The Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca CortesÍn breaks records
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It will be the first time that the top 3 golfers in the world will participate in a Spanish tournament.
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Six out of the top seven world-ranked players, and the reigning champions from the four majors, will attend the tournament at Finca Cortesín.
Louis Oosthuizen, Aaron Baddeley and Seung-yul Nog complete the group of 24 players that will compete in the Volvo World Match Play Championship next week, from Thursday 19 May to Sunday 22 May at Finca Cortesín in Casares (Malaga), where even before the Championship has begun, records have been broken.
Within the participants are the remaining champions from the four majors, 6 out of the top 7 players in the world, and, for the first time in the history of Spanish golf, the world number one, two and three will compete together in a tournament on Spanish territory. There are 14 nationalities represented and likely to be in excess of 50 OWGR points on offer to the winner in what is the strongest World Match Play Championship field to date.
As a guest of the sponsor, the last spot was given to the South African Louis Oosthuizen, winner of the British Open 2010, and who completes the quartet of reigning major champions together with Graeme McDowell (US Open 2010), Martin Kaymer (US PGA 2010) and Charl Schwartzel (Augusta Masters 2011).
Louis Oosthuizen: “I am very grateful to Volvo for offering me this invitation – with such an elite field I know there were any number of great candidates who were hoping they would get the call up. I hope I can make the most of the opportunity and am really looking forward to playing in this historic tournament that I watched Ernie Els win so many times".
The Australian Aaron Baddeley, who holds three titles on the US PGA Tour, seems to be feeling confident: “This is a great opportunity for me to play against so many of the world’s best players. I am currently just outside the World’s top 50 so a good finish in a tournament with such high world ranking points would be great! It looks like there will be some great matches and I am excited to see who I will be grouped with”.
The youngest of the 24 participants is the winner of the Malasia Open 2010 – the 18-year-old Korean Seung-yul Noh: “I’m really excited. I really want to know in which group I’m in as there are several other players who I’d like to play against, for example, a player with experience like Miguel Ángel Jiménez or a young player like Rory McIlroy”.
Per Ericsson, President of Volvo Event Management - Golf: ”We are delighted with the quality of our final field. We developed the qualification criteria with the ambition to gather a truly world class international field and with all the current Major winners, six of the World’s top seven ranked players and 14 nationalities represented we feel we have achieved just that. Now we are looking forward to seeing how these tantalising match ups play out over the beautiful Finca Cortesín course next week”.
Vicente Rubio, President of Finca Cortesín:” Everything is ready for the 2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship and we are excited to welcome this wonderful field of world class players to Finca Cortesín. Of course, we are very proud to be hosting the top three ranked players in the world and all the current Major Champions as there cannot be many clubs in Europe that have had this honour”.
Guy Kinnings, General Director of IMG Golf, EMEA: “IMG celebrate our 50th anniversary this year and it is very satisfying to observe how our longest running event has flourished into such a key tournament on the global schedule. I feel confident that the 46th edition of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesín will be our most successful yet”.
Next Monday 16 May, in accordance to their world ranking, the 24 participants will be divided into eight groups, and then the players will compete against the members of their group. 2 points will be awarded for a win and 0 for a defeat. If at the end of the 18 holes there is a draw, each player will score a point.
Volvo World Match Play Championship 2011 draw
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The Seve Ballesteros group: Lee Westwood, Anders Hansen and Aaron Baddeley
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The Mark McCormack group: Luke Donald, Ross Fischer and Ryan Moore
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The Arnold Palmer group: Martin Kaymer, YE Yang and Seung-yul Noh
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The Ian Woosnam group: Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and Johnattan Vegas
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The Gustaf Larson group: Retief Goosen, Rory McIlroy and Nicolas Colsaerts
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The Greg Norman group: Paul Casey, Alvaro Quiros and Soren Kjeldsen
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The Assar Gabrielsson group: Charl Schwartzel, Miguel Angel Jimenez and Johan Edfors
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The Gary Player group: Francesco Molinari, Ian Poulter and Paul Lawrie
Qualification System 2011
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Defending champion, Ross Fisher
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Winner of the China Volvo Open 2010, Yeng-Eun Yang
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The first two players (not already qualified) from the Andalucia Valderrama Masters 2010, Graeme McDowell and Soren Kjeldsen
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The top player (not already qualified) from the Dubai World Championship 2010, Miguel Angel Jimenez (Robert Karlsson has dropped out)
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The top four players (not already qualified) at the end of the Dubai series 2010, Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Ian Poulter, Francesco Molinari
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The top player (not already qualified) from the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship 2011, Rory McIIroy
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The top player (not lready qualified) from the Volvo Golf Champions 2011, Paul Casey
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The top two players (not already qualified) from the Andalucia Open 2011, Paul Lawrie, Johan Edfors
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The top player (not already qualified) world ranked player at the end of the 2011 Masters, from each of the following continents:
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Europe, Luke Donald
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Africa/Middle East, Charl Schwartzel
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USA, Ryan Moore
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South America, Johnattan Vegas
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Asia (including China, South-East Asia, India, Japan and Korea), Seung-Yul Noh
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Australasia (including Australia, Fiji and New Zealand), Aaron Baddeley
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The top world ranked player (not already qualified) at the end of the Masters 2011, Retief Goosen.
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The top two players (not already qualified) from the Dubai Series 2011 at the end of the Masters 2011, Alvaro Quiros, Anders Hansen.
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The top player (not already qualified) from the China Volvo Open 2011, Nicolas Colsaerts.
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An invitation from the sponsor picked from the top 50 world ranked players at the end of the Masters 2011, Louis Oosthuizen.
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