Notable groups: ISPS Handa Wales Open

ISPS Handa Wales Open (The Celtic Manor Resort, City of Newport, Wales)
August 29-September 1
Purse: £1,800,000 (€2,095,460 or $2,803,100)
Venue: The Twenty Ten Course
Yardage: 7,352 yards (Par 71)
Opened: 2007
This week's weather: Dry, sunny, and warm

*This week marks the start of the 2014 Ryder Cup qualification period.  Current Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley will hit the first tee shot in celebration of the beginning of the year-long points race.

*The 2010 Ryder Cup was staged at this venue.  Europe prevailed over the United States, 14.5-13.5.

*Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee won this event last year (his first win outside Asia and 6th European Tour victory) with a score of six-under-par.  Thomas Bjorn, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, Joost Luiten, and Richard Sterne were all a stroke behind at five-under.

*29 different nations will be represented this week.

Notable groupings for the first two rounds: 1st round tee time/2nd round tee time (all times according to Eastern Standard Time):

Paul McGinley, John Parry, Espen Kofstad (2:25 a.m./7:35 a.m.)
Anders Hansen, Ross Fisher, Scott Henry (2:55 a.m./7:45 a.m)
Thorbjorn Olesen, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (3:05 a.m./7:55 a.m.)
Mikko Ilonen, Francesco Molinari, Tommy Fleetwood (3:15 a.m./8:05 a.m.)
Chris Wood, Danny Willett, Robert Rock (3:25 a.m./8:15 a.m.)
Raphael Jacquelin, Rhys Davies, Peter Uihlein (3:35 a.m./8:25 a.m.)
Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Phillip Price, Ricardo Santos (3:45 a.m./8:35 a.m.)
Alvaro Quiros, Pablo Larrazabal, Joost Luiten (7:45 a.m./2:55 a.m.)
Jeev Milkha Singh, Simon Khan, Simon Dyson (7:55 a.m./3:05 a.m.)
Marc Warren, Brett Rumford, Bernd Wiesberger (8:05 a.m./3:15 a.m.)
Rafa Cabrera-Bello, Thongchai Jaidee, Darren Clarke (8:15 a.m./3:25 a.m.)
Stephen Gallacher, Thomas Bjorn, Scott Jamieson (8:25 a.m./3:35 a.m.)
Jose Maria Olazabal, Ricardo Gonzalez, Stephen Dodd (8:45 a.m./3:55 a.m.)

U.S. TV Coverage (Golf Channel) (all times Eastern)

Thursday: 10:00-2:00 (taped)
Friday: 9:30-12:30 (live)
Saturday: 8:30-12:30 (live)
Sunday: 8:30-12:30 (live)

Final round replay: Monday from 1:00-3:30 on Golf Channel