One of the strongest fields ever assembled for the HSBC World Match Play Championship will line up on the West Course at Wentworth Club this week with defending champion Michael Campbell and World Number One Tiger Woods leading the way as the top two seeds.
Six of the World’s Top Ten golfers will be in action with Woods joined by his United States Ryder Cup team-mate Jim Furyk (Second), Australian Adam Scott (Fifth), South Africa’s Retief Goosen (Sixth), six-time champion Ernie Els of South Africa (Seventh) and England’s Luke Donald (Tenth). They are backed up by the current European Tour Number One David Howell and last year’s Order of Merit winner, Colin Montgomerie.
Furyk and Scott both arrive at Wentworth Club is buoyant form, the former having won the Canadian Open immediately prior to flying to England while Scott beat Els in a play-off for the Barclays Singapore Open. Furky’s victory carried him above Phil Mickelson to Number Two in the world.
Woods, of course, is on an incredible run that has seen him win his last five events, including The Open Championship and the US PGA Championship, taking his Major Championship tally to 12. Only Jack Nicklaus has won more. Woods last played in the HSBC World Match Play in 1998 when he lost in the final after his close friend Mark O’Meara came back from four down to win at the last.
Woods is one of seven Major Champions who will be competing for the £1,000,000 first prize – the richest in world golf – over the course remodelled over the winter by Els.
Els missed the chance to defend his title a year ago through injury but returns this week in his quest for a seventh title after qualifying through the HSBC Major Championship Ranking.
“I was really frustrated not to be able to defend my title last year and can’t wait to tee up this year. With Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk and defending champion, Michael Campbell, in the field it would be a special one to win. I will also be interested to see how our courses changes match up to match play” commented Els.
The first round draw throws up some intriguing encounters, such as the tie pitting the immediate past and present leaders of the European Tour Order of Merit – Montgomerie and Howell – against each other.
Next week they will be standing shoulder to shoulder on The European Ryder Cup Team but that camaraderie will be put to one side on the first day at Wentworth Club, particularly with Howell looking to complete a West Course double this year following his victory in the BMW Championship in May. Montgomerie is also no stranger to the West Course having won four times over the Surrey masterpiece.
Campbell, the top seed faces England’s Simon Khan, who will be making his debut in the event. In May Khan finished runner-up to Howell in the BMW Championship and will be looking for similar form as he takes on the 2005 US Open Champion.
Second seed Woods faces fellow American Shaun Micheel, the 2003 US PGA Champion. This year Micheel finished runner-up in the season’s fourth Major, behind Woods.
Furyk is seeded third and faces Swedish Ryder Cup player Robert Karlsson, twice a winner in Europe this year.
Double US Open Champion Retief Goosen and the in-form Scott face England’s Paul Casey and 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir respectively.
The contest between two of the game’s big hitters and West Course specialists Els and Angel Cabrera is an enthralling tie while the last of the first round matches will see European Ryder Cup player Luke Donald take on South African Tim Clark.
Donald, who finished third in the US PGA Championship to secure his place in the field, commented: “I am really looking forward to an exciting three weeks in Europe, kicking off at the HSBC World Match Play Championship.”
