BRITISH Masters champion Thomas Levet will be one of a clutch of top Europen golfers taking part in this year's Wales Open at the Celtic Manor, Newport, in August.
Levet, who won the Masters at Woburn yesterday after a thrilling four-man play-off involving England's David Howell and Sweden's Robert Karlsson and Mathias Gronberg, will be joined by defending champion Steen Tinning in a much stronger tournament this year.
The Argus can exclusively reveal that Levet, Volvo PGA winner Andrew Oldcorn and Gwent's own Phil Price have also entered the £1m event.
Oldcorn and Price are almost guaranteed places on the Ryder Cup team this autumn, and several other leading contenders for the automatic places have put their names down for the Welsh Open.
The chance to grab vital Ryder Cup points is just as much an incentive as the prize money, and Ireland's Paul McGinley, Karlsson, Henrik Stenson and Scots Andrew Coltart and Gary Orr have all entered along with Des Smyth, winner of the Madeira Open, and South Africa's Darren Fichardt and Gregory Havret.
The tournament promises to be a cracking affair with Price, Karlsson, Stenson and Levet tour winners this year.
The Dane Tinning won the iangural event last year after carding 15 under for the four rounds.
There will be a strong Welsh prescence at this year's event, with Price joined by Bradley Dredge, David Park, Stephen Dodd, Mark Mouland, Mark Pilkington and Garry Houston Over half of the European Tour's top 30 players are expected to be in action.
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