Digest: A brief round-up of what's happening on the fairways
HALFWAY CUT: The number of players making the 36-hole cut at European Tour events will be reduced to the leading 65 and ties for the 2006 season. The cut has stood at 70 and ties since the start of the 2000 season but the Tour decided on the change in response to negative feedback from its members and in a bid to improve television coverage of tournaments at weekends.
Next month's China Open, to be held at Shenzhen Golf Club from November 24th to 27th, will be the first event to operate under the new guidelines.
"This is a positive move for our sponsors, our television associates, our members and for everyone associated with our tournaments," said Keith Waters, the European Tour's director of international policy.
"It will greatly assist with the presentation and logistical operation of our tournaments at the weekends."
According to the Tour, several of its members had displayed "an increasing negativity" over the number of occasions since 2000 when weekend play has been in three-balls with two-tee starts.
The biggest number of players making the 36-hole cut on this year's Tour was 90 at the Singapore Masters. The European Tour record is 91, set at the 2001 European Open at the K Club in Kildare.
HONG KONG OPEN: European number one Colin Montgomerie and defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez will play in December's Hong Kong Open. The Ryder Cup duo are the first players to be confirmed for the third event on the 2006 tour schedule, which will be held at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling from December 1st-4th.
Montgomerie, who moved to the top of the 2005 European Tour order of merit by tying for third at the WGC-American Express Championship in San Francisco on Sunday, is delighted to be returning to the Asian destination.
"I am really pleased to be playing this tournament and I always enjoy visiting Hong Kong - it's such a wonderful city," the 42-year-old Scot said.
"I know the place very well, and I'm playing well. It's just a matter of keeping going."
US TOUR: John Daly hopes to bounce back from his crushing play-off loss to Tiger Woods last Sunday with a victory at the Las Vegas championships starting today.
One of the sport's most popular players, Daly tees off in the Nevada desert today after missing a routine three-foot putt on the second play-off hole at the WGC American Express championships to gift Woods the title. Bouncing back, however, is nothing new for Daly, who has had far more downs than ups in a career that includes two major championships.
Daly arrives at the event played over two courses - the TPC at Summerlin and the TPC at the Canyons - with the added incentive of chasing a spot in next month's season-ending Tour Championship without having Woods to contend with.
