INQUIRER Sports

KUALA LUMPUR -- Two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen will replace the injured Vijay Singh at next week's 500,000-dollar Iskandar Johor Open, organizers said on Tuesday.

The South African world number 46 has signed up after Fiji's Singh, ranked third, pulled out with an arm injury.

"We are happy to confirm Goosen's participation. Having missed out on Vijay because of his injury, we're very proud to attract another big name for the championship," said organizing committee chairman Abdul Ghani Othman.

The 2001 and 2004 US Open champion, 39, previously visited Malaysia for the 2003 national Open, where he finished second behind India's Arjun Atwal.

"I am looking forward to the trip to Johor Bahru. It will be a new experience for me and a challenging one because of the humidity," he said.

"It hasn't been a good year for me. I have not managed to get a win yet. But I hope my fortunes will change in Johor."

Top Thai players Thongchai Jaidee and Thaworn Wirachant, and defending champion Artemio Murakami of the Philippines, will also play at Royal Johor Country Club.