This week's event of Asian Tour: Venetian Macao Open 2016  09:48, 12/10/2016

Prize Money: US$1.1 million - Winner's cheque: US$198,000.

Venue: Macau Golf and Country Club.

Starts: From October 13 to 16, Thursday to Sunday.

Top Contenders: Scott Hend (Aus – Defending Champion), Branden Grace (Rsa), Anirban Lahiri (Ind), Jeunghun Wang (Kor), Darren Clarke (Nir), Chan Shih-chang (Tpe), Gaganjeet Bhullar (Ind), Miguel Tabuena (Phi), Ian Poulter (Eng), Phachara Khongwatmai (Tha)

Media Officer: Chuah Choo Chiang

Contact number: +6012 2172 123

Press releases will be available from Tuesday through Sunday while players' interview transcripts will also be posted on www.asiantour.comdaily.

 Venetian Macao Open Fact Facts

1. This week’s Venetian Macao Open will feature a stellar field, with no fewer than 43 Asian Tour champions contributing 133 combined victories and five Order of Merit winners – Anirban Lahiri, Thaworn Wiratchant, Jyoti Randhawa, Arjun Atwal and Liang Wen-chong.

2. South Africa’s world number 14 Branden Grace and England’s Ian Poulter will make their debuts at the US$1.1 million full-field Asian Tour tournament while Europe’s Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke will also tee up, some 17 years after his debut here.

3. Australia’s Scott Hend will defend his title at the event which he also won in 2013 and was runner-up in 2014. He is now 52-under-par at Macao Golf and Country Club in the past three years. He is also bidding to become the first man to win the tournament three times.

4. A total of seven players from the current top-10 of the Asian Tour Order of Merit will be in the field, led by current number one Hend, Marcus Fraser, Jeunghun Wang, Miguel Tabuena, SSP Chawrasia, Chan Shih-chang and Gaganjeet Bhullar.

5. Seven former champions of the Venetian Macao Open will be in the field, including Lahiri (2014), Bhullar (2012), Chan Yih-shin (2011), Thaworn Wiratchant (2009), David Gleeson (2008), Jason Knutzon (2004) and Zhang Lian-wei (2001 and 2002).

6. The Macao Open was inaugurated in 1998 and The Venetian Macao took up the event’s title sponsorship in 2012. It has raised the prize money every year to a record US$1.1 million this week, which makes the tournament the richest full-field event on the Asian Tour Schedule this season.

7. The champion’s cheque is worth US$198,000, which could impact the race for the coveted Order of Merit title. The Venetian Macao Open is also the final event to determine the leading 10 qualifiers for the CIMB Classic in Malaysia next week and leading four players not otherwise exempt for the WGC-HSBC Champions in China at the end of the month.

8. All eyes will be on Canadian Jamie Sadlowski, who is a former full-time Long Driving competitor. He routinely drove the ball 400 yards previously and is now embarking on a career in the professional golf tours. He finished tied 46^th in Indonesia last week.

9. Apart from Zhang Lian-wei and Liang Wen-chong, six other Chinese players are in the field. The attention will be on 19-year-old Dou Ze-cheng who has won four tournaments in China this year.

10. The course record at Macao Golf and Country Club is nine-under-par 62 held by India’s Amandeep Johl (2004) and Anirban Lahiri (2013). Lahiri shot a 10-under-par 61 in the opening round in 2014 but the preferred lie ruling was enforced that week which made the score an unofficial record. Hend also carded a 62 in the first round in 2014.