Trevor Immelman of South Africa will be seeking to become the first back-to-back winner on The European Tour International Schedule since Fiji’’s Vijay Singh in 2001 when he tees up in the 50th Volvo PGA Championship at Wentworth Club this week.
Only eight players have won back-to-back titles in the last ten years but Immelman will be bidding to join that elite group following his one stroke victory over Ireland’’s Padraig Harrington in the Deutsche Bank – SAP Open TPC of Europe at St Leon-Rot, Heidelberg, Germany, on Sunday.
Singh, the World Number Two, who will also be lining up over the famous West Course from May 27-30, was the last player to win consecutive events when won the Carlsberg Malaysian Open and Caltex Singapore Masters in successive weeks.
Twelve months ago Immelman was narrowly defeated for the Volvo PGA Championship title by Spain’’s Igancio Garrido at the first hole of a sudden-death play-off and should he go one better this week and claim the €625,000 (£419,779) first prize he will have taken his earnings in eight days to €1,125,000 (£755,340), enough to potentially overhaul his compatriot Ernie Els at the top of the Volvo Order of Merit.
Victory for Immelman, who also won the South African Airways Open at the start of the year, would also put him alongside Spain’’s Miguel Angel Jiménez as a three time winner on The 2004 European Tour International Schedule although the Spaniard will himself be striving to add his name to the record books as the ninth player since 1972 to win four official titles in a season, a notable feat has been recorded 17 times by eight different players.
Els, Jiménez and Immelman, the top three players in the Volvo Order of Merit who between them have won more than €2.5 million this season, will be joined by the reigning Open Champion, Ben Curtis of America, and other Major Champions, Nick Faldo of England, Retief Goosen of South Africa, Paul Lawrie and Sandy Lyle of Scotland, José Maria Olazábal of Spain and Ian Woosnam of Wales.
BBC Television will supply live coverage of all the drama as it unfolds over the West Course, and anyone wishing to attend can call the ticket hotline +44 (0) 1782 741956 to book your place in advance or visit www.europeantour.com for more information on the Championship. Tickets are also available on the gate.
