World Match Play format expanded

The HSBC World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, which offers golf’s biggest first prize of £1m (€1.5m), will be expanded from 12 to 16 players this October and will count towards the European Order of Merit.

Ernie Els had to play only three matches to earn his record-equalling fifth title last year, but under the new system the top four seeds will be involved in the first round instead of receiving byes into the quarter-finals.

The extra players will come from the European Order of Merit and a mini-league table of four designated European events, which improves the chances of a greater representation of home players than last year.

The four events are this week’s Volvo PGA Championship, the Smurfit European Open in Dublin in July, the Omega European Masters in Switzerland in September and the Heritage Tournament at Woburn later the same month.

The only three Europeans involved last year were Dane Thomas Bjorn, Swede Fredrik Jacobson and German Alex Cejka – and none of them would have been there if Americans Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Davis Love, Phil Mickelson, David Toms and Kenny Perry had not turned down the trip.

Woods has already indicated he will be unavailable this season as well.

The tournament’s new sponsors introduced a qualifying table last year based on performances in the majors, 10 players coming from that in addition to the defending champion and world number one.

Once again it remains to be seen how many overseas players – Masters champion Mickelson is guaranteed a spot – take up the chance to play on October 14-17, only two weeks after most of them are expected at the American Express World Championship at Mount Juliet in Ireland.