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]
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.
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:
Year | Winner | Score | To par | Margin of victory | Runner(s)-up | Venue | Ref. | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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] |