The 16 player field for the 2004 HSBC World Match Play Championship, to be played at Wentworth Club in Surrey, England, next week, is the most international in the 41-year history of the Championship – an appropriate statistic for HSBC as the world’s most international bank.
An impressive five of the top eight players on the Official World Golf Ranking will be teeing it up next Thursday, October 14, competing in 36 hole matches for the world record £1 million first prize.
The final four players to confirm their participation are victorious European Ryder Cup Captain Bernhard Langer; US Ryder Cup Team member Chris Riley; American Steve Flesch and Ireland’s Ryder Cup player, Padraig Harrington.
Harrington, runner-up to Ian Woosnam in the epic 2001 World Match Play final, qualified as one of the two leading European Tour Members, not otherwise exempt, from the 2004 Volvo Order Of Merit after Thomas Levet qualified from the HSBC Major Championships Ranking.
The full field is:
• Ernie ELS
• Retief GOOSEN
• Vijay SINGH
• Todd HAMILTON
• K J CHOI
• Mike WEIR
• Jeff MAGGERT
• Lee WESTWOOD
• Chris RILEY
• Steve FLESCH
• Bernhard LANGER
• Miguel Angel JIMENEZ
• Thomas LEVET
• Scott DRUMMOND
• Angel CABRERA
• Padraig HARRINGTON
Commenting on his qualification, Langer, who has played in seven previous World Match Plays said: “I am delighted to have qualified to play in the 2004 HSBC World Match Play Championship. It will be my first tournament back in Europe after The Ryder Cup and I think it will be very special playing with some of my Ryder Cup colleagues and in front of our loyal home crowd. Also, having watched a whole lot of fantastic match play at The Ryder Cup, I am really looking forward to getting back on the course myself.”
Harrington playing for the fifth time, enthused, “I am thrilled to have made it into this prestigious event. I really enjoy match play and, with such a strong field, it should be a very exciting week.”
Westwood added, “Having won the old Match Play at Wentworth Club in 2000, I’m really looking forward to taking part in the new HSBC version. It’s a great field and I really enjoy the cut and thrust of match play.”
The 16 golfers listed above will compete for the Mark McCormack Trophy and a £1 million first prize, the largest in world golf.
Now in its 41st year, the HSBC World Match Play Championship is officially sanctioned by The European Tour with the results counting for Official World Ranking points for the first time. All 16 players will compete in the opening round of 36 hole matches on Thursday, October 14, with the final being played on Sunday, October 17.
