Despite Hip Problems Stadler Excited About The Cap Cana Championship

“The specialists told me my left hip's active life is over, absolutely no chance of recovery by rest. But there is good news. First, with cortisone injections I'm told I should be able to get this year in. Better still, now I know the hip is beyond repair I don't have to protect it as I've been trying to do, which means I can swing as hard as I want without doing any new damage.”

With the hip replacement operation tentatively planned for November, Stadler said he expects to keep to his regular schedule: “That's how it is in theory,” he added. “In practice we'll just see how it goes week to week.”

Stadler should arrive in the Dominican Republic game-sharp after three Champions Tour starts with hopes of improving on his T-3rd finish in 2008: “The Punta Espada course is tough when the wind blows, as it almost always does,” the former Masters champion said. “There are a lot of difficult long-iron approaches, where par can be a real challenge, the sort of competitive action I seriously enjoy.”

Globetrotting Stadler, who during his career has won as far afield as Japan and Australia , said he is very keen to play The Cap Cana Championship this year because he has invited a group of friends to join him in the tournament's pro-am.  “The entire place is awesome,” he said.” I consider the Cap Cana Resort one of the best places I've ever been to. I really want these friends to share the experience.”

Latin American icons Eduardo Romero and Vicente Fernandez have also signed up for a third appearance at Punta Espada. Romero, 55, the 2008 U.S. Senior Open champion and one of the most exciting players on the Champions Tour, still delights spectators with 300-plus yard drives and an amazingly deft short game.

In 2009 his single victory at the Toshiba Classic was a milestone - his 100th career victory - but the man best known as the Cat (el Gato) hopes to pounce harder this year as victory in the Dominican Republic is high on his wish list.

“Last year I had a great chance to win. I was in the lead going into the final round but didn't finish very strong. I hope this time I can play well because winning in the Dominican Republic is one of my ambitions. And there's special a bonus in this for me – if I win, I get to say my thanks in Spanish!”

A Stadler-Romero finale would be a certain crowd pleaser, a friendly rivalry that goes back two decades when The Walrus beat The Cat in a sudden death playoff for the Argentine Open and where Stadler attained instant folk-hero status after a victory speech delivered in Spanish.