About the Volvo World Match Play Championship:
The field is 24 players. The format begins with eight groups of three golfers playing round-robin in each group. The top two golfers in each group advance into knockout rounds, head-to-head 18-hole matches with the winner advancing and the loser going home. This continues until the winner is crowned in the 18-hole final.
Nicolas Colsaerts defeated Graeme McDowell in the championship match, 1-up. It was Colsaerts' second career win on the European Tour, and he is the first Belgian golfer since the tour's founding in 1972 to win twice on the Euro Tour. In the semifinals, Colsaerts beat Paul Lawrie on the 20th hole, while McDowell dispatched Rafael Cabrera-Bello, 2-up.
2011 Volvo World Match Play Championship
In an all-England final, Ian Poulter def. Luke Donald, 2 and 1. It was Poulter's 11th European Tour victory, and he became the first golfer to win both this tournament and the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship. Poulter beat Nicolas Colsaerts in the semifinals and Donald defeated Martin Kaymer.
Volvo World Match Play Championship Golf Courses:
In 2009, for the first time, this tournament was played somewhere other than Wentworth. The new course is Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Spain.
Volvo World Match Play Championship Trivia and Notes:
- The World Match Play Championship was first played in 1964, and Arnold Palmer was the first champion.
- For much of the tournament's history, the field was only 12 players, and all matches were 36 holes in length. The field increased to 16 players in 2004, and in 2011 was expanded to 24 players.
- Beginning in 2007, only the semifinals and finals were 36 holes. Beginning in 2011, all matches were 18 holes.
- Ernie Els holds the tournament record with seven victories. No wonder he loved the tournament so much - for many years Els' primary residence was a house on the Wentworth Club course where the tournament was played.
- Els is also the only golfer to win the World Match Play Championship three straight years (1994-96). Els nearly made it four in a row, losing in the final in 1997.
- When Ian Poulter won in 2011, he became the first to have victories in both this tournament and the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship.
- Two golfers won this tournament five times each: Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros.
- Two of Player's victories were achieved by beating Jack Nicklaus in the finals. Player beat Nicklaus 6 and 4 in 1966, and 5 and 4 in 1971.
- Sandy Lyle lost in the finals four times from 1980 through 1987 before finally getting his lone victory in 1988.
Volvo World Match Play Championship Winners:
2012 - Nicolas Colsaerts def. Graeme McDowell, 1-up
2011 - Ian Poulter def. Luke Donald, 2 and 1
2010 - Not played
2009 - Ross Fisher def. Anthony Kim, 4 and 3
2008 - Not played
HSBC World Match Play Championship
2007 - Ernie Els def. Angel Cabrera, 6 and 4
2006 - Paul Casey def. Shaun Micheel, 10 and 8
2005 - Michael Campbell def. Paul McGinley, 2 and 1
2004 - Ernie Els def. Lee Westwood, 2 and 1
2003 - Ernie Els def. Thomas Bjorn, 4 and 3
Cisco World Match Play Championship
2002 - Ernie Els def. Sergio Garcia, 2 and 1
2001 - Ian Woosnam def. Padraig Harrington, 2 and 1
2000 - Lee Westwood def. Colin Montgomerie, 1-up (38 holes)
1999 - Colin Montgomerie def. Mark O'Meara, 3 and 2
1998 - Mark O'Meara def. Tiger Woods, 1-up
Toyota World Match Play Championship
1997 - Vijay Singh def. Ernie Els, 1-up
1996 - Ernie Els def. Vijay Singh, 3 and 2
1995 - Ernie Els def. Steve Elkington, 3 and 1
1994 - Ernie Els def. Colin Montgomerie, 4 and 2
1993 - Corey Pavin def. Nick Faldo, 1-up
1992 - Nick Faldo def. Jeff Sluman, 8 and 7
1991 - Seve Ballesteros def. Nick Price, 3 and 2
Suntory World Match Play Championship
1990 - Ian Woosnam def. Mark McNulty, 4 and 2
1989 - Nick Faldo def. Ian Woosnam, 1-up
1988 - Sandy Lyle def. Nick Faldo, 2 and 1
1987 - Ian Woosnam def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up
1986 - Greg Norman def. Sandy Lyle, 2 and 1
1985 - Seve Ballesteros def. Bernhard Langer, 6 and 5
1984 - Seve Ballesteros def. Bernhard Langer, 2 and 1
1983 - Greg Norman def. Nick Faldo, 3 and 2
1982 - Seve Ballesteros def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up (37 holes)
1981 - Seve Ballesteros def. Ben Crenshaw, 1-up
1980 - Greg Norman def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up
1979 - Bill Rogers def. Isao Aoki, 1-up
Colgate World Match Play Championship
1978 - Isao Aoki def. Simon Owen, 3 and 2
1977 - Graham Marsh def. Raymond Floyd, 5 and 3
Piccadilly World Match Play Championship
1976 - David Graham def. Hale Irwin, 1-up (38 holes)
1975 - Hale Irwin def. Al Geiberger, 4 and 2
1974 - Hale Irwin def. Gary Player, 3 and 1
1973 - Gary Player def. Graham Marsh, 1-up (40 holes)
1972 - Tom Weiskopf def. Lee Trevino, 4 and 3
1971 - Gary Player def. Jack Nicklaus, 5 and 4
1970 - Jack Nicklaus def. Lee Trevino, 2 and 1
1969 - Bob Charles def. Gene Littler, 1-up (37 holes)
1968 - Gary Player def. Bob Charles, 1-up
1967 - Arnold Palmer def. Peter Thomson, 1-up
1966 - Gary Player def. Jack Nicklaus, 6 and 4
1965 - Gary Player def. Peter Thomson, 3 and 2
1964 - Arnold Palmer def. Neil Coles, 2 and 1
