Stenson heads European charge

Five members of Europe’s winning Ryder Cup team will feature in the World Matchplay Championship at the London Golf Club tomorrow.

World No 5 Henrik Stenson is the top seed, one ahead of defending champion Graeme McDowell.

Victor Dubuisson and Stephen Gallacher are in the same group, and Welshman Jamie Donaldson will also appear.

The 16 players are divided into four round-robin groups, with the top two from each reaching the quarter-finals.

It is the 50th anniversary of the prestigious event, which was played at Wentworth until 2007.

Last year the tournament was held in Belgium, which saw McDowell beat Thongchai Jaidee.

Donaldson, who claimed the winning point in the Ryder Cup for Europe at Gleneagles last month, is in a group with American Patrick Reed, who won three-and-a-half points out of four on his Ryder Cup debut.

Arnold Palmer Group: Henrik Stenson (Swe, Seeded No 1), Thongchai Jaidee (Thai, 8), Francesco Molinari (Italy, 9) , George Coetzee (RSA, 16)

Mark McCormack Group: Jamie Donaldson (Wal, 4), Patrick Reed (USA, 5) Jonas Blixt (Swe, 12), Paul Casey (Eng, 13)

Assar Gabrielsson Group: Victor Dubuisson (Fra, 3), Stephen Gallacher (Sco, 6), Shane Lowry (Irl, 11), Pablo Larrazabal (Spa, 14)

Gustaf Larsson Group: Graeme McDowell (Irl, 2), Joost Luiten (Ned, 7), Mikko Ilonen (Fin, 10), Alexander Levy (Fra, 15).