World Match Play Lives!

HSBC bailed as the sponsor of the long time event first staged in 1964 and always held at Wentworth. With no sponsor, though, the tournament was not set to happen this year. Simultaneously, with the advent of the Dubai World Championship to close the Euro Tour season beginning next year, Volvo - sponsor of the current season ending Volvo Masters - was out of a tournament. And that, my friend, is how you get a new sponsor.

Unfortunately - or fortunately if you hate what Ernie Els brought to Wentworth - there will be a new venue. There will also be a new, World Cup format.

A field of 16 will be split into four groups of four over the first two days over 18 holes with group winners progressing to the 36-hole semifinals on the Saturday.

And, it was announced that there may very well still be an event in the World Match Play slot:

Monday's Daily Telegraph reported that in the absence of this year's traditional event, scheduled for Oct. 9-12, it was expected a scaled down one could still be held at Wentworth.

But IMG's spokesman Michele Mair said on Monday: "IMG is working on a high-profile event, details of which will be announced shortly."