Volvo Golf Champions Explained

Volvo Golf Champions
Location:Durban, South Africa
Establishment:2011
Course:Durban Country Club
Par:72
Yardage:6689yd
Tour:European Tour
Format:Stroke play
Purse:US$4,000,000
Month Played:January
Final Year:2014
Aggregate:268 Paul Casey (2011)
To-Par:−20 as above
Final Champion: Louis Oosthuizen
Coordinates:-29.827°N 31.035°W
Map:South Africa#South Africa KwaZulu-Natal
Map Label:Durban CC
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200

The Volvo Golf Champions was an annual 72-hole stroke play men's professional golf tournament on the European Tour.[1] Following the inaugural tournament in the Kingdom of Bahrain in 2011, the 2012 event was moved to the Southern hemisphere and the Fancourt Golf Resort in South Africa.[2] In 2013 and 2014, it was played at the Durban Country Club in Durban, South Africa. The tournament was a unique "Tournament of Champions" style event which saw European Tour winners compete together with leading amateurs on one day of the tournament.

The tournament was created by Volvo, together with IMG and in conjunction with the European Tour Tournament Committee. It was cancelled after the 2014 event when Volvo reduced their sponsorship commitments on the tour.[3]

Format

The Championship was contested over 72 holes, with all participants playing four rounds (there was no cut after 36 holes).

On Friday, the Volvo World Golf Challenge "World Finalists" played in the tournament, with one amateur playing with two professionals in each group. The professionals continued to play individual stroke play format, while the amateurs played in a team competition with both professionals in their group forming their team. The best two scores of the three team members on each hole counted towards the team total.

Qualification

The Championship was open to players who had taken up the current year's European Tour Membership and who were eligible under the following categories:

  1. Players who had won during the previous year's European Tour schedule.
  2. Past winners of the Volvo Golf Champions under 50 years of age on the first day of the tournament.
  3. Players with 10 or more official Race to Dubai/European Tour Order of Merit tournament wins under 50 years of age on the first day of the tournament.

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-upVenueRef.
Louis Oosthuizen (2) 276 −12 1 stroke Durban, South Africa
272 −16 1 stroke Durban, South Africa [4]
280 −12 Playoff Fancourt, South Africa [5]
268 −20 1 stroke The Royal GC, Bahrain [6]

External links

Notes and References

  1. http://www.europeantour.com/europeantour/season=0/tournamentid=2011005/news/newsid=130170.html#montgomerie+signs+volvo+golf+champions Montgomerie signs up for Volvo Golf Champions
  2. Web site: South Africa to host Golf Champions . ESPN . Associated Press . 25 October 2011 . 21 June 2020.
  3. Web site: European Tour: Volvo withdraw sponsorship of two events . Sky Sports . 8 October 2014 . 21 June 2020.
  4. News: Louis Oosthuizen wins Volvo Golf Champions with impressive come back in Durban . 14 January 2013 . . 14 January 2013.
  5. Web site: Back-to-back wins for divine Grace . . 22 January 2012 . 22 January 2012.
  6. Web site: Paul Casey wins first title for 20 months in Bahrain . . 30 January 2011 . 31 January 2011.