SYDNEY, Australia — Golf Australia announced today that The Great White Shark Greg Norman and young superstar Adam Scott will be contenders at this year s MFS Australian Open. In a celebration of the past, present and future, and 50 years after his Australian Open victory at The Royal Sydney Golf Club, Bruce Crampton will make a special VIP appearance. The 91st Australian Open will be played November 13-19 at The Royal Sydney Golf Club. This will mark the 12th time that Royal Sydney has hosted this prestigious event. Paul McNamee, Chairman Australian Opens, Golf Australia said, We are thrilled that we can confirm Greg, Adam and Bruce for this year s MFS Australian Open. As part of this year s celebration of Australian golf we want to showcase present and future stars of the sport as well as honour a legend of the past. We are particularly delighted that Greg has agreed to play. There is no doubt that Greg has changed golf in this country forever, dominating the sport internationally and paving the way for our current galaxy of golfers. He is a testament to golfing success and is a major drawcard wherever he plays, McNamee added. Norman, a five-time Australian Open champion, is a symbol of golfing excellence. Since the mid-1970s to the present, he has won 91 professional events around the world, including 20 U.S. PGA Tour titles. “The Australian Open, as much as any other event, has shaped my development as a player and a person,” Norman said. “Over the years I have competed against many of the game s greatest on some of the world&aposs best golf courses. Golf in Australia has a storied history, and with the depth of talent in this country, the present and the future look even better. I look forward to returning for another Australian Open this November.” Norman is not the only marquee draw for the 2006 MFS Australian Open. Golf Australia has confirmed that 25-year-old Scott will be among the stellar field. Presently ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking, Scott will bring large galleries to Royal Sydney. Celebrating the 50th anniversary of his stunning Australian Open victory as a 20-year-old in 1956, Crampton is recognised as the first Australian to make inroads on the U.S. PGA Tour. In fact, he became the first foreign-born player to win USDNews Body million on the U.S. Tour. Celebrating Australian golf is part of Golf Australia s strategy to build the Open into a regionally significant event. There is a need to celebrate the game, celebrate Australian players and, with more than a dozen players in the top 100 we re entering an exciting period, McNamee said. -ends- For further information please contact Barbara Pesel at Pesel & Carr on 03 9663 0886; Mobile: 0418 548 808 or barbara.pesel@peselandcarr.com.au Biography May 06 GREG NORMAN All Australians knew countryman Greg Norman after his first professional victory in the 1976 West Lakes Classic, but it was the 1981 Masters Tournament where the Great White Shark was introduced to the world. Since that event, which saw the 26-year-old lead after round one and eventually finish fourth, Norman has amassed 91 international victories, including five Australian Open titles, two coveted Open Championships and 20 U.S. PGA Tour wins. Norman s record, coupled with his immense contribution to the game of golf, earned him a place in the World Golf Hall of Fame. For his countless accomplishments, Norman garnered the highest percentage of votes of anyone that has been inducted into golf&aposs most exclusive fraternity. In addition to his remarkable on-course achievements, his successes in the boardroom have been equally impressive. As Chairman and CEO of Great White Shark Enterprises, a multinational corporation with offices in Jupiter, Florida, and Sydney, Australia, Norman has established an elite international business with interests focused around golf and the golf lifestyle. Established in 1987, Greg Norman Golf Course Design is one of the premier signature design groups. Medallist Developments is an international developer of residential golf course communities. Greg Norman Turf Company licenses proprietary turfgrasses for golf courses, athletic fields and home lawns. Greg Norman Collection is a leading worldwide marketer and distributor of men’s sportswear, golf apparel and accessories. Greg Norman Estates produces highly rated Australian and Californian wines. Greg Norman s Australian Grille in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, offers indoor and outdoor dining with authentic Australian fare. The Greg Norman Production Company operates the PGA Tour-sanctioned Merrill Lynch Shootout. The Shootout, which will celebrate its 18th anniversary this November, is a showcase event for children s charities, a cause that Norman is deeply passionate about. Thanks to the support and loyalty of sponsors and patrons, it has contributed millions to children&aposs charities over the past 15 years. The primary beneficiary is CureSearch National Childhood Cancer Foundation. CureSearch unites the world s largest and most prestigious childhood cancer organization, The Children s Oncology Group, and its public awareness and business partner, the National Childhood Cancer Foundation. Together, they are singular in their purpose to find a cure for childhood cancer. It is Norman s overriding passion and desire for family, golf, business and adventure that has endeared him to golf fans around the globe. And while his well-documented triumphs on the golf course have assured a lofty spot in golf history, it is his trademark smile and never-say-die attitude that golf fans truly admire. Biography May 06 ADAM SCOTT Adam Scott is undoubtedly the most exciting young Australian golfer since Greg Norman. A statement endorsed by his performances over the past five years which have seen him win nine times on five continents and establish himself as one of the best golfers in the World. Adam enjoyed an illustrious amateur career which included victories in the 1996 and 1997 Australian Junior Championship, the 1996 New Zealand Junior Championship and the 1997 Doug Sanders World Junior Championship. He also secured consecutive top-10 finishes on the 2000 European Tour as an amateur at the Benson and Hedges International Open and the Moroccan Open before turning professional in June 2000. Impressive finishes in Ireland, Scotland, Belgium and Germany enabled Adam to secure his European Tour card in only seven tournaments. In 2001 Adam enjoyed a great first full season in Europe. He won the Alfred Dunhill Championship in South Africa in January and followed this with four top-five finishes to secure 13th position on the European Tour Order of Merit. By year end Adam had achieved a world ranking inside the top 50, gaining him entry to the exclusive World Golf Championship events. The following year marked a continuation of his progress finishing 7th on the Order of Merit in a season highlighted by emphatic wins at the Qatar Masters and the Diageo Scottish PGA, where his 26-under-par winning total earned a stunning 10-stroke victory. In April, on his first visit to Augusta National Golf Club for The Masters Tournament, he further demonstrated the quality of his game and composure by finishing in a tie for ninth. Only Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have recorded a higher finish at a younger age. A big stepping stone in the development of Adam&aposs career came in 2003. In February he finished 3rd at the Accenture Match Play Championship in California, one of four World Golf Championships, where he narrowly lost in extra holes to Tiger Woods in a thrilling semifinal. In August, Adam won his fourth European Tour event securing the Scandinavian Masters by two strokes and in so doing he became the youngest Australian to win four times on the European Tour. Five weeks later he recorded his first victory on the PGA Tour in the United States at the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston. A second-round 62 paved the way for a four-stroke win and saw Adam break into the top 20 in the World Rankings for the first time. Adam continued his rise in 2005. Victory at the rain-shortened Nissan Open on the PGA Tour and the Johnnie Walker Classic in China has seen him secure a place in the top 10 of the World Golf Rankings. Adam now targets even greater consistency in his play and looks to adding a Major Championship to his already impressive resume. In December of 2005, Adam started the Adam Scott Foundation to make a difference to the care and treatment of needy and sick children. The Foundation is designed to support disadvantages families in Australia with a long term goal in making a real and tangible difference for Australia s youth. All administrative costs are personally met by Adam along with any additional discretionary contributions. Therefore 100 percent of all funds donated to the Foundation are utilised for beneficiaries. Biography May 06 BRUCE CRAMPTON Bruce Crampton was born 28 September, 1935 in Sydney, New South Wales. In 1956, as a 20 year-old, Crampton won the Australian Open at Royal Sydney and in doing so matched fellow New South Welshman Lou Kelly&aposs 1933 effort. Kelly was also 20 when he won over Royal Melbourne&aposs West Course. Crampton later described that Australian Open victory as his greatest achievement in golf. He went on to win the U.S. PGA Tour&aposs Vardon Trophy, an award given to the player with the lowest scoring average, in 1973 and 1975. He also became the first foreign-born member of the U.S. PGA Tour to win USD News Body million in prize money. He had 14 career victories on the U.S. PGA Tour between 1961 and 1975 and was a runner up in four major championships (one U.S. Open, one U.S. Masters and two U.S. PGA Championships). Other victories include the New Zealand Professional Championship, the Far East Open and the Philippines Open. As a member of the U.S. Champions Tour he won an additional 20 tournaments and topped the money list in 1986. MFS, a highly diversified investment company specialising in funds management, structured finance and tourism is the naming rights sponsor of the MFS Australian Men’sOpen. The partnership with Golf Australia successfully commenced in 2005 and will run through to 2007. MFS, a publicly listed company, manages w.5 billion in assets across Australia and New Zealand. It has nine offices and employs more then 500 staff. The company also aims to establish a fund that will deliver enhanced investment opportunities to golf clubs and their members, tailored to the needs of Australian golfers. MFS Managing Director Phil Adams, has identified the benefits of associating with the sport of golf. Being the principal sponsor of the Australian Open and establishing the relationship with Golf Australia will enable us to significantly increase our brand awareness and importantly introduce us to a strategically important target market, the golfer. We are thrilled with the sponsorship to date and to have already such renowned players confirmed for this year s MFS Australian Open is a testament to Golf Australia s commitment to the event, said Adams.