European Tour Notebook: Calls to put Ballesteros on tour logo increase

Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo have added their names to the campaign to have the image of the late Seve Ballesteros on the logo of the European Tour.

The logo is currently a silhouette of Harry Vardon -- British Open champion a record six times between 1896 and 1914 -- but the two Ryder Cup captains gave their views after attending Ballesteros’ funeral last Wednesday in Spain.

"I think you will find it does change and let's hope it is sooner rather than later," said Montgomerie. "I would vote for that immediately. When you talk about the European Tour you talk about Seve, and I think it's only right he should appear on our logo."

Faldo, who flew from in America, added: "I think they (the tour) would have a very difficult time not changing the logo.

"From Day 1, I said to (European Tour Chief Executive) George (O'Grady), 'Come on -- we are not 110-year-old golfers',” he said. "There will never be another Seve. He had everything -- the good looks, the charisma, the smile, the walk and the swashbuckling golf game.

"We shared lots of battles and it's tragic. We would have been mates and we've lost out on that,” he added. “We always had mutual respect, but we never realized the level of feelings that we had for each other."

WENTWORTH TO CELEBRATE SEVE: Six major champions will be among the players gathering at at the BMW PGA Championship later this month to honor the memory and celebrate the life of the late Seve Ballesteros -- and to raise considerable funds for his foundation.

All proceeds from the 'Ole Seve!' pro-am over the West Course at Wentworth will be donated to the Seve Ballesteros Foundation and Cancer Research UK.

A minimum of 22 teams will include Jose Maria Olazabal, Graeme McDowell, Michael Campbell, Retief Goosen, Martin Kaymer and Paul Lawrie. Olazabal will take on the role of tournament host and the pro-am will be followed by an evening reception and auction. The event, which kicks off BMW PGA Championship week, will be open to the public and admission will take the form of a donation to the Ballesteros Foundation.

Other players taking part include Colin Montgomerie, Paul Casey, defending BMW PGA champion Simon Khan, Anders Hansen, David Howell, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Peter Hanson and 18-year-old Matteo Manassero.

The second round of the BMW PGA coincides with the 20th anniversary of Ballesteros' second win, and everyone attending that day is being encouraged to wear navy blue in his honor.

RYDER CUP TRIO JOIN WALES OPEN FIELD: European Ryder Cup heroes Ross Fisher, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson have confirmed that they will be joining defending champion Graeme McDowell and former Ryder Cup Captain Colin Montgomerie in returning to Celtic Manor for the Saab Wales Open on June 2-5.

McDowell will be the defending champion for a tournament that has also attracted former British Open champion John Daly, who will be participating as well in the inaugural PowerPlay Golf event there on Monday May 30.

That features two flags on every green, with extra points for taking on the tougher one, and Gary Player, Ian Woosnam, Ian Poulter, Paul Casey, Paula Creamer and Helen Alfredsson are also taking part in that.

TRIO COMPLETE MATCH PLAY LINE-UP: British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen, Australian Aaron Baddeley and Korean Noh Seung-yul will complete the 24-man field for the upcoming Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain.

Oosthuizen's inclusion means the four current major champions will all be playing at Finca Cortesin as well as the following week in the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

"I am very grateful,” said Oosthuizen, who is the only player invited into the field. “With such an elite field, I know there were any number of great candidates who were hoping they would get the call-up. I hope I can make the most of the opportunity and am really looking forward to playing in this historic tournament that I watched Ernie Els win so many times."

Six of the world's current top seven are competing as well: Lee Westwood, PGA Champion Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey.

Baddeley is the Australasian representative after Adam Scott, Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy and Robert Allenby turned down the chance to compete. Nineteen-year-old Noh represents Asia because Y.E. Yang had already qualified and their fellow Koreans K.J. Choi and Kim Kyung-tae and Japan's Ryo Ishikawa, Yuta Ikeda and Hiroyuki Fujita opted not to play.

The 24 will be divided in eight groups of three based on their world rankings on Monday, with the top two in each progressing to the knock-out on Saturday and Sunday.

The complete field includes: Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Charl Schwartzel, Ian Poulter, Francesco Molinari, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Retief Goosen, Alvaro Quiros, Louis Oosthuizen, Y.E. Yang, Ryan Moore, Anders Hansen, Ross Fisher, Aaron Baddeley, Noh Seung-yul, Jhonattan Vegas, Nicolas Colsaerts, Soren Kjeldsen, Johan Edfors and Paul Lawrie.