Volvo Golf Champions

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.

Volvo Golf Champions
The Links at Fancourt (2011)
Tournament information
LocationDurban, South Africa
Established2011
Course(s)Durban Country Club
Par72
Length6,689 yards (6,116 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fundUS$4,000,000
Month playedJanuary
Final year2014
Tournament record score
Aggregate268 Paul Casey (2011)
To par−20 Paul Casey (2011)
Final champion
Louis Oosthuizen

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
YearWinnerCountryVenueScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upRef
2014Louis Oosthuizen (2) South AfricaDurban Country Club, South Africa276−121 stroke Branden Grace
2013Louis Oosthuizen South AfricaDurban Country Club, South Africa272−161 stroke Scott Jamieson[4]
2012Branden Grace South AfricaThe Links at Fancourt, South Africa280−12Playoff Ernie Els
Retief Goosen		[5]
2011Paul Casey EnglandThe Royal Golf Club, Bahrain268−201 stroke Peter Hanson
Miguel Ángel Jiménez		[6]

References
  1. Montgomerie signs up for Volvo Golf Champions
  2. "South Africa to host Golf Champions". ESPN. Associated Press. 25 October 2011. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  3. "European Tour: Volvo withdraw sponsorship of two events". Sky Sports. 8 October 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2020.
  4. "Louis Oosthuizen wins Volvo Golf Champions with impressive come back in Durban". The Daily Telegraph. 14 January 2013. Retrieved 14 January 2013.
  5. "Back-to-back wins for divine Grace". European Tour. 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
  6. "Paul Casey wins first title for 20 months in Bahrain". BBC Sport. 30 January 2011. Retrieved 31 January 2011.
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