end of the age scale, Nick Faldo will be making his 61st consecutive appearance in a major.

The European entries are: Thomas Bjorn, Paul Casey, Darren Clarke, Nick Faldo, Niclas Fasth, Pierre Fulke, Sergio Garcia, Anders Hansen, Soren Hansen, Bernhard Langer, Paul Lawrie, Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Greg Owen, Jesper Parnevik, Carl Pettersson, Philip Price, Justin Rose, Lee Westwood and Ian Woosnam.

The defending champion at Hazeltine is David Toms, but Tiger Woods remains a red-hot favourite, not least because the 7,300-yard course is said to be ideally suited to his game.

Despite their high rating of the championship, it appears the PGA demerits the event by giving a place to no fewer than 25 of its own members.

One or two members has made an impression at times, but essentially they are all club pros and can hardly be expected to make an impression against players who compete annually in one of the toughest sporting arenas of them all.

But the PGA is confident that reigning club professional champion Barry Evans will make his presence felt next week.

It has been two months since Evans captured the US PGA Club Championship at Valhalla, Kentucky, but the 40-year-old head professional at Berry Hills Country Club in Charleston, West Virginia, can hardly wait to line up alongside Woods and the other stars.

“The past couple of months have been unbelievable for me and my family,” he said.

“The members of my club have been tremendous to me, with 300 attending a party and donating more than $11,000 towards my expenses. A good group of them are coming to support me. They have jobs but they’re taking a day off. That’s just so special, I can’t tell you. I would love to make the cut and I’ll work towards that.”