Daly, Allenby gird for Johnnie Walker Classic

Australian No. 1 Robert Allenby and two-time major winner John Daly–the longest hitter in golf–will play in the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic in Perth, Australia.

Their inclusion adds greater depth to the world-class field already assembled for the P1 million pounds (A$2.85 million) tournament at Lake Karrinyup Country Club Feb.13-16.

Allenby, ranked No. 23 in the world and a winner of 15 professional titles, will be seeking to become the first Australian since Greg Norman in 1994 to win the Johnnie Walker Classic.

Nicknamed the "Wild Thing" for his "grip-it-and-rip-it" approach to the game, Daly will try to make the Johnnie Walker Classic his fourth international tournament victory, sitting alongside his two major championship wins and four US PGA Tour victories.

Commenting on the announcement, Stephen Morley, Johnnie Walker Global Brand director said, "This is great news for The Johnnie Walker Classic and is a true reflection of its standing as one of the most competitive, international and high profile tournaments in the world. Both of these players represent the "Keep Walking" spirit that lies at the heart of the Johnnie Walker brand–Robert, who, has progressed from the Australasian Tour, to Europe and now the US PGA Tour, posting victories on all three tours; John, who, with his unique, powerful and exciting approach to the game, has become a real favorite with the grassroots golfer.

Allenby, the 31-year-old Victorian, has developed into Australia’s premier player after winning four times on the US PGA Tour since 2000 and finishing in the top 20 on the US money list for the past three seasons. He came close to adding a fifth US Tour title this year, twice finishing runner-up.

Since turning professional in 1991, Allenby has had seven victories in Australia–including the 1994 Australian Open and back to back Australian PGA Championships in 2000 and 2001. In Europe, where he began playing to further his international standing he sprung to prominence with victories in the English Open, the French Open and the British Masters.

Daly first surprised the golfing world when he won the 1991 US PGA Championship at Crooked Stick, coming in at the last minute as the final alternate. Daly fired an opening-round 69 without the benefit of a practice round and went on to win his first major by three shots. That performance earned him Rookie-of-the-Year honors. The following year he went on to win the BC Open and climbed into the World Top-50 with victories in the 1994 Bell South Classic and the 1995 Open Championship at St. Andrews. More recently he captured his first individual victory in six years by shooting an amazing 27 under par total for victory in the 2001 BMW International Open in Germany.

Daly, 36, has a reputation for being the longest hitter in the game and in 2002 he has earned his tenth PGA Tour driving distance title with an average of over 306 yards, his seventh in a row. Along with a terrific touch around the greens, Daly’s distance has contributed to a total of four US PGA Tour victories and three International victories since turning pro in 1987.

Allenby and Daly will complement the field for the 2003 Johnnie Walker Classic which boasts three of the top six players in the world: world No. 3 Ernie Els; world No. 4 Sergio Garcia, and world No. 5 and defending champion Retief Goosen. They will be joined by six-time major winner Nick Faldo–the Johnnie Walker Classic champion in 1990 and 1993.