DID YOU KNOW – VOLVO WORLD MATCH PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP
• Defending champion, Graeme McDowell will try and become the first player since Ernie Els (2003-2004) to make a successful defence. (The South African also won the event in 2002). Should the Northern Irishman triumph once again he would follow Gary Player (1965-66), Hale Irwin (1974-75), Seve Ballesteros (1981-82, 84-85) and Ernie Els (1994-96, 02-04), as players winning in back-to-back years.
• Of the 2014 competitors, seven are playing in the event for the first time. They are: Jonas Blixt, Victor Dubuisson, Mikko Ilonen, Pablo Larrazábal, Alexander Levy, Joost Luiten and Patrick Reed. Of the remaining nine players, Thomas Bjørn has competed the most times, on six occasions, the last being in 2012.
• From the field of 16, there are 13 different nationalities. The countries are: Denmark, England, Finland, France, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Northern Ireland, Scotland, Spain, Sweden, Thailand and the United States.
• There are two winners of the event competing. They are: Paul Casey (2006) and Graeme McDowell (2013).
• Graeme McDowell will be looking to make a second successful defence this season, following the Alstom Open de France, he won for a second time in July. Should he win the Volvo World Match Play Championship again, he would become just the fourth player in European Tour history to successfully defend two different titles in the same season. The first three were: Seve Ballesteros (1985-86), Ian Woosnam (1990-1991) and Tiger Woods (1999-2000, 2001-2002, 2005-2006 and 2006-2007).
• The Volvo World Match Play Championship will be taking in place at the London Golf Club. The venue will be just the fourth different course to host the event since it began in 1964.
• The Volvo World Match Play Championship is 50 years old this year and no fewer than 18 Major Champions have prevailed.
