In a sad development, Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano is declining to defend his Barclays Singapore Open title next week.
www.golfbytourmiss.com spoke exclusively with ‘Gonzo’ when a check of entries into the $6m co-sanctioned tournament did not show the Spaniard’s name among those competing in one of the more prestigious events on the Asian and European Tour’s.
‘Gonzo’ cited his disappointment with organisers of any form of reply to his request for airfares and also accommodation to defend his title.
The happy sight a year ago of Spain’s Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano with the Barclays Singapore Open trophy but he has now declined the tournament next week. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
“I just didn’t get an agreement with the promoters as I asked them for flights and accommodation and they kept postponing the answer and just kept postponing, so I needed to make up schedule and that is why I am not playing in Singapore next week,” he said before heading into the third round of the HSBC Champions event in Shenzhen.
“It just to a point that I was fed up waiting for a reply and it’s disappointing as it was a fantastic win in a fantastic tournament and I will always have great memories of my week in Singapore.”
‘Gonzo’ secured the biggest single prize cheque of his career, a whopping Euro 720,877 in defeating the Philippines Juvic Pagunsan when the play-off was finally concluded early on Monday morning.
Both players ended regulation play tied on 14-under par and had just played their second shots at the first extra play-off hole when a fierce electrical storm halted play.
Darkness then set in forcing officials to extend the event into a fifth day.
‘Gonzo’ eventually won to secure his firth European Tour success and a victory that helped him to secure 19th on the Race to Dubai and a tee-time into this year’s Open Championship.
He and his wife, Alicia returned to the Shangri-La Sentosa Resort Hotel to be greeted with a red carpet laid out and with the hotel’s kitchen staff forming a guard of honour as everyone about applauded the new champion.
However ‘Gonzo’s’ non-appearance next week in Singapore is sure to raise a few eyebrows.
“I’m not saying the promoters should have agreed to my request but really all I wanted was just an answer to my approach,” he added.
“So I’m not complaining about my request and more about not getting even an answer.”
Instead, the recently-turned 32 year old intends to take the week before competing the Dunlop Phoenix Open on the Japan Tour.
And before teeing-up today ‘Gonzo’ indicated fellow Spaniard and victorious Ryder Cup captain, Jose Maria Olazabal had sought an invitation to compete in Singapore but, according to ‘Gonzo’, Olazabal also had not received a reponse from Barclays Singapore Open organisers.
At this stage, invitations have been afforded to the following: Yuta Ikeda, Azuma Yano, Chris Wood. Y.E. Yang, Stephen Gallacher, John Daly and Shigeki Maruyama.
