THIS year's Wales Open promises to be an exciting event in this Ryder Cup year and, with a field headed by Open champion Padraig Harrington on May 29-June 1, there should be big crowds from both sides of the Bristol Channel.

Harrington ended an eight-year wait for a European winner of a major title when he defeated Spain's Sergio Garcia in a play-off for the Open Championship at Carnoustie last July.

The stunning triumph confirmed the Irishman's status as one of the world's leading players following 11 previous victories on The European Tour and he will be seeking more silverware when he makes his first appearance at The Celtic Manor Resort this month.

The West Country interest will be provided by David Dixon, the Bridgwater player who now resides in Bristol. He has enjoyed a very fine start to this season's European Tour.

The resort produced local boy Bradley Dredge as the spokesman at the media day to announce this year's event. He is well known in the West as he played a prominent part in West Region PGA events before he reached the top.

He has since become the highest ranked Welsh player and he hopes to go one better than last year when he was squeezed into joint second place by a single stroke.

World No 11 Harrington, who was Europe's highest finisher in joint fifth place at this month's US Masters, will head a strong field as the tournament moves to The Twenty Ten course for the first time with many of Europe's leading golfers eager to get their first look at the layout which will stage the Ryder Cup in 2010.

Harrington said: "This gives me an opportunity to get an early look at the course which will stage the next Ryder Cup in Europe and I've heard a lot of good things about it. I hear that it should provide a great challenge which will hopefully suit my game and provide good preparation for the tough conditions we can expect at the US Open a couple of weeks later."

Now in its ninth year and with an increased prize fund of £1.8m, The Celtic Manor Wales Open is one of the top 10 events on the European Tour and continues to enjoy a prime early summer date the week after the tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

The new Twenty Ten course has been built with the matchplay drama of The Ryder Cup in mind, but it will provide an equally exciting arena for the traditional 72-hole strokeplay of The Celtic Manor Wales Open.

10:34am Wednesday 30th April 2008

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