SUNDAY MAY 20, 2012 – VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
• His second European Tour International Schedule victory in his 207th European Tour event.
• Moves to €1,130,111 in The Race to Dubai. This is the second consecutive season and second time in his career he has won more than €1 million in a single season. It is also his highest single-season earnings, beating the €1,091,504 he amassed in 2011.
• Could move to just outside the top 30 of the Official World Golf Ranking from 51st.
• Both of his European Tour victories have come in Volvo-sponsored events, following the 2011 Volvo China Open.
• Victory beats his previous best 2012 performance of second in the 2012 Volvo China Open.
• Victory comes in his second appearance in the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
• This victory beats his previous best finish in the Volvo World Match Play Championship of losing in the semi-finals in 2011.
• The first Belgian to win twice on The European Tour.
• Becomes the second player in European Tour history to win his first two events in Volvo-sponsored tournaments. The first was Ignacio Garrido. He won the 1997 Volvo German Open and 2003 Volvo PGA Championship.
• Continues his wonderful record in Volvo-sponsored events since 2011. He was first in 2011 Volvo China Open and tied third in the 2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship. In 2012 he was fourth in the Volvo Golf Champions, second in the Volvo China Open and first in the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
OTHER FACTS
• His seventh win as a professional.
• The third Belgian victory in European Tour history.
• This victory continues his wonderful form in 2012.This is his seventh top ten finish from his 11 events and the most of any player so far this season.
• Gains place in the 2012 WGC – Bridgestone Invitational, 2012 WGC – HSBC Champions and 2013 Volvo Golf Champions.
• Moves to €1,382,544 in The European Ryder Cup Points Table.
• Gains his largest European Tour prize of €458,333
• Extends his European Tour exemption until the end of 2014.
• Becomes the 14th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player on the 2012 European Tour from 19 events so far. They are: Louis Oosthuizen (Africa Open and Maybank Malaysian Open), Branden Grace (Joburg Open, Volvo Golf Champions and Volvo China Open), Robert Rock (Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship), Rafael Cabrera-Bello (Omega Dubai Desert Classic), Justin Rose (WGC – Cadillac Championship), Julien Quesne (Open de Andalucía Costa del Sol), Michael Hoey (Trophée Hassan II), Thorbjørn Olesen (Sicilian Open), Bernd Wiesberger (Ballantine’s Championship), Ricardo Santos (Madeira Islands Open – Portugal) and Nicolas Colsaerts (Volvo World Match Play Championship).
• Becomes the 298th European Tour victory by a former Challenge Tour player.
