US Open Champion Jim Furyk’’s first Major victory has guaranteed him the chance to compete for the richest prize in European and US golf, the £1 million first prize for the HSBC World Match Play at Wentworth Club in October.
The 33 year old American joins World Number One Tiger Woods, defending champion Ernie Els and 2003 Masters Champion Mike Weir on the list of those guaranteed qualification for the 2.3 million event, which celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.
Weir continues to lead the HSBC Ranking with 67.50 points after finishing third at Olympia Fields while Australian Stephen Leaney is now the leading European Tour Member in fourth place with 30 points after finishing runner-up in the US Open Championship.
The HSBC Major Championships Ranking has been created to measure and rank player’’s performances in the current year’’s ‘Majors’’, as a basis for constructing the strongest field for the HSBC World Match Play Championship. After the US PGA Championship, the top ten players in the ranking are guaranteed qualification to the 2003 HSBC World Match Play Championship along with the World Number One and defending champion.
HSBC, the world’’s second largest bank, has signed a ten year deal with tournament founders and promoters IMG for the World Match Play, which remains the only match play event with all matches contested over 36 holes. This year’’s HSBC World Match Play Championship will be help from October 16-19 over the famous West Course at Wentworth Club.
