Celtic Manor's Ryder Cup course is centre of attention

The golfers are usually the focus of most tournaments, but not this one.

Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie, last weekend's Madrid Masters champion Luke Donald and Darren Clarke are among the leading names in the Wales Open field.

However, the emphasis will be on Celtic Manor's showpiece course this week. The Twenty Ten's 18 holes will be the centrepiece when Wales stages the Ryder Cup for the first time this October.

A run-of-the-mill European Tour event does not compare with the gargantuan scale of a Ryder Cup, but it as near as Celtic Manor will get to a dress rehearsal.

But the refurbished course has been criticised by golfing purists who fear the three-year old course would be too immature when the eyes of the sporting world will be on Newport.

Celtic Manor's groundsmen, with a little guidance from European Ryder Cup captain Montgomerie, are still putting the finishing touches on the redesigned valley floor.

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