About the WGC Accenture Match Play Championship:
The WGC Accenture Match Play Championship is part of the World Golf Championships series of tournaments. This event is played at match play, rather than stroke play, and begins with a field of 64 golfers. The players knock each other off until two remain for the 36-hole championship match. (More on format below.)
2009 Tournament
• When: Feb. 25-March 1
• Where: The Ritz-Carlton Golf Club, Dove Mountain Marana, Arizona
• TV: Golf Channel/NBC
2008 Tournament
Tiger Woods staged a furious rally to win his first-round match against J.B. Holmes, then outlasted Aaron Baddeley in extra holes. By the time he reached the final against Stewart Cink, Woods was on a roll. And he rolled over Cink, 8-and-7.
WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Format:
The field for the WGC Match Play Championship is comprised of the Top 64 available golfers from the Official World Golf Rankings, who are seeded 1-64 according to their rankings.
The golfers face off in single-elimination, 18-hole, match-play matches. In the first round, the No. 1 seed plays No. 64; No. 2 plays No. 63; and so on.
On the final day, the last two golfers play a 36-hole championship match, while the two semifinal losers play each other in an 18-hole consolation match to determine third and fourth places.
• See also: Match Play Primer
WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Golf Courses:
The WGC Match Play Championship is currently played at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Tucson, Ariz. Previously, this tournament was played at:
- La Costa Resort and Spa, Carlsbad, Calif., 1999-2000, 2002-2006
- The Metropolitan Club, South Oakleigh, Victoria, Australia, 2001
WGC Accenture Match Play Championship Trivia and Notes:
- Jeff Maggert won the first WGC Match Play Championship in 1999. That was the first WGC tournament played, making Maggert the first-ever WGC champion.
- Tiger Woods is the only multiple winner of this tournament. Woods won back-to-back in 2003-04, then added his third victory in 2008.
WGC Accenture Match Play Championship - Past Winners:
2008 - Tiger Woods def. Stewart Cink, 8-and-7
2007 - Henrik Stenson def. Geoff Ogilvy, 2-and-1
2006 - Geoff Ogilvy def. Davis Love III, 3-and-2
2005 - David Toms def. Chris DiMarco, 6-and-5
2004 - Tiger Woods def. Davis Love III, 3-and-2
2003 - Tiger Woods def. David Toms, 2-and-1
2002 - Kevin Sutherland def. Scott McCarron, 1-up
2001 - Steve Stricker def. Pierre Fulke, 2-and-1
2000 - Darren Clarke def. Tiger Woods, 4-and-3
1999 - Jeff Maggert def. Andrew Magee, 1-up (38 holes)
