Adam Scott, World Number Seven and a champion on both The European Tour and the US PGA Tour in 2005, returns to Sweden this week in search of a second title in the Scandinavian Masters by Carlsberg at Kungsängen Golf Club, Stockholm.
Scott, who won the title in 2003 at Barsebäck near Malmo and has finished in the top ten in his previous four starts in the event, would love to succeed in Stockholm as a special treat for his Swedish girlfriend, Marie. Already this year he has captured the Johnnie Walker Classic in China and the Nissan Open in Los Angeles.
“I like Sweden and this tournament. The galleries are fantastic and I love the Swedish summer. I have been there in the winter too, but that was not as enjoyable!” said Scott, who lives in Switzerland and has become a truly international player in his first five years as a professional.
Joakim Haeggman and Jesper Parnevik, the two Swedish winners of the Scandinavian Masters by Carlsberg, return to their native country in search of another home victory.
Haeggman, Sweden’s first Ryder Cup player, captured the title at Barsebäck in 1997 while two-time Ryder Cup player Parnevik won at Barsebäck in 1995 and again at Kungsängen three year later.
As well as Haeggman and Parnevik, the field will also include a number of Swedish winners on The European Tour, namely Joakim Bäckström, the recent winner of the Aa St Omer Open, Ryder Cup player Pierre Fulke, Christopher Hanell, Peter Hanson, Peter Hedblom, Robert Karlsson and Patrik Sjöland.
However the in-form Swede in the field is unquestionably Niclas Fasth, a member of the winning European Ryder Cup Team in 2002. Fasth claimed his second title of the season by edging out Argentina’s Angel Cabrera at the third extra hole of the Deutsche Bank Players’ Championship of Europe in Hamburg on Sunday.
Fasth is now excited at the prospect of going in search of his third win of the year, following his victory in Germany and another play-off triumph in the Holden New Zealand Open in February.
He said: “It'll be great, of course. It would be great to go anywhere as the most recent winner, but especially to a home tournament. There will be a lot more attention, I guess. But I'll also go there with my confidence high and feeling good.”
Mark Hensby, who plays predominantly on the US PGA Tour, joins fellow Australian Scott in the field. Hensby was in the spotlight in the US Open Championship at Pinehurst, where he finished in a tie for third place alongside Spain’s Sergio Garcia.
