OKAY, we wuz WRONG!

By PEDRO BOLICHERO

I HAVE TO ADMIT I was sceptical. In the lead up to the Volvo World Match Play Championship I (and other bar-room experts consulted over a bottle of Ribera del Duero) had doubts about how strong the field would be.

I don’t think anyone ever expected Tiger Woods to play (über appearance fee or no über appearance fee) and it was inevitable that other top players, including defending champion Ernie Els, would decline their invitations with the Barclays Singapore Open being held the same week.

There was even speculation among the local press (or, as some might see it, gleeful catastrophism – so typically endearing of journalists) that Volvo might use the economic crisis as an excuse for postponing the championship to next year. In short, we had the date in our diaries, but with an asterisk.

There was even speculation among the local press (or, as some might see it, gleeful catastrophism – so typically endearing of journalists) that Volvo might use the economic crisis as an excuse for postponing the championship to next year. In short, we had the date in our diaries, but with an asterisk.

Having followed the first two days’ play, however, I now have to admit the tournament –enhanced by the new format – has considerable star appeal and the field is nowhere near as decaffeinated as the doomsayers (i.e. us local press) expected it to be.

As a little exercise during a free moment in the press marquee, I made a list of the players who would have been teeing up at Finca Cortesín if all those qualified had accepted their invitations. It’s not entirely accurate because the “quiet moment” was not of sufficient length to allow meticulous back-checking of who would have gained an invitation on the various qualifying dates: 17 August, top world-ranked players, based on nationality, from each of the five main continents (Europe, North America, Africa/Middle East, South America and Australasia); 28 September, four top world ranked players not already qualified; 5 October, five top-ranked players from the European Tour Race to Dubai order of merit.

Instead, I used last weekend (25 October) as the cut-off point for all qualifying categories.

So, apart from Els and Scott Strange (who qualified as winner of the 2009 Volvo China Open), the field would have been:-

Five continental representatives: Tiger Woods, Paul Casey, Geoff Ogilvy, Camilo Villegas and Retief Goosen.

Four players from the world ranking: Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, Padraig Harrington and Henrik Stenson.

Five players from the Race to Dubai: Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlroy, Oliver Wilson and Ross Fisher.

The ones missing this week are Woods, Ogilvy, Mickelson, Stricker and Harrington (three of whom are competing in the Singapore Open – not sure what Woods and Stricker are up to); and their places (theoretically, for the purposes of this exercise) were taken by Anthony Kim, Sergio García, Angel Cabrera, Robert Allenby and Jeev Milkha Singh.

Not necessarily the ideal trade for spectators and sponsors, but it did ensure the presence of one Spaniard (at least until Friday) and one reigning majors champion.

And it can hardly be said their qualification was undeserved as three of them made the semi-finals, including a re-match between Allenby and Kim following their celebrated contretemps in the President’s Cup.

(Photos: Volvo World Match Play / Getty Images)