HSBC World Matchplay
The HSBC World Matchplay Championship, which ran uninterrupted at Wentworth between 1964 and 2007, was blessed from its very inception and destined for greatness the moment it was born. The concept, dreamed up by Mark McCormack, was inspired. Ever the master entrepreneur and innovator, McCormack knew better than anyone there was a gap in the market for a world class matchplay tournament. And if there is truth in the maxim that ‘you make your own luck’, then McCormack got the winner he deserved in the inaugural championship in 1964 – Arnold Palmer, golf’s most charismatic and exciting golfer. There was no better person for putting your tournament firmly on the world map.
Right from the very start, the World Matchplay Championship had all the right ingredients: the finest players of the moment and an ideal venue in the West Course, with its twin par-5 finishing holes tailor-made for drama. There have been epic encounters, dramatic comebacks and great rivalries. And the Championship has had all the right winners, with a roll call of champions that included the names Nicklaus, Palmer, Player, Faldo, Ballesteros, Norman, Lyle, Langer, Woosnam and Els. No wonder the HSBC World Matchplay was one of the most popular stops on the golfing calendar - for players, media, fans and officials alike. It is undoubtedly missed, but Wentworth Club and the game of golf were enriched by its 44-year run.