Ollie's Out; Chase On For Langer
Sydney Morning Herald
Thursday January 18, 1996
Tournament director Tony Roosenberg had been wondering how to fit two-times US Masters champion Bernhard Langer into his budget for the $900,000 Heineken Classic at The Vines in Perth early next month.
Much to his sorrow, he has found a solution. On his desk when he arrived at work yesterday was a fax from Jose Maria Olazabal, sending his regrets that injury and illness had forced him to withdraw.
It was to have been Olazabal's first visit to Australia but, more importantly, it casts some doubt over his immediate golfing career.
Not only is the Spaniard still suffering a foot injury which curtailed his tournament play in 1995, he also has a bout of tonsillitis, plus an arthritic condition in both his neck and knee.
It is a blow to the Heineken Classic, but not a knockout. The field assembled is the finest seen in Australia for almost 20 years, with the likes of Greg Norman, John Daly, Ian Woosnam, Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and all the leading Australians except Steve Elkington.
Now Langer may be added. He is playing in next week's $1 million Johnnie Walker Classic in Singapore and had expressed the wish to Roosenberg that he be included in the Perth field.
His request wasn't for a list of hotels and a street map to the course, but something more substantial in the way of appearance money, but Roosenberg had already spent his budget.
Now, he will go back to Langer to ascertain whether the German is still keen to play.
© 1996 Sydney Morning Herald
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