US champ applauds Ghei

U S Open champion Ernie Els gave a ringing endorsement to the Asian PGA's Omega Tour following the achievement of three players in qualifying for this week's British Open.

The South African personally congratulated Gaurav Ghei of India and Singapore's Mardan Mamat on their success in making it through the tough qualifying rounds on unfamiliar links and courses.

Ghei, Mamat and John Kernohan of the United States, the other qualifier, were part of a 29-strong group from the Omega Tour that made a bid to play in the British Open. The campaign was sponsored by Johnnie Walker.

"This is a step in the right direction for the Omega Tour, it is good that they have reached a level where they can compete against the world's best," said Els, who played with Ghei in last year's Alfred Dunhill Masters in Hong Kong, a specially approved event on the Omega Tour.

"To come through qualifying is almost tougher than to play in the tournament, it is good experience that they can play in the championships, good for the Omega Tour that their players have the talent and the desire to compete in major championships," Elfs said.

Officials of the British Open also gave their support to the Omega Tour, and said they would consider giving direct entry to the tournament to the winner of the Omega Tour Order of Merit.

The Royal and Ancient Club of Andrews, which runs the British Open, agreed this year to give exemptions into the final qualifying rounds of this year's event to the top 80 in the 1996 Order of Merit.

"We have every reason to think that we will continue with the exemptions for next year," says R & A club secretary Michael Bonallack. "And of course some of their players have actually got through and are in the Open championships. So that is an encouraging sign, for them and for us. Every year, we look at exemptions for all parts of the world - the fact that these players, from the Omega Tour, qualified this year will help their cause when we assess things at the end of the year. The Omega Tour has good players, good scores and they are running something that is worthwhile."