Tiger is target for Celtic Manor

Billionaire Terry Matthews plans to attract both Tiger Woods and a World Golf Championship event to his Celtic Manor resort.

The resort currently plays host to the £1.5m (€2.24m) Wales Open and will, after significant changes to the course, also stage the 2010 Ryder Cup.

But the ambitious Matthews also plans to bring the world number one and one of the three WGC events to Newport – and money will be no object.

Matthews has already sunk millions of pounds into the resort and is building a new clubhouse, nine new holes, and extending the 430-room hotel by 50% ahead of the Ryder Cup.

Asked if he was willing to pay the reported £1m (€1.49m) appearance fee which Woods commands, Matthews said: “You have to do what you have to do to raise the profile of the event.

“As each year goes by we crank it up. My objective is to be the crown jewel of the tour’s events and I will keep at it.”

Celtic Manor’s best chance of hosting one of the WGC events would seem to be the American Express Championship, which this year is being held for the second time at Mount Juliet, and has also been staged twice at Valderrama.

The Accenture Match Play was deemed a failure when it was held in Melbourne in 2001 and has otherwise been played in California, while the NEC Invitational has never been played outside America.

“Our ideal would be to host it in 2008 when American players who might be in the Ryder Cup in 2010 could come over and play,” said Matthews.

Construction has yet to start on the new holes but the Wales Open is scheduled to be played on it in 2006.