After an incredibly frustrating week at the Portugal Masters in which the event was reduced to 36 holes due to rain, the European Tour comes back this week with two events. The Volvo World Match Play Championship, the 50th anniversary of the event's initial staging, began today at The London Club in Kent, England. The Hong Kong Open, which will be included twice on this season's schedule (the event was also staged in December), is once again being held at Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling. Both tournaments have their unique history, but I must admit that my focus will be mostly directed towards the event in Hong Kong, due to the course and the players fighting to get inside the top-110 on the Race to Dubai to keep their playing rights. That being said, the Match Play being staged in England is quite exciting due to the country's lack of events, but there is positive news on the horizon in terms of tournaments being staged in England, which I will explain in a separate blog entry.
In Hong Kong, Miguel Angel Jimenez will be going for his third consecutive win in the event that he has won a total of four times. The tournament became a co-sanctioned event with the European Tour in 2002 and boasts winners such as Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter, Rory McIlroy, and Padraig Harrington. The old-fashioned course measures only 6,699 yards, but the rough is thick and the greens are small, so accuracy off the tee and into the greens will be paramount this week. While the field is not its strongest, their are still some notables taking part: Jimenez, Ernie Els, Nicolas Colsaerts, Soren Hansen, Anirban Lahiri, Y.E. Yang, and Kiradech Aphibarnrat.
The pre-tournament favorite has to be Jimenez, even if his form has not been up to his usual standard over the past couple of months. But you cannot discount the fact that the ageless Spaniard is a four-time winner of the event. Another favorite is Colsaerts, who has recorded two top-five finishes in his last two events (T4 in Wales and 2nd in Portugal). The "Muscles from Brussels" seems to have rediscovered the form that saw him qualify for the 2012 Ryder Cup. With the short course this week, he could have a field day. Plus, his putting has been better of late, which was on display in last Thursday's 60 (-11) in Portugal.
The main reason I am interested in the Hong Kong Open is the battle for the top-110. Lucas Bjerregaard is the man sitting in the 110th spot, but he is by no means safe. Any player outside the top-100 should be playing this week and next week in the ISPS HANDA Perth International in Australia. It is certainly a nerve-racking time for players in that situation, but two solid weeks should be enough to get the job done. Sometimes players play great golf when faced with a challenge such as this.
It should be an enthralling week in England and Hong Kong, with prestigious titles up for grabs. For viewers in the United States, Golf Channel provides the coverage of both events:
Volvo World Match Play Championship
Thursday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Friday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Saturday (6:30-11:30 AM)
Sunday (7:30-11:30 AM)
Hong Kong Open (*tape delayed)
Thursday (11:30 AM-2:30 PM)
Friday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
Saturday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
Sunday (11:30 AM-2:00 PM)
