August, 2006 – Jim Furyk has confirmed he will play in the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth Club, September 14-17.
Furyk, the 2003 US Open Champion and current World Number 4, qualifies through the HSBC Major Championships Ranking, having finished 2nd in the 2006 US Open Championship and 4th in the 135th Open Championship. Furyk, who won the 2006 Wachovia Championship and finished 2nd at the Buick Open last week, joins World Number 1, Tiger Woods, Defending Champion Michael Campbell, current European Order of Merit leader, David Howell, and England’s Simon Khan in accepting their places in the 16-man field.
Competing for the richest first prize in world golf of £1 million and the Mark McCormack Trophy, Furyk enthused;
"I am delighted to have qualified for the HSBC World Match Play Championship. I haven’t played in it before and have heard it is a fantastic event. I am really looking forward to the different challenges a match play event offers and the 36-hole Match play format makes it a good tournament to play ahead of the 2006 Ryder Cup Matches the following week. The history of the event with its amazing list of past winners and the strength of the field makes it one I would really like to win."
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The 2006 HSBC Major Championships Ranking after the 135TH Open Championship is:
Ranking Player
1 Phil Mickelson* 149.03
2 Tiger Woods 126.40
3 Geoff Ogilvy 116.25
4 Jim Furyk 78.93
5 Tim Clark 61.70
6 Chris DiMarco 60.00
7 Ernie Els 49.41
8 Colin Montgomerie 43.33
9 Angel Cabrera 38.25
10 Retief Goosen 36.15
11 Jose M Olazabal 33.96
12 Vijay Singh 31.50
13 Mike Weir 29.70
14 Fred Couples 28.75
15 Padraig Harrington 28.66
16 Chad Campbell 27.90
17 Adam Scott 25.52
18 Sergio Garcia 24.90
19 Miguel A Jimenez 23.10
20 Nick O’Hern 23.00
* Phil Mickelson is unable to take up his invitation owing to a prior family commitment.
The HSBC World Match Play Championship is officially sanctioned by the European Tour with the results counting towards the European Tour Order of Merit and Official World Golf Ranking Points. Total prize money will be £2,440,000 with all matches being decided over 36 holes.
Tickets can be purchased by calling +44 (0)870 010 9021 and on line at www.hsbcgolf.com. They will be priced as follows:
TTicket Price before September 1st Concession price before September 1st Price after 1st September Concession price after 1st September
Pro Am £15 £10 £15 £10
Thursday £30 £20 £35 £25
Friday £30 £20 £35 £25
Saturday £30 £20 £35 £25
Sunday £30 £20 £35 £25
Championship* £65 £45 £70 £50
Note:
*A Championship ticket will be valid for every day of the event.
Tickets will also be available to purchase at the gates during the Championship.
Under 18s and students are admitted free if accompanied by a valid ticket holder.
For hospitality information, please visit www.HSBCgolf.com
The qualifying criteria for the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship is:
1. The Defending Champion – Michael Campbell
2. The World Number One on the Official World Golf Rankings as at January, 1, 2006. Tiger Woods
3. The leading ten available players, not otherwise qualified, from the HSBC Major Championships Ranking as at the conclusion of the 2006 US PGA Championship on August 21, 2006.
4. The leading two available European Tour Members from the HSBC European Tournaments Ranking:
This ranking reflects the actual World Ranking Points earned by European Tour Members from the following five 2006 events:
HSBC Champions
Dubai Desert Classic
Johnnie Walker Classic
BMW Championship
Smurfit European Open
5. The leading two available European Tour Members, not otherwise qualified, from the European Tour Order of Merit, as of August 28, 2006.
Prize money for the 2006 Championship will be £2.44 million with the following breakdown:
Winner £1,000,000
Runner-up £ 400,000
Losing Semi-Finalist (x 2) £ 120,000
Losing Quarter-Finalist (x 4) £ 80,000
First Round Loser (x 8) £ 60,000
For further information please visit our website on www.hsbcgolf.com or contact:
Media enquiries:
HSBC Head of Sports Sponsorship & Marketing Giles Morgan + 44 (0)20 7992 1386
HSBC Golf Press Office Anthony Scammell + 44 (0)20 7413 3231
IMG PR Manager Michele Mair + 44 (0)20 8233 5177
The HSBC Group
HSBC Holdings plc is headquartered in the UK. The HSBC Group serves over 125 million customers worldwide from approximately 9,500 offices in 76 countries and territories in Europe, the Asia-Pacific region, the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. With assets of US$1,502 billion at 31 December 2005, HSBC is one of the world’s largest banking and financial services organisations. HSBC is marketed worldwide as ‘the world’s local bank’.
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