Scene is Set for Ultimate Grand Finale
29/10/08
The stage is set and the actors are ready for the drama that is sure to be the 21st and final Volvo Masters as Valderrama is in its prime and the top 57 players on the European Tour are primed for action.
The time for talking is over.
The 21st and final Volvo Masters is here, the best 57 players on the European Tour all vying for the final title in Volvo Masters history and the record €708,330 that goes with it.
Defending champion Justin Rose is in the field despite finishing outside the top 60; as defending champion, he has the opportunity to make history by becoming the first player ever to successfully defend his Volvo Masters crown.
Rose is first out at 8.15am and plays on his own, due to the odd number in the field, an unusual experience for a reigning champion but the 28-year-old Englishman sees the upside of the situation.
“I’ll be playing when the greens are in perfect condition, no spike marks and there should be no hold-ups, so I’ll have no excuse for not carding a score that will make sure I neither go out first or alone on Friday,” said the defending champion, adding, “I’d love to make history by becoming the first and only player to win the Volvo Masters two years in succession.”
Rose, who clinched the 2007 European Tour Order of Merit with his Volvo Masters victory is out of contention for the money list this year, whilst leader Robert Karlsson and three of his Ryder Cup colleagues battle it out for top spot.
“I try to make this as much as possible a normal week,” says Karlsson, who would become the first Swede to win the Harry Vardon Trophy, adding, “It’s going to be difficult not to be in a match play situation and this is definitely going to be one of the most challenging weeks I’ve played, but I’m looking forward to it.”
If Karlsson wins the Volvo Masters or finishes second then the Order of Merit is his no matter what his three rivals do, and his main pursuer, double ‘Major’ champion Padraig Harrington is being philosophical about things.
“It’s a good year to win the Order of Merit and whoever wins this on Sunday has really earned it this year,” said the Irishman adding, ‘We will have to wait until Sunday to sort that out.”
The third contender, England’s Lee Westwood is 16 / 1 to clinch the Order of Merit, having to win the Volvo Masters and hope Karlsson and Harrington finish well down the field, but he is optimistic about his chances.
“I’ll have to sit down on Sunday night with the Volvo Masters trophy and see what everybody else has done,” said the 2000 Volvo Order of Merit winner, adding, “I’ve given myself a chance going into the last event.”
The fourth and final contender to top the money list, Miguel Angel Jiménez must be considered an outside bet; he needs to win the Volvo Masters and hope the other three finish well down the field.
“It’s a nice position to be in,” said the Malaga man, explaining, “All the pressure is on the other guys.”
Meanwhile, the tournament favourite does not come from the top four at all, but in the formidable form of Sergio García, who said ahead of the first day, “I’m looking forward to it.”
The man who has three runners-up finishes in the past four years and won his own tournament in Valencia last week said, “You know you are always going to get tested on this golf course and it’s going to be a great week.”
Eight Past Masters, 57 of the best players on the circuit with 210 European Tour titles between them, all 12 Ryder Cup stars, all the ingredients for a mouthwatering 21st and final Volvo Masters, but in the end, only three numbers matter, the winning aggregate score, the €708,000 that goes to the champion and the number one in the Volvo Masters and the European Tour Order of Merit.
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