London Golf Club to Host 2014 Volvo World Match Play Championship

The 2014 Volvo World Match Play Championship will be played on the International Course at the London Golf Club, help it was announced today.

Volvo, sale IMG and the European Tour made the announcement for the event taking place from October 15-19.

Celebrating the 50th anniversary since the inaugural Championship, won by Arnold Palmer at Wentworth in 1964, the 2014 Championship will revert to a 16-man field and offer a prize fund of €2.25m (just over US$3 million) with a first prize of €650,000 (approx US$880,000).

Per Ericsson, President of Volvo Event Management, said, “We are delighted to make this announcement today and are looking forward to returning this great Championship to England, where we staged our last PGA Championship in 2004. The UK is an important market for Volvo and, after looking at many possible venues, we found the London Golf Club to be ideally placed to both host this world-class field and our most valued customers. I am grateful to our partners IMG and the European Tour for their on-going support and also to the London Golf Club for agreeing to host the Championship.”

George O’Grady CBE, Chief Executive of The European Tour, said: “Already a tournament with a great tradition on The European Tour, we look forward to the Volvo World Match Play Championship adding a new chapter to its rich history in this, its 50th year, when it is played for the first time at The London Golf Club.”

Charles Fairweather, Chairman of the London Golf Club added, “We are very excited to host the prestigious Volvo World Match Play Championship this October. We are looking forward to working with Volvo, IMG and the European Tour to deliver what we hope will be the best Volvo World Match Play Championship to date and I have no doubt that the players will find the International Course at the Club ideally suited to match play golf.”