Field Annouced for WGC - Accenture Match Play

The field for next week’’s World Golf Championships - Accenture Match Play Championship has been announced with Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Retief Goosen as the top seeds in each of the four brackets.

The WGC – Accenture Match Play will start on Wednesday 23 February at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, California, USA where Woods will defend the title.

The draw will be released on Monday at which point the four brackets, named in honour of Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Gary Player and Sam Snead, will become official. After that point, any player who withdraws from the tournament will not be replaced and his opponent will be given a walkover. Prior to the Monday deadline, alternates will be given a place.

Provided there are no more withdrawals, the provisional draw pits World Number One Singh against Japan’’s Shingo Katayama. Woods looks set to face Zimbabwe’’s Nick Price with Mickelson lining up against his fellow American Loren Roberts. South Africa’’s Goosen, the reigning US Open Champion, is poised for a clash against Australian Stephen Leaney.

From a European Tour point of view the most intriguing potential match will see the two Portrush players, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell, come face to face. The two Northern Irishmen learnt the game on the same course, play out of the same management stable and are good friends. Clarke’’s record in the WGC – Accenture Match includes victory in 2000 and third place last year while McDowell will be making his debut in the event.

Two other great friends, Adam Scott of Australia and Trevor Immelman of South Africa are also set to face each other in the first round in another all European Tour clash.

Spain’’s Sergio Garcia and Germany’’s Alex Cejka is another European Tour match up as is Angel Cabrera, of Argentina, and England’’s Paul Casey.

Field

1. Vijay Singh (Fiji)

1. Tiger Woods (United States)

1. Phil Mickelson (United States)

1. Retief Goosen (South Africa)

1. Mike Weir (Canada)

1. Sergio Garcia (Spain)

1. Padraig Harrington (Ireland)

1. Stewart Cink (United States)

1. Davis Love III (United States)

1. Stuart Appleby (Australia)

1. Adam Scott (Australia)

1. Darren Clarke (Northern Ireland)

1. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)

1. David Toms (United States)

1. Kenny Perry (United States)

1. Chris DiMarco (United States)

1. Justin Leonard (United States)

1. Luke Donald (England)

1. Stephen Ames (Canada)

1. Chad Campbell (United States)

1. Todd Hamilton (United States)

1. Shigeki Maruyama (Japan)

1. .Jim Furyk (United States)

1. Lee Westwood (England)

1. K.J. Choi (South Korea)

1. Thomas Bjorn (Denmark)

1. Scott Verplank (United States)

1. Tim Clark (South Africa)

1. Peter Lonard (Australia)

1. Angel Cabrera (Argentina)

1. Nick O’’Hern (Australia)

1. Jonathan Kaye (United States)

1. Jay Haas (United States)

1. Charles Howell III (United States)

1. Paul Casey (England)

1. Fred Couples (United States)

1. Craig Parry (Australia)

1. Jerry Kelly (United States)

1. Rory Sabbatini (South Africa)

1. Tom Lehman (United States)

1. Steve Flesch (United States)

1. Ian Poulter (England)

1. David Howell (England)

1. Robert Allenby (Australia)

1. Fredrik Jacobson (Sweden)

1. Mark Hensby (Australia)

1. Zach Johnson (United States)

1. John Daly (United States)

1. Tim Herron United States)

1. Thomas Levet (France)

1. Richard Green (Australia)

1. Rod Pampling (Australia)

1. Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland)

1. Trevor Immelman (South Africa)

1. Joakim Haeggman (Sweden)

1. Chris Riley (United States)

1. Fred Funk (United States)

1. Jeff Maggert (United States)

1. Alex Cejka (Germany)

1. Kirk Triplett (United States)

1. Stephen Leaney (Australia)

1. Loren Roberts (United States)

1. Nick Price (Zimbabwe)

1. Shingo Katayama (Japan)