The inaugural Ballentine’s Championship tees off at the Pinx Golf Club in Jeju island March 13-16.

Featuring a star-studded line-up of world class golfers, let’s take a look at the top contenders, who are likely to vie for top honours at this US$2.9 million event, sanctioned by the Asian Tour, European Tour and the Korean PGA.
 
Choi Kyung-ju
Choi, a seven-time winner on the US PGA Tour continues to be the pacesetter for the Asian contingent. As the first Asian to break into the world’s top-10 players’ ranking, Choi plays most of his golf on the US PGA Tour now, but will be looking for a happy homecoming with a win this week.
 
Yang Yong-eun
Yang upstaged some of the biggest names in world golf, fending off spirited challenges from Major champions Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell when he won the HSBC Champions in Shanghai 2006.

The 36-year old Korean will be aiming for a happy return to Jeju island- the island where he was born to claim more notable scalps this week.
 
Liang Wen-chong
The Chinese star is the brightest hope for the Asian Tour this week. Crowned Asia’s number one in 2007, Liang is also the the first Chinese player to win the Asian Tour’s Order of Merit following a superb season where he clinched one victory and eight other top-10s.  This will be Liang’s last event before he heads off for The Masters and he will certainly be hoping to put in an impressive performance before he leaves for the US. 
 
Padraig Harrington
Current British Open champion, Padraig Harrington became the first Irishman to win 
The Open Championship in 60 years and also the first European to win a major since Paul Lawrie won the same tournament in 1999.