Tiger Woods won a thrilling Masters Tournament at Augusta National on Sunday, and consequently secured his chance to vie for the £1 million richest first prize in golf in the 2005 HSBC World Match Play Championship.
Victory takes Woods to the top of the 2005 HSBC Major Championships Ranking and guarantees a spot alongside defending champion and six-time winner Ernie Els and Vijay Singh (World Number One at March 31), in the HSBC event which takes place at the earlier date of September 15-18. England’’s Luke Donald and South African Retief Goosen finished tied third behind Chris DiMarco and hold the same positions on the 2005 HSBC Major Championships Ranking table.
Qualification for the HSBC World Match Play will be decided after the US PGA Championship in August. The leading ten players on the 2005 HSBC Major Championships Ranking all qualify for the 16-man field competing over the West Course at Wentworth Club, Surrey, England. Now in its 42nd year, the tournament is officially sanctioned by The European Tour with the results counting towards The European Tour Order of Merit and the Official World Golf Ranking.
The leading two European Tour Members on the HSBC European Tournaments Ranking, which accumulates the Official World Golf Ranking Points earned from the Dubai Desert Classic, the Johnnie Walker Classic, the BMW Championship and the Smurfit European Open, will also qualify. The final two spots will go to the leading two European Tour players, not already qualified, on The European Tour Order of Merit on August 29 after the BMW International Open.
Total prize money will be £2,440,000 with all matches being decided over 36 holes.
2005 HSBC Major Championships Ranking after the 2005 Masters Tournament:
Ranking Player Points
.
1 Tiger Woods 100.00
2 Chris DiMarco 60.00
3= Luke Donald 35.00
3= Retief Goosen 35.00
5= Mark Hensby 18.60
5= Mike Weir 18.60
5= Rod Pampling 18.60
5= Vijay Singh 18.60
5= Trevor Immelman 18.60
10 Phil Mickelson 14.00
2005 HSBC European Tournaments Ranking after the 2005 Dubai Desert Classic:
Ranking Player Points
.
1 Ernie Els 36
2= Miguel A Jimenez 18
2= Stephen Dodd 18
4 Colin Montgomerie 10.8
5 Gregory Havret 8.64
6= Lee Westwood 6.48
6= Robert Karlsson 6.48
6= Nick Dougherty 6.48
9= David Howell 5.22
9= Soren Kjeldsen 5.22
