50 YEARS SIMCE ARNOLD PALMER WON FIRST EVENT AT WENTWORTH

LONDON GOLF CLUB TO HOST VOLVO 

WORLD MATCH-PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP

NEWS RELEASE

Volvo, IMG and the European Tour confirmed today that the 2014 Volvo World Match-play Championship will be played on the International Course at the London Golf Club, Kent from October 15 to 19.

Celebrating the 50^th anniversary since the inaugural championship, won by Arnold Palmer at Wentworth in 1964, the 2014 championship will revert to a 16-man field and offer a prize fund of €2.25m (just over US$3 million) with a first prize of €650,000 (approx US$880,000).  The elite field will qualify via revised criteria and will be split into four groups of four in the group stages before the leading 2 players per group proceed to the knock out phase to be played over the weekend. The Tournament will now be played over five days starting on Wednesday.

 

Endorsing the move to the Championship’s former traditional October date as well as a long awaited return to the United Kingdom, the first two players to qualify were quick to confirm their participation – defending Champion, Graeme McDowell and winner of the 2013 Race to Dubai and 2013 FedEx Cup, Henrik Stenson.

 

McDowell commented, “I think it is fantastic that the Volvo World Match Play Championship will be played in England for this special anniversary. I enjoyed everything about my victory last year at Thracian Cliffs in Bulgaria. The course was spectacular and any event that Volvo are involved in as a sponsor is always a privilege to win. It seems right though to celebrate the Championship’s anniversary in England, where the tournament was held for so many years.”

 

The Northern Irish star continued, “I have heard that the International Course at the London Golf Club is a great track and I’m looking forward to seeing it for myself. I finished 3rd at the 2008 European Open on the Heritage Course there and I think it will make for a fantastic venue. I'm very much looking forward to defending my title there in October.”

 

Winner of the 2013 Race to Dubai, Henrik Stenson said, "I was delighted to qualify for the 2014 Volvo World Match Play Championship and very happy to confirm I will be playing. I really enjoy the match play format and also I want to support Volvo, not only because they are Swedish but because they have been such great supporters and sponsors of the European Tour for over 25 years."