Volvo Masters Explained

Volvo Masters
Location:Sotogrande, Spain
Establishment:1988
Course:Valderrama Golf Club
Par:71
Yardage:6952yd
Tour:European Tour
Format:Stroke play
Month Played:October
Final Year:2008
To-Par:−19 as above
Final Champion: Søren Kjeldsen
Map:Spain#Spain Andalusia
Map Label:Valderrama GC
Map Relief:yes
Map Size:200
Coordinates:36.285°N -5.33°W

The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship. The event was founded in 1988 and held at Valderrama Golf Club in Andalusia, Spain, except for a five-year period between 1997 and 2001 when Montecastillo Golf Club played host to the tournament.

The tournament reverted to its original name of "Volvo Masters" in 2005, having been known as the "Volvo Masters Andalucia" between 2000 and 2003 for sponsorship reasons. The prize money for the inaugural event was £351,690, and by 2008, this had increased to over €4 million, making it one of the richest events on the tour. The field consists of the top 60 leading money winners on the European Tour, and from 2005, an invitation has also been issued to the previous years winner regardless of their standing on the money list.

Prior to 2007, the Volvo Masters was held one week before The Tour Championship to allow golfers who are members of both the European and PGA Tours to participate, but this changed after the PGA Tour rescheduled their event to mid-September.

Following a one-year absence from the calendar, Valderama returned to the European Tour schedule in 2010 with the Andalucía Valderrama Masters under the sponsorship of Turismo Andaluz (Andalucia Government Tourism Organization).[1]

Winners

European Tour (Tour Championship)1988–2008
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
Volvo Masters
21st276 −8 2 strokes Martin Kaymer
Anthony Wall
20th283 −1 Playoff Simon Dyson
Søren Kjeldsen
19th282 −2 1 stroke Luke Donald
Sergio García
Pádraig Harrington
18th274 −10 2 strokes Sergio García
Volvo Masters Andalucía
17th277 −7 Playoff Sergio García
16th276 −12 Playoff Carlos Rodiles
15th Bernhard Langer (2)
Colin Montgomerie (2)
281 −3 Title shared
14th204 −12 1 stroke Paul McGinley
Volvo Masters
13th272 −16 1 stroke Darren Clarke
12th269 −19 2 strokes Retief Goosen
Pádraig Harrington
Bernhard Langer
11th271 −17 2 strokes Andrew Coltart
10th200 −16 3 strokes Pádraig Harrington
9th276 −8 7 strokes José Cóceres
Sam Torrance
Wayne Westner
Lee Westwood
8th282 −2 2 strokes Colin Montgomerie
7th276 −8 1 stroke Seve Ballesteros
Vijay Singh
6th274 −10 1 stroke Darren Clarke
5th287 +3 Playoff Colin Montgomerie
4th280 −4 1 stroke Nick Faldo
3rd286 +2 1 stroke Steven Richardson
Sam Torrance
2nd282 −6 1 stroke Nick Faldo
1st284 −4 2 strokes Seve Ballesteros

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: European Tour schedule to feature Andalucia Masters at Valderrama . . 4 December 2009 . 2009-12-22.