For this years’ Championship, 22 out of 24 players have qualified and the worlds’ top golfers are now confirming their participation. This week, we announce that Spanish stars, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello will take on a host of Major winners at the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship from May 17-20. Next week more top players will be revealed.
The Major champions that the home favourites will face at Finca Cortesín, Spain, include 2011 Open Champion, Darren Clarke, 2010 US PGA Champion, Martin Kaymer, two-time US Open Champion, Retief Goosen and 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie.
The 24-man field will also include the defending Champion, Ian Poulter and his good friend and current world number 10, Justin Rose, who will be playing in Europe for the first time since winning his first World Golf Championship title earlier this year. Completing the players confirmed to date is Peter Hanson who finished 3rd at the 2012 US Masters and is currently the top ranked Swedish player on the Official World Golf Rankings.
The Championship’s exciting format will see the players, divided into eight groups of three, play in a round-robin group format on Thursday and Friday. This will decide which 16 players progress to Saturday’s knock-out stage with the semi-finals and final played on Sunday.
Big-hitting Álvaro Quirós, already a six-time winner on the European Tour, explained, “I am so pleased to have finally qualified for this year’s Volvo World Match Play Championship. To play in Spain in front of my home crowds against such an elite field is very exciting and I hope, with their support, I can go a lot further than I did last year. It is fantastic for Spain to host such a prestigious event and Rafael and I will be doing our best to make the Spanish fans happy.”
World Number six, Martin Kaymer, said “I am excited to return to Finca Cortesín. It is an amazing venue and hotel and with it being a limited field match play event, it certainly stands out on my schedule as being a very special week which I look forward to very much. I lost in the semi finals last year to Luke Donald so will be looking to go a bit further this year! I think any match play tournament in a Ryder Cup year has extra importance and especially with us playing in Spain where José María (Olazábal) will be keeping an eye on us.”
Per Ericsson, President of Volvo Event Management, added, “It will be thrilling to see who will claim the final places in the field over the next couple of weeks and, of course, especially to see who will win through at this week’s Volvo China Open. With two important tournaments on the European Tour schedule within the month, it is a very exciting time for Volvo in Golf. I look forward to revealing more confirmed players next week.”
Guy Kinnings Managing Director of IMG Golf, EMEA added, “Once again we have another great field gathering for the 47th Volvo World Match Play Championship. In partnership with Volvo, Finca and the European Tour we have developed this historic Championship into a very significant tournament on the player’s schedules and we anticipate another thrilling edition of the Volvo World Match Play Championship at the beautiful setting of Finca Cortesín.”
Vicente Rubio, Managing Director Finca Cortesín concluded, “We look forward to welcoming this star-studded field to Finca Cortesín next month. Everything is in place and the course is in fantastic condition and we are ready to host our third Volvo World Match Play Championship.”