The Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe teams have been confirmed for the inaugural Seve Ballesteros Trophy to be played at Sunningdale Golf Club on April 14-16.
Continental Europe will be represented by Seve Ballesteros, the captain, Thomas Björn, Alex Cejka, Sergio Garcia, Miguel Angel Jiménez, Bernhard Langer, Jarmo Sandelin and Jean Van de Velde, with José Maria Olazábal as a wild card selection.
Representing Great Britain and Ireland will be Colin Montgomerie, the captain, John Bickerton, Darren Clarke, Padraig Harrington, David Howell, Paul Lawrie, Gary Orr and Lee Westwood. Montgomerie will announce his wild card at a later date.
The final place on the two ten-man teams will go to the leading player, not otherwise qualified from the 2000 Volvo Order of Merit as of 9th April to a floor of tenth place. If there is no player eligible for either team within the top ten on the 2000 Volvo Order of Merit, the final place will go to the next available player from the 1999 Volvo Order of Merit.
Ballesteros said: “I have a great team. I am sure the matches will be very tight but Colin and I will ensure good sportsmanship will prevail above everything.”
Olazábal commented: “I am thrilled that Seve has chosen me especially because I will again be part of a team with him and we will have the chance of playing together again. I have very good memories of the many times that we have been team-mates and the matches we played together in the Ryder Cup.
“This is the first year of this tournament but I hope and wish that step by step it will establish itself. The Seve Ballesteros Trophy has a very good future ahead.”
A total of 26 points will be at stake through a series of foursomes, fourballs, greensomes, and singles, with each member of the winning team receiving 150,000 euro (approx £92,000) and the runners-up 90,000 euro (approx £55,000).
Amen Corner, the Management Company owned by Seve Ballesteros and Media Pro, a leading Spanish-based company in the selling of TV rights of international sporting events, will jointly promote the event which will be staged by the European Tour.
The Seve Ballesteros Trophy will not only be launched in the new millennium but it will also mark the 100th anniversary of the Old Course being laid out at Sunningdale by twice Open Champion Willie Park. Sunningdale has hosted numerous European Tour events including, most recently, the European Open in addition to the British Masters, the Daks Golf Tournament, the PGA Matchplay tournament, the Hennessy Cognac Cup and the Walker Cup.
