Australian triumphs in Ballantine's golf

Korea: The 2010 Ballantine’s Championship golf tournament has been won by Australia’s Marcus Fraser.

With his final round of 69, Fraser finished four shots clear of the field. He received the Ballantine’s Championship trophy and a winner’s cheque for €367,500 from Chivas Brothers commercial director Paul Scanlon.

“This year’s tournament is historic for the world’s No2 Scotch whisky brand,” said Scanlon, “as it coincides with the 50th anniversary of the first Ballantine’s golf tournament, which took place at Wentworth in 1960.”

Fraser was also presented with a limited edition anniversary Scotch whisky blend, created by Ballantine’s master blender Sandy Hyslop, which combines extremely rare grains and malts taken from the time of the first tournaments fifty years ago.

A second bottle of Ballantine’s Championship blend was auctioned for charity on the opening night of the tournament, raising $12,500 for local charity Community Chest of Korea.

The 2010 Ballantine’s Championship – Asia’s fourth biggest golf tournament, and the largest sporting event in Korea – was held on the picturesque holiday island of Jeju, April 22-25.

By winning the event, co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Korean PGA, Fraser returns to the list of the world’s top 100 golfers, climbing 134 positions to 98th. It is his first tournament win since the BMW Russian Open in 2003.