DID YOU KNOW? – VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
• Defending champion, Ian Poulter will attempt to become the first Englishman to make a successful defence of the Volvo World Match Play Championship. Other English wins came from Sir Nick Faldo (1989 and 1992), Lee Westwood (2000), Paul Casey (2006) and Ross Fisher (2009). Should Poulter win for a second year this would mark the first time he has won the same European Tour event in back-to-back years.
• Of the 2012 competitors, Retief Goosen has made the most appearances. This year will be his 11th. He first played in 1999 and his best finish was in 2005 where he reached the semi-final.
• From the field of 24, there are 13 different nationalities. The countries are: Australia, Belgium, Colombia, Denmark, England, Germany, Japan, Northern Ireland, Scotland, South Africa, Spain, Sweden and the USA.
• There are ten players making their debut in the tournament. They are: Rafael Cabrera-Bello, Richard Finch, Branden Grace, Peter Hanson, Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Jbe’Kruger, Tom Lewis, Robert Rock, John Senden and Brandt Snedeker.
• The only winner competing in 2012 is the defending champion, Ian Poulter
• Branden Grace is looking to make European Tour history by winning for a fourth time in 2012. No player who has graduated from The European Tour Qualifying School has gone onto won on four occasions in the following season. He is also looking to win his third Volvo event of the year, following the Volvo Golf Champions and the Volvo China Open. No player in European Tour history has won three events in the same season with the same title sponsor.
