World Match Play Championship (Former Golf Tournament)
First played: 1964
Last played: 2014
The World Match Play Championship was created in 1964 by super-agent Mark McCormack as a showcase for his clients. Given that his clients included Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, the tournament was virtually guaranteed to be a hit. And it was, running for 50 years. (This tournament is unrelated to the World Golf Championships Match Play tournament that began in 1999.)
It began with just an 8-player field, then expanded to 16 golfers and also experimented with 12-player fields. Over its last few years 24 golfers made the field. All matches were originally 36 holes; beginning in 2007 only the semifinals and finals were 36 holes. From 2011 to the end, all matches were 18 holes.
Ernie Els was the most dominant player in the tournament's history, posting seven wins. Three of those were consecutive in 1994-96, and three more in 2002-04. He nearly made it four in a row but lost in the 1997 championship match.
Gary Player and Seve Ballesteros each won five times. Two of Players' victories were achieved by beating 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. The tournament record for margin of victory was the 10-and-8 victory of Paul Casey over Shaun Micheel in 2006.
Also known as: When it debuted in 1964, and through 1976, it was called the Piccadilly World Match Play Championship. Colgate was the title sponsor for two years, then from 1979-1990 it was the Suntory World Match Play Championship. Toyota World Match Play Championship, Cisco World Match Play Championship and HSBC World Match Play Championship followed. Finally, from 2009-2014, it was called the Volvo World Match Play Championship.
Winners of the World Match Play Championship
1964 — Arnold Palmer def. Neil Coles, 2 and 11965 — Gary Player def. Peter Thomson, 3 and 2
1966 — Gary Player def. Jack Nicklaus, 6 and 4
1967 — Arnold Palmer def. Peter Thomson, 1-up
1968 — Gary Player def. Bob Charles, 1-up
1969 — Bob Charles def. Gene Littler, 1-up (37 holes)
1970 — Jack Nicklaus def. Lee Trevino, 2 and 1
1971 — Gary Player def. Jack Nicklaus, 5 and 4
1972 — Tom Weiskopf def. Lee Trevino, 4 and 3
1973 — Gary Player def. Graham Marsh, 1-up (40 holes)
1974 — Hale Irwin def. Gary Player, 3 and 1
1975 — Hale Irwin def. Al Geiberger, 4 and 2
1976 — David Graham def. Hale Irwin, 1-up (38 holes)
1977 — Graham Marsh def. Raymond Floyd, 5 and 3
1978 — Isao Aoki def. Simon Owen, 3 and 2
1979 — Bill Rogers def. Isao Aoki, 1-up
1980 — Greg Norman def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up
1981 — Seve Ballesteros def. Ben Crenshaw, 1-up
1982 — Seve Ballesteros def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up (37 holes)
1983 — Greg Norman def. Nick Faldo, 3 and 2
1984 — Seve Ballesteros def. Bernhard Langer, 2 and 1
1985 — Seve Ballesteros def. Bernhard Langer, 6 and 5
1986 — Greg Norman def. Sandy Lyle, 2 and 1
1987 — Ian Woosnam def. Sandy Lyle, 1-up
1988 — Sandy Lyle def. Nick Faldo, 2 and 1
1989 — Nick Faldo def. Ian Woosnam, 1-up
1990 — Ian Woosnam def. Mark McNulty, 4 and 2
1991 — Seve Ballesteros def. Nick Price, 3 and 2
1992 — Nick Faldo def. Jeff Sluman, 8 and 7
1993 — Corey Pavin def. Nick Faldo, 1-up
1994 — Ernie Els def. Colin Montgomerie, 4 and 2
1995 — Ernie Els def. Steve Elkington, 3 and 1
1996 — Ernie Els def. Vijay Singh, 3 and 2
1997 — Vijay Singh def. Ernie Els, 1-up
1998 — Mark O'Meara def. Tiger Woods, 1-up
1999 — Colin Montgomerie def. Mark O'Meara, 3 and 2
2000 — Lee Westwood def. Colin Montgomerie, 1-up (38 holes)
2001 — Ian Woosnam def. Padraig Harrington, 2 and 1
2002 — Ernie Els def. Sergio Garcia, 2 and 1
2003 — Ernie Els def. Thomas Bjorn, 4 and 3
2004 — Ernie Els def. Lee Westwood, 2 and 1
2005 — Michael Campbell def. Paul McGinley, 2 and 1
2006 — Paul Casey def. Shaun Micheel, 10 and 8
2007 — Ernie Els def. Angel Cabrera, 6 and 4
2008 — Not played
2009 — Ross Fisher def. Anthony Kim, 4 and 3
2010 — Not played
2011 — Ian Poulter def. Luke Donald, 2 and 1
2012 — Nicolas Colsaerts def. Graeme McDowell, 1-up
2013 — Graeme McDowell def. Thongchai Jaidee, 2 and 1
2014 — Mikko Ilonen def. Henrik Stenson, 3 and 1
Golf course: From its debut in 1964 through the 2007 tournament, the World Match Play Championship was played at Wentworth Club in England. In 2009, for the first time, this tournament was played somewhere other than Wentworth. That was Finca Cortesin Golf Club in Spain. From that point until its end after the 2014 tournament, the event rotated to courses around Europe.
