Hoey Finishes 8th in China

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Michael Hoey finished in a tie for eighth place at the Volvo China Open on Sunday, after a final round 68 and dropping three shots on two of the last three holes. Which included a double bogey five on the par three 16th.

It was a good weeks work for Hoey who has three top ten finishes so far this season, one of which was a second place at the Tshwane Open in South Africa last month, with no missed cuts since December. 

A rich vein of form that currently places him 34th in The Race to Dubai with three hundred and seven thousand Euro in prize money through 12 tournaments so far played this year.

Hoey will retun to action in mid May for the Open de España at PGA Catalunya.

The winner of the Volvo China Open, Alexander Levy, was so relaxed on the course on Sunday, not even a double bogey that erased his comfortable lead could wipe the grin from his face.

Rather than get down over what could have been a costly mistake, the 23-year-old Frenchman recovered with back-to-back birdies on his final two holes to capture his maiden European Tour title by four strokes over Tommy Fleetwood.

The smile, he said, was the key to victory.

"You need to take the pleasure on the golf course and keep the smile because if you are upset about a missed shot or not lucky because you make a lip out or something like that, it's not good to have this feeling on the golf course," he said. "You need to enjoy and have the smile."

Levy, playing in just his second year on the tour, vaulted into the lead with a career-best 10-under 62 in the second round and looked to be headed for a runaway victory after making a birdie on the 13th Sunday to extend his lead to five shots.

But then he ran into trouble on the par-4 15th. After hitting his approach shot well past the green, he putted from the fringe and sent the ball off the other side of the green. He chipped back to the green and two-putted for a double bogey, allowing Fleetwood back within two strokes.

Fleetwood, playing in the group ahead of Levy, then tightened the pressure further with a birdie on the par-5 17th to pull another shot back.

Levy responded, however, with a flawless 3-iron approach shot over a lake on the same hole to set up a three-foot birdie putt.

"I just closed my eyes and got one of the best shots of the week to the green," he said.

After Fleetwood bogeyed the 18th, Levy sealed the win by dropping another perfectly placed approach shot three feet from the pin for another birdie. He shot a final-round 69 for a 19-under 269 overall.

"We aim for wins, but today I didn't really have a chance. I had to play outstanding golf, but Alex has led from Friday, and that's one of the hardest things you can do," Fleetwood said. "What a performance from him."

Levy has faltered under pressure before. Last year, he was tied with Ernie Els entering the final round of the BMW International Open in Munich but let the title slip away with four bogeys on the back nine. He ended up in third, his previous best result on the tour.

Since then, however, he said he's been inspired by the success of his good friend and compatriot, Victor Dubuisson, who beat Tiger Woods to win his first European Tour title at the Turkish Airlines Open in November and then was runner-up to Jason Day at the Match Play Championship in February.

The other French players have given him plenty of encouragement as he chased his first tour victory this week, too.

Dubuisson has sent him text messages throughout the week, and the French contingent in Shenzhen doused him with celebratory champagne after he sank his final putt on the 18th.

"We have some great players in France, both young and old, and we all have a great relationship," Levy said. "There are some very good players and have been some great wins for Victor, Julien Quesne, Greg Bourdy, Raphael Jacquelin over the past couple of years which is great for French golf and great with the Ryder Cup coming to France in 2018."

Fleetwood was second at 15 under and Alvaro Quiros of Spain was third, another two strokes back.

No. 3-ranked Henrik Stenson, who was bedridden with the flu earlier this week, finally put together his first solid round of the tournament, with seven birdies and no bogeys for a 65. The Swede improved to joint fifth place but still fell short of the win he needed to overtake Tiger Woods at the top of the world rankings.

"It's really tight and I just need to play better if I want to get to that spot. And I should have to play better than I have done earlier on this year if I want to get to world No. 1, that's for sure," he said.

PGA champion Jason Dufner opened with a birdie-eagle on his first two holes before slipping back to joint 54th with two double bogeys and a triple bogey on the 17th.

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McDowell Match Play Champion

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Graeme McDowell came from behind to beat Thongchai Jaidee 2 and 1 and win the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Bulgaria.

Last year’s runner-up had got off to a string of fast starts en route to the final, but found himself two down after four to the resilient Jaidee and took seven holes to register a win.

Still one down at the turn, a run of three wins in four holes from the 12th gave the Northern Irishman the €800,000 winner’s cheque and one of the most prestigious titles on The European Tour.

“Obviously a nice day and a great trophy,” said McDowell. “I talked about it all week about the prestige of this event and how many great champions, and nice to add my name to that list of legends. 

“We talked a lot about what Volvo have done with this event, what they have done with golf around the world and coming to Bulgaria this week obviously was a brave move, but I think it's paid off. 

“Sitting here with the trophy I'm going to say great things about the place but I think if you talk to all the players, I think everyone enjoyed themselves, everyone enjoyed the golf course.” 

Jaidee had the consolation of €400,000 as runner-up, but could be forgiven for wondering how his name had not joined the distinguished list of winners on the trophy which includes the likes of Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Sir Nick Faldo and Ernie Els.

In perfect conditions at a sun-drenched Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort, it was 43 year old Thai Jaidee who won the second from 25 feet, having salvaged a half at the first despite driving into a bunker.

Five-time European Tour winner Jaidee, having seen off Thomas Aiken in the morning’s semi-finals, doubled his advantage at the long fourth when McDowell missed a ten foot birdie putt and the World Number 63 converted from half that distance.

Former US Open Champion McDowell had beaten Branden Grace in his semi-final and was looking to atone for his defeat to Nicolas Colsaerts at the same stage last year.

But the World Number Eight was lucky not to go three down at the par five fifth when his approach went into an unplayable patch of rough and he had to salvage par from 12 feet, with Jaidee missing his birdie effort from six feet.

A hole finally went McDowell’s way when he birdied the short seventh from six feet, and the next four were halved with pars – although Jaidee had a chance from six feet at the eighth and McDowell had to hole lengthy par putts at the ninth and tenth.

Only McDowell was able to birdie the long 12th and so the contest went into the closing stretch all square again, although the momentum had clearly shifted.

McDowell won the 14th with a par after Jaidee drove into a bush and had to play out sideways, and as a result led the final for the first time, before taking the 15th after a brilliant approach to five feet and paring the next two for victory.

“It was a little bit more tentative this afternoon,” added McDowell, who won the RBC Heritage on the US PGA Tour last month. “It was tough to keep that level of golf up all weekend, and the key putts really this afternoon were with the par saves on nine and ten - they were massive. 

“I sensed from Thongchai after that that he was starting to fatigue a little bit; I really sensed a bit of an opening. I just had to hit the shots and I did that well coming down the stretch. The mistake he made on 14 and then the birdie I made on 15 was really the telling stuff. 

“Like I say, it’s great to put my name on the trophy. I'm looking across to see Montgomerie and Westwood just popping off the trophy at me, great European Tour legends, Palmer, Nicklaus, Player, the history of this event, it's fantastic. 

“This feels really, really like a special win. I'm sure Volvo are going to work hard to take this tournament from strength to strength and get it back as one of the premiere events, one of the special events on The European Tour season, which it needs to be. 

“Els, Montgomerie, Westwood, Ballesteros, Norman, Lyle, Faldo, Player, Palmer, it's just crazy stuff really. To thrust yourself into that - to have your name on a trophy this cool is pretty special.

“I'll drink a couple of cold ones tonight and enjoy this. This is a special moment in my career, no doubt about it. Wins are super special - two in five weeks, that's great. I'm feeling pretty good right now.”

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McDowell Shows Winning Edge

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Graeme McDowell qualified for the last-16 of the Volvo World Match Play Championship with maximum points, as the top seed sent a clear message to his title rivals heading into the weekend in Bulgaria.

All the talk heading into the week was of the stunning Thracian Cliffs Golf & Beach Resort in Kavarna and its favourable comparisons with the revered Californian layout, Pebble Beach.

It was on that rugged pacific coastline course that McDowell of course claimed his maiden Major triumph at The 2010 US Open Championship, and after seeing off Stephen Gallacher 4&2 to move into the knockout stages of the tournament he admitted that the Gary Player gem was well matched to his game.

“There are a few tight tee shots but it really suits my ball shape; it suits the fade,” said McDowell, who also overcame Chris Wood 5&3 on Thursday to top the Seve Ballesteros Group with four points. 

“You can aim away from trouble. And the on the way in, the fairways are tilted so much from right to left you actually want to hit a cut against them.

“It suits my ball flight I have to say, it's my kind of golf course. Hopefully I can keep doing what I'm doing and give myself a chance this weekend.”

As is well documented, McDowell grew up and learned his trade on the links at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland so the 33 year old is very much at home on courses such as Thracian Cliffs, perched spectacularly over the Black Sea along the Cape Kaliakra in Bulgaria.

After his victory against Wood on Thursday, McDowell commented: “It's very fiery, very linksy. It's stunning to look at it; it's tricky; it's funky in places, but you've got to get on with it and if you hit good shots and place the ball well, you get rewarded.”

With winds gusting up to 25 miles per hour on Friday afternoon, the 18-hole signature course certainly needed some careful management and McDowell again embraced his favourite tag to handle the challenge with aplomb, moving four up through seven holes thanks to birdies at the first, third, fifth and seventh holes.

Gallacher, though, reduced the deficit to one with three hole victories in succession from the ninth but McDowell rallied again with wins at the 14th and 15th and a concession from the Scot at the following hole brought handshakes as The Ryder Cup star marched into the next round in Kavarna.

“It was a good game,” McDowell continued. “I got off to a fast start, played beautiful the first eight holes and kind of started getting in a little trouble which you can do around this golf course. I hit two bad tee shots and all of a sudden Stephen wins three on the spin and it's back to grinding again.

“Stephen returned the favour with a couple bad tee shots of his own coming in and thankfully made my job a little easier.

“It's a tough one. He's out there fighting for his life; a halve match will do me, but you want to put the game away. 

“These group stages can be kind of a little bit banana skins and you sort of knuckle down and get through and get into the real stuff this weekend.”

McDowell, the runner-up at this event in 2012 when Nicolas Colsaerts prevailed, also spoke of his relief at closing out his opening group ties in relatively concise fashion.

“You certainly want to conserve energy,” he reflected. “You want to get into the weekend first and foremost but you want to be trying to stay fresh. This golf course is reasonably demanding physically but we are getting lots of cart rides out there so it’s not too bad. 

“There are 36 holes a day for the next two days if you want to go all the way and you have to take that into account. I'll sleep well tonight and hopefully be ready for a big day tomorrow.”

American Bo Van Pelt awaits in the last-16 for McDowell in the final tie out on Saturday morning and the man who conquered Pebble Beach in 2010 will no doubt arrive steely-eyed and focussed, as he continues his bid to triumph on its European little brother on Sunday afternoon.

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Harrington Confirms Volvo Entry

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Pádraig Harrington confirmed his entry on Thursday as entries closed for the 2013 Volvo Golf Champions. The European Tour’s elite year-opening ‘tournament of champions’ for European Tour winners only will have a field of 35 players who have won 234 European Tour titles between them including 14 Major titles.

Harrington qualifies along with along with Darren Clarke, Retief Goosen, Colin Montgomerie, José María Olazábal and Thomas Björn as a current Tour Member with more than ten European Tour victories. They will compete against 28 European Tour champions from 2012 in the year-opening Volvo Golf Champions at the Durban Country Club from the 10th to the 13th January 2013 where players will compete for a prize fund of €2million.

Five South Africans have qualified for the Volvo Golf Champions this year with 27-time winner on the European Tour, Ernie Els, heading the strong home challenge along with defending Champion, Branden Grace, the afore-mentioned, Retief Goosen, 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and first time winner on the European Tour, Jbe Kruger. They will face a tough challenge from a field that is represented by a total of 16 nationalities including Matteo Manassero, Miguel Ángel Jiménez,Jeev Milkha Singh, Nicolas Colsaerts, Paul Casey, Peter Hanson, Paul Lawrie, Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson.

Harrington, who won the 2012 PGA Grand Slam of Golf, explained: “I was playing really well towards the end of 2012 and now that I am part-way through my winter training programme, I am looking forward to getting out on Tour and competing. I think this is an ideal tournament to start my year off where there is a limited elite field to test myself against, no cut and beautiful weather. It is a great event and I am very much looking forward to returning to South Africa in January.”

As Christmas approaches, two-time US Open winner Retief Goosen also shared some positive news as he continues his recovery from the back operation he had in August. He explained: “Everything has been going really well with my rehabilitation and I am back out on the course enjoying playing golf with my family and friends. I am confident I will be ready to compete come the Volvo Champions and I’m very excited to play my first tournament back at the Durban Country Club in front of my home fans.”

The renowned Durban Country Club was recently voted one of the Top 100 golf courses in the world by Golf Magazine USA and boasts an impressive résumé having hosted the South African Open on no fewer than 17 occasions.

The Volvo World Golf Challenge is Volvo’s global tournament for customers. This year, more than 30 countries are taking part, with 68 players making it all the way to the World Final. The most successful performers amongst the World Finalists get the chance to team up with the stars of the European Tour during the Volvo Golf Champions, live on television, in front of a worldwide audience of millions.

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McDowell Loses Match Play on Last

Nicolas Colsaerts beat Graeme McDowell on the final green to win the Volvo World Match Play Championship.

In blustery conditions at Finca Cortesin, the Belgian bomber continued his remarkable record in Volvo-sponsored events. Since winning his maiden European Tour title at the Volvo China Open in 2011 he has finished third at last year’s Volvo World Match Play, fourth at the Volvo Golf Champions and second at the 2012 Volvo China Open.

GMAC is Back...

Graeme McDowell is through to the final of the World Match Play, but Paul Lawrie was beaten in the semi-finals.

Northern Ireland's McDowell recorded a two-hole win over Spain's Rafael Cabrera-Bello to book a final meeting with Nicolas Colsaerts.

Colsaerts recovered from losing the first four holes against Scotland's Lawrie to halve the match on the 18th.

The Belgian then claimed victory at the second extra hole to move into Sunday afternoon's final.

Both matches were held up because of a lightning threat, with Lawrie one up with two to play after Colsaerts had bogeyed the 16th.

But Colsaerts recovered to birdie the last, and got and up down from just off the green when the pair went down the 18th for a second time to advance.

McDowell won three of the first four holes against Cabrera-Bello, but was forced to go down the last after the Spaniard birdied the 16th following the lightning interruption.

"It was a tough one, Rafa had a head of steam after the delay," said McDowell.

"I haven't putted well enough so far this week so I'll be on the practice green before the final."

McDowell into Volvo Semi-finals

Graeme McDowell took advantage of the Spaniard's dodgy putting and will now play Rafael Cabrera-Bello in the next round of the Volvo World Matchplay semi-finals in Spain.

Garcia three-putted from just 20 feet to hand ­McDowell victory at the first extra hole of their scrappy quarter-final last night.

McDowell will now play another Spaniard Rafael Cabrera-Bello, who won the Desert Classic in February, in this morning’s semi-finals.

In the second match ­Scotland’s Paul Lawrie will take on the big-hitting ­Belgian, Nicolas Colsaerts.

And there will be a lot at stake for both Lawrie and McDowell who currently lie fifth and eighth in the ­qualifying table for this year’s Ryder Cup.

Should either of them ­collect the £560,000 winner’s cheque and 34 world-­ranking points, that would ­guarantee their place to take on the United States at Medinah near ­Chicago.

But where Lawrie, aiming to play for Europe for the first time since his debut at Brookline, looked ­impressive in thrashing double Major winner Retief Goosen 6&5, McDowell’s golf was strewn with errors.

He topped one shot with his three wood from semi-rough ­beside the eighth fairway, and he three -putted from off the green at the 18th hole to let Garcia take the match into ‘extra time’.

McDowell said: “The result was a good ­result, because it was a weird game. We handed it back and forth to each other. It was not a quality game and I feel like I dodged a bullet. But sometimes you have to win ugly to win these events.”

Earlier in the day, Ian Poulter was knocked out of the last-16 round by ­Alvaro Quiros in ­unusual ­circumstances. He had spent most of the night with a foot packed in ice after it had been run over by a woman in a ­motorised buggy on Friday night.

Pre-tournament favourite Poulter, however, took a 4&3 beating on the chin, ­saying: “I’m not going to use the ­injury as an ­excuse.”

Fellow favourite Justin Rose lost to Colsaerts by the same margin.

GMAC and Garcia Meet in Volvo

Spain's Sergio Garcia reached the last eight of the Volvo World Match Play Championship with a comfortable 4 and 3 victory over 21 year old Tom Lewis.

The Spaniard will now play Graeme McDowell in the quarter-finals afterhe beat Richard Finch 3 and 2.

Afterwards the former US Open Champion said: “Sergio is a tough player and obviously knows his way around some Spanish golf courses. 

“You want to play against the best players and like I say it really doesn't make a huge amount of difference what name you're going to play because all of these guys are capable of shooting low numbers and I've just got to go and try and beat them. 

“I feel like I'm playing well and getting the hang of this golf course as the days go on. I’m looking forward to the game.”

Lewis, who led The Open Championship as an amateur last July and then captured the Portugal Masters in only his third start as a professional, bogeyed the long third, could not match his opponent's birdie at the 334 yard next and then conceded the next.

It was uphill from then on and Garcia sealed his win by holing a 20 footer on the 15th and seeing Lewis miss from 12.

Clarke Fails at Volvo in Finca Cortesin

Darren Clarke lost by two holes to England’s Robert Rock on Friday and faced Justin Rose in the afternoon at Finca Cortesin in Casares to remain in the Volvo World Match Play. 

Rock was two holes up with two to play but Clarke birdied the 17th from five feet to stay alive in the game. However, Clarke failed to get up and down from sand on the last to lose the match. It left the Northern Irishman needing to beat Rose just to get into a play-off between the three of them to decide which two carry on in the event.

Rose crushed Rock 7&6 when they met earlier in the event.

However Justin Rose sealed Clarke's fate in the afternoon 6 & 4.

In contrast Graeme McDowell qualified for the last 16 of the World Match Play Championship before they even hit a ball on Friday.

Having grabbed a narrow victory over Robert Karlsson on Thursday, McDowell saw the Swede earn only a half with Jbe Kruger, guaranteeing a spot in the next round.

McDowell then beat Kruger 4 & 3.

GMAC Wins on Final Stretch

Graeme McDowell trailed entering the closing stretch, and birdied the 16th, got up and down from a bunker at the short 17th and then almost eagled the 568-yard last - leaving Karlsson, in sand for two, needing to hole from eight feet for a half. Which Karlsson missed.

“One down with three to play against a great player, I feel very fortunate,” said the Northern Irishman, who now meets South African Jbe Kruger.

Brandt Snedeker began his opening group game with just 10 clubs in his bag and yet won the first three holes before more arrived.

Snedeker was forced to seek replacements when his usual set went missing en route from Florida on Monday. They eventually showed up at Malaga Airport this morning, then were driven to Finca Cortesin an hour away and taken to him on the fourth tee.

Under the rules he was allowed only to add four to those he had started with, but was so happy with the driver he had borrowed from Australian John Senden and the putter he had chosen in the pro shop that he continued with them.

“The driver worked really well, so I think it’s mine now and no longer his,” said the three-time PGA Tour winner, who hopes to use this week to impress American Ryder Cup captain Davis Love.

“It was kind of a weird day to say the least. I didn’t like my chances at all actually. I knew Thomas was a world-class player and it was pretty windy, so I knew it favoured him.”

Bjorn, though, has been suffering from a virus lately that forced him out of the last two events in America, and he could never recover from bogeying the opening three holes, falling five down after six and losing 5&4.

It was not the biggest defeat of the day, however. Robert Rock crashed 7&6 to fellow Englishman Justin Rose, who birdied the first five holes, winning four of them, and later added two more.

The week is not yet over for Bjorn, Rock, Karlsson and the other four who lost on the opening day - Sweden’s Peter Hanson, Senden, Alvaro Quiros and top seed Martin Kaymer - under the revised format of the famous event.

They could yet make it through to the last 16 if they win their second games. Ian Poulter won the title last year after failing to win either of his group matches - he halved them both.

Second seed Rose said: “The game was good, I adjusted to the speed of the greens quickly and Robert didn’t.”

To guarantee himself a place in the knock-out stages Rose now needs only a half against British Open champion Darren Clarke, the lowest-ranked player in the group after his slide to 70th in the world.

The same applies to Poulter against Tom Lewis, the 21-year-old who led the Open as an amateur last July and then won the Portugal Masters on only his third professional start.

Scot Paul Lawrie started his 500th European Tour event with a 2&1 victory over the higher-ranked Hanson, winning the 16th with a par to go one-up and then making birdie from five feet on the next after his six-iron tee shots kicked off the bank right of the green.

Lawrie and Hanson now have to play Colombian Camilo Villegas, while Kaymer lost 3&2 to Dubai Desert Classic winner Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Spain’s other winner was Sergio Garcia, who came from behind to beat compatriot Quiros 2&1.

There was also one halved game, last year’s Masters champion Charl Schwartzel making birdie on the last to square things against last year’s surprise semi-finalist Nicolas Colsaerts.

GMAC Seeking Volvo Success

Graeme McDowell is having the kind of year they warn golfers about after winning a Major title. Or as in the case of GMAC a fourteen month period when everything went right, once he showed up at the right course, on the right day, in the right continent. But that streak ended in Sherwood Country Club in December 2010 when he beat Tiger Woods at The Chevron World Challenge and it  has been harder work ever since. 

At TPC Sawgrass McDowell confirmed some of those warning signs that suggest the revolving door that is golf might be close to allowing the Portrush golfer back on to the winning stage once again - despite missing the cut at The Players Championship with rounds of 74 and 71. However a level of consistency is returning that indicate he is not as off course as might be judging things solely by the number of missed cuts this season. As the 2010 US Open Champion arrives in Spain this week for the Volvo World Match Play he will be hoping that the Finca Cortesin course renders up better rewards for his efforts on his return to Europe - than the PGA Your has in recent months.

He will be joined in that hope by Open Champion Darren Clarke who has endured a somewhat pass remarkable few months since securing the Claret Jug, with a caddie change already made since Royal St George. In Augusta an injury prevented him competing worry-free and naturally missed the cut at The Masters given the distraction. But a few weeks later he repeated the same shortfall at the Ballantine' Championship in Korea with a first round 77 - after struggling with the elements the opening day – and now sits 75th in the 2012 Race to Dubai. 

A good few days at Finca Cortesin could do wonders for Dungannon man ahead of the  PGA BMW Championship at Wentworth and the Irish Open on his home course at Royal Portrush.

For Padraig Harrington this week the work is on the PGA Tour where he competes at the HP Byron Nelson at the Four Seasons Resort in Irving, Texas – as he is not eligible for the Volvo Match Play. Last weekend at The Player's Harrington showed some sparkle with a first round 69, only to slump out of the event by a few shots when he came in on Friday with a 74. Similarly at the ATT Pebble Beach Pro Am he bolted another low score only to fade on day two and three. But then out of the blue he bested those efforts with the lowest official score of his life - a 10-under 61 - to set the course record in the Transitions Championship in March. 

So clearly over the past weeks Harrington has looked closer to ending his year and half win less run, and just needs to sustain his focus over the four days. At Innisbrook it was not to be either, nor was it at Sawgrass, so he will be calling on his well practiced patience again this weekend in Texas. 

Rory Mcilroy takes the  week off after missing the cut at The Player's Championship on Friday  and clings to his world number 1 spot by virtue of Luke Donald's 6th place finish at Sawgrass. The Englishman needed fourth place or better to reclaim the honours this week. 

All in all there is a 24-man elite 2012 field offers a number of intriguing story lines as 15 of the World’s top 60 gather for the only match play event to be held in Europe this season. In addition three Spaniards have qualified for the Championship for the first time; Sergio García, Álvaro Quirós and Rafael Cabrera-Bello, each offering compelling reasons why they should be the first Spanish winner since the legendary Seve Ballesteros triumphed in 1991. 

Also six Major Champions will be seeking their first Match Play title in the form of Martin Kaymer, Charl Schwartzel, Graeme McDowell, Paul Lawrie, Retief Goosen and Calrke. 

Twelve nations are represented at the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship with England leading the charge with six players qualifying for this elite tournament including defending Champion, Ian Poulter and World Number nine, Justin Rose. Eleven players will be making their Volvo World Match Play Championship debut including American star Brandt Snedeker, ranked 23rd in the world, Australia’s John Senden and Sweden’s Peter Hanson who finished third at the recent Masters Tournament. 

Retief Goosen is the most experienced campaigner in the field with ten appearances to his name while Thomas Björn, a three-time winner on The European Tour last year, will be making his sixth appearance. Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and 2011 Volvo China Open Champion Nicolas Colsaerts will be amongst six players making only their second appearance. 

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.

Clarke Returns to Volvo Action

An eclectic field of blossoming stars and seasoned campaigners is this week preparing to line up in the second edition of the €2million Volvo Golf Champions at its new home, the Links at Fancourt, all hoping to add the €350,000 winner’s cheque and another trophy to the victories that secured them a place in The European Tour’s ‘tournament of champions’.

And while Paul Casey, the winner of the inaugural event held last year at the Royal Golf Club course in Bahrain, is absent due to a snowboarding injury picked up in the winter break, 2011 Major Champions Darren Clarke (The Open Championship) and Charl Schwartzel (Masters Tournament) lead a stellar cast in what promises to be a thrilling contest over the celebrated links layout at Fancourt in George, South Africa.

Clarke and Schwartzel are joined by six other Major winners at this year’s event – Volvo’s 125th title sponsorship in professional golf – including South African native Ernie Els and his compatriot Retief Goosen, who was victorious in the Tour’s only other trip to Fancourt at the South African Open in 2006. 

Els, a three-time Major winner, qualified for the event after winning the South African Open Championship at the start of The 2011 European Tour International Schedule, and the 26-time European Tour winner is hoping to get his 2012 campaign underway in similar vein with victory at the Volvo Golf Champions.

He said: “Obviously I love playing in South Africa and have won five of my European Tour titles there. I have great memories of playing at the Links at Fancourt, both in professional events and when on holiday there, and I’m looking forward to trying to win The European Tour’s first true ‘tournament of champions’.

“South African golf is in great shape at the moment, which is apparent by the number of South Africans in the field. Dr. Hasso Plattner’s vision in creating The Links at Fancourt will provide the perfect stage to showcase the wonderful golf opportunities offered in South Africa.”

Indeed, the host nation is very well represented at this week’s event, as Els and Schwartzel are two of eight South Africans in a field which also includes 2001 and 2004 US Open Champion Goosen, 2010 Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen and The European Tour’s most recent champion, 23 year old Branden Grace, who triumphed in last week’s Joburg Open after regaining his card at the Qualifying School in December.

While there is a large presence of experience on show this week in George, including the present and former incumbents of The Ryder Cup Captaincy in José María Olazábal and Colin Montgomerie, the South African crowds will also be treated to appearances by two of the most promising emerging talents in European golf in 18 year old Italian Matteo Manassero and Englishman Tom Lewis, who turned 21 earlier this month.

Manassero has already achieved significant success in his embryonic career, notching wins at the 2010 Castelló Masters – with it becoming the youngest-ever winner on The European Tour – and the 2011 Maybank Malaysian Open, victories that both came before the prodigy’s 18th birthday.

Lewis burst onto the scene after posting the lowest round by an amateur in Open Championship history on the first day at Royal St. Georges in July 2011, before going on to claim a superb victory in only his third appearance as a professional at the Portugal Masters in October.

With such an enthralling blend of youth and experience taking to The Links at Fancourt on Thursday, all with their sights set on capturing yet more silverware, the stage is well-set for the engrossing plot that is sure to unfold over the coming week.

The Volvo Golf Champions is an exclusive, limited field event with no halfway cut, open only to European Tour players who have won an event on the previous year’s European Tour International Schedule, plus the winners of the first two events of the 2012 season - the Africa Open and the Joburg Open – with the only other exception being current Tour Members, under the age of 50, with more than ten European Tour victories.

An unprecedented gathering of global golfing talent will line up at the world-acclaimed Links at Fancourt, recently voted number one course in South Africa and designed by nine-time Major winner Gary Player.