Japan Golfers Outvote Scotland

[Mulboyne]

Sportinglife: JAPAN THE REASON FOR MONTY K.O.
Masters officials have admitted that Shingo Katayama was preferred to Colin Montgomerie for Augusta's only wild card in order to satisfy the Japanese television market. Montgomerie's failure to break into the world's top 50 prevented him from winning an automatic place but Katayama is ranked at a lowly 71st - 18 places below the Briton. Augusta National chairman Hootie Johnson said: "Colin will be back to the Masters tournament one way or another surely. But we have a long relationship with Japan which has been the most populous golfing nation for many years. We do have a big broadcast over there and that does influence us."