Photo by:

PHOTO SUPPLIED

Bryan Saltus poses with the 2007 Cambodia Open trophy.

YET again, doubts have been raised about the inaugural Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open winner Bryan Saltus's ability to compete in this year's Open event at Siem Reap, and yet again Saltus has personally dismissed those doubts.

"I will be there, so count on that," Saltus told the Post at the weekend. "And yes, I did hurt my knee but no serious damage was done, thank God."

Saltus was painfully forced out of the Barclays Singapore Open this month after dislocating his right knee on the first hole.

He was playing his second shot on the par-four opening hole on the Serapong Course at Sentosa Golf Club when he slipped.

His knee popped out, sending him crashing to the ground. He was taken from the course by ambulance.

"I hit a six iron and was more concerned about the shot first of all. My knee sounded like a shot gun going off," Saltus told the Singapore media.

But scuttlebutt rumour doing the rounds of the Asian golf circuit, where Saltus enjoys cult status, has it that he originally hurt his knee falling off a table at Scruffy Murphy's bar in Singapore at night.

Saltus has vehemently denied this and told the Post, "I figure someone is messing with me."

The second Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open 2008 golf tournament will be held at the Sofitel Hotel's Phokeethra Country Club golf course in Siem Reap from December 8 to December 14. The entry list of all players in this year's event was posted on Tuesday and can be seen in the news section on www.asiantour.com

The Cambodian Open is the Kingdom's only international golf tournament and is part of the 2008 Asian Tour.  

The prize purse at this year's Cambodian Open is a handy US$300,000, and the format is a 72-hole stroke event played in accordance with Asian Tour regulations.