Golf’s Big Hitters sign on the line as Volvo World Match Play Championship enters new and exciting era
24/06/2008
Following the signing of a groundbreaking joint management agreement between Volvo, golf’s most experienced and enduring corporate brand and IMG, the leading sports management company in the world a new chapter for the World Match Play Championship is about to be written under Volvo and IMG’s stewardship.
The newly-named Volvo World Match Play Championship will be transformed into a truly worldwide showcase thanks to a new host country, Spain, a new blue-chip venue, Finca Cortesín in Andalucía, a new ‘champion’s league,’ match play format and the most rigourous and transparent qualification criteria in the 44-year-history of an iconic event that is about to go genuinely global.
With a total prize fund of €3.25million (approx. US$5million / SEK30million) and the champion’s cheque worth more than a million dollars, the Volvo World Match Play Championship, scheduled for the autumn of 2009 and for an initial three-year period will see 16 of the finest golfers in the world and drawn from every continent on earth going head-to-head in search of one of the most coveted crowns in global golf.
With match play considered by many to be the purest form of golf, the Volvo World Match Play Championship is certain to be the ‘duel-in-the-crown’ of the circuit and will be a key component in the new European Tour‘Race to Dubai.’
As one chapter commences, another concludes with the industry-leading Volvo Masters taking the final curtain in what is sure to be emotive and dramatic fashion with a record €4.25million (approx. US$6.6million / SEK40million) prize fund on offer at Valderrama from 30th October – 2nd November 2008.
Arguably the biggest business name in European golf, Volvo, was today unveiled as the new exclusive title sponsor and joint Management partner of the World Match Play Championship ahead of its 45th anniversary in 2009 in an innovative initial three-year agreement with IMG, who created the iconic event in 1964.
Along with a new format and qualification criteria (see attached), the Volvo World Match Play Championship will also move to a new home, the 7,439-yard Par-72 Finca Cortesín Golf Club near Malaga in the Andalucia region of Spain and will see a stellar match play field going head-to-head for a million-dollar-plus champion’s cheque.
Sanctioned by The European Tour and bringing together 16 of the top golfers from every continent in the world, the new Volvo World Match Play Championship, scheduled for Autumn 2009, will offer official prize money of €3,250,000 (approx. US$5million / SEK30million) and together with vital Official World Ranking Points is certain to play an important part in the closing stages of the inaugural Race to Dubai.
Link to the full press release: http://www.volvoinsponsorship.com/pages/news/detail.aspx?id=1654
Link to the official pictures of the Volvo World Match Play Championship – Signing Ceremony: http://www.volvoinsponsorship.com/pages/media/collection.aspx?menuId=9&id=118
why the hell r u holding it in spain, we bearly have any competitions like this in England so why take this away from us, Wentworth is a great corse and i think that is the corse the event should take place on, it wont be the same if it isn’t.
By: Ryan on augustus 9, 2008
at 12:29 am