Vijay Singh of Fiji won the US PGA Championship, the fourth and final Major Championship of the 2004 season, to qualify for the HSBC World Match Play Championship to be played at Wentworth Club, England, from October 14-17.
The new World Number Two confirmed immediately he would be taking his place in the 16 man field.
“Of course I am playing at Wentworth, I can’’t wait,” said Singh, who defeated Americans Chris DiMarco and Justin Leonard in a three hole play-off at Whistling Straits, Kohler, Wisconsin. “It’’s a long time since I won the Match Play. I’’ve lost to Ernie the last couple of times and it’’s great to get another chance to win it back.”
The leading ten available players from the HSBC Major Championships Ranking after the US PGA Championship are eligible to play in the tournament which carries a record £1 million winner’’s cheque.
The qualifiers are:-
- Defending Champion – Ernie Els (Confirmed)
- World Number One – Tiger Woods (Unable to play because of scheduling conflict)
- Phil Mickelson – US Masters Champion (TBC)
- Retief Goosen – US Open Champion (Confirmed)
- Vijay Singh – US PGA Champion (Confirmed)
- Todd Hamilton – Open Golf Champion (Confirmed)
- Chris DiMarco (TBC)
- K J Choi (Confirmed)
- Justin Leonard (TBC)
- Mike Weir (Confirmed)
- Jeff Maggert (TBC
- Davis Love III (TBC)
The remaining four players will be determined from the HSBC European Tournaments Ranking and the Volvo Order of Merit at the conclusion of The Heritage a Woburn Golf and Country Club, September 23-26, 2004. The leading two players from those two lists, not otherwise exempt are currently Scott Drummond of Scotland and Argentina’’s Angel Cabrera from the HSBC European Tournaments Ranking and Thomas Levet of France and Northern Ireland’’s Darren Clarke on the Volvo Order of Merit.
