Sunshine Duo Confirm Volvo Match Play

Retief Goosen

South African duo Charl Schwartzel and Retief Goosen are the latest stars to confirm their participation in the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesín from May 19th - 22nd, 2011.

Schwartzel, who won his first Major title at the 2011 Masters and two-time Major winner Retief Goosen will be fearsome opposition for the 14 players already confirmed; Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Paul Lawrie, Johan Edfors, Robert Karlsson, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell,Y E Yang, Ross Fisher, Søren Kjeldsen, Francesco Molinari and Alvaro Quiros.

Schwartzel, a seven-time winner on The European Tour, said: “Winning the Masters is, of course, amazing and I am not sure it has quite sunk in yet. While I am savouring it right now, I really want to build on this victory and keep the momentum going for the rest of the season and see what else I can achieve.

“Securing my place in the Volvo World Match Play Championship is as a result of my win at the Masters and I am really looking forward to playing at Finca Cortesín for the first time. I have grown up watching and learning from Ernie Els over the years and his record at the World Match Play Championship is incredible and one I can only dream of emulating.

“It seems like all the big names in golf have won the World Match Play Championship over the years, and with the strength of the 2011 field it would be an amazing title to win.”

World Number 22 Retief Goosen said: “I am looking forward to checking back into Finca Cortesín and playing in the 2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship. I really enjoyed staying there in 2009 but wish I had gone further in the tournament. It is a really strong field this year and so I will be looking to be quick off the mark in my group matches to try and ensure I am there for the weekend.”

Per Ericsson, President of Volvo Event Management Golf, added: “The field looks like being the most international and strongest ever and we are delighted to welcome the first Major winner of the year and a champion of the calibre of Retief to the field.”

On arrival at Finca Cortesín in May the players will be divided into eight groups of three players to be played out on Thursday and Friday with 16 players progressing to Saturday in a knock-out format, with the semis and final played on Sunday.

The prize fund for the 2011 Championship has increased to €3.4 million with a first prize of €800,000, the highest on the European Tour outside the Majors, World Golf Championship events and the Dubai World Golf Championship.

Quiros Confirmed for Volvo Match Play

Alvaro Quiros

Spaniard Alvaro Quiros is a confirmed starter in the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin near Marbella on May 19th - 22nd.

Quiros has qualified for the 24-man field via the European Tour money list and is the first home-based player to do so.

"I am so happy to have qualified," he said. "I was very relieved to find out on Monday that I had made it as it was definitely one of my main goals this season.

"It is a world-class field and I am delighted that I will be part of it and hope that I will give the home fans something to cheer about."

Quiros, who is currently fourth in the Race to Dubai, joins 13 others to have qualified - Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Paul Casey, Paul Lawrie, Johan Edfors, Robert Karlsson, Ian Poulter, Graeme McDowell, YE Yang, Ross Fisher, Soren Kjeldsen and Francesco Molinari.

Westwood and Kaymer in Volvo Match Play

Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer

The top two ranked players in the world, Martin Kaymer and Lee Westwood, will headline the Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesín from May 19th - 22nd, 2011, with the first 13 qualified players accepting their invitation to this prestigious event.


The Championship is shaping up to be one of the major events of the season as this year’s qualifiers, Rory McIlroy, after his runner up finish at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship, and Paul Casey, winner of the inaugural Volvo Golf Champions, plus Paul Lawrie and Johan Edfors, who finished first and second at last week’s Open de Andalucía de Golf by Turkish Airlines, immediately confirmed their participation in the 24-player Volvo World Match Play Championship field. 

They join winner of the 2010 Dubai Golf Championship, Robert Karlsson, and the four leading players in the final 2010 Race to Dubai Ranking: 2010 Race to Dubai winner Kaymer, World Number One Westwood, Ian Poulter and Francesco Molinari. They will join the previously announced Major Champions Graeme McDowell and Y E Yang, defending champion Ross Fisher, and 2008 Volvo Masters champion Søren Kjeldsen.

All the recent changes and enhancements that the partnership of Volvo, IMG and the European Tour have devised have proved popular amongst the players, as all of the 13 players qualified have taken up their place in the field. 

On arrival at Finca Cortesín in May, the players will be divided into eight groups of three players to be played out on Thursday and Friday, with 16 players progressing to Saturday in a knock-out format with the semis and final played on Sunday.

Kaymer is relishing the prospect of playing in what will be his first event back on European soil this year. 

He said: “I can’t wait to return to Spain to play in the Volvo World Match Play Championship as I am hoping to do much better than I did in my debut in 2009. I had a great run earlier in the year at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, so I am really looking forward to playing match play again and hope I can continue my good form. I am also very excited to return to stay in the luxurious Finca Cortesín Hotel once again, and to enjoy all the wonderful hospitality and services they offer.”

Former World Match Play champion Westwood said: “I played the new Volvo World Match Play Championship at Finca Cortesin in 2009 and found the facilities to be truly world class, and the new ‘Champions League’ format is exciting. This year, with an increased field of 24 of the best players in the world, the Volvo World Match Play Championship is back to its very best and a credit to The European Tour. The event transported itself well to southern Spain, and its new springtime date means we have two huge events back-to-back on the European Tour in May, with big prize money and vital Race to Dubai and World Ranking points on offer.

“It is fantastic news that the first 11 players to qualify for the Volvo World Match Play Championship have all accepted their invitations, and it will be interesting to see who qualifies after the Masters. I believe this will be Volvo's 124th title sponsorship in professional golf, which is a phenomenal record of investment in our game and I look forward to doing battle with the guys what is shaping up to be a fantastic field.”