World’s Best Golfers to Compete in Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 23-27
Tiger Woods Will Attempt “Three-Peat” With Third Consecutive Title Run
CARLSBAD, Calif.; Feb. 17, 2005 – An international field of the world’s top 64 players will compete in the 2005 World Golf Championships–Accenture Match Play Championship Feb. 23 – 27 at the La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.
These marquee players, as identified by the Official World Golf Ranking, will go head-to-head in five days of single-elimination competition for the $1.3 million winner’s share of the $7.5 million prize purse and the sought-after Walter Hagen Cup, named after golf’s greatest match-play competitor. Among those expected to compete this year is Tiger Woods, who won the last two Accenture Match Play Championship tournaments.
The Accenture competition format is unique among the four World Golf Championships events in that it is the world’s only fully sanctioned head-to-head global match-play championship, providing a showcase for some of the most exciting and nail-biting golf that fans will see this season.
Unlike stroke play, which counts all strokes for the 18 holes to produce a winner, match play is a hole-by-hole format, providing players with stern tests of their golf skills, strategy and nerves. At La Costa, players will match each other shot-for-shot and hole-for-hole in an effort to see who gets to tee it up in the grueling 36-hole, one-day championship match.
While match play allows little room for error and the fickleness of the format provides an added measure of excitement, it also gives any one of the participating world-class players a chance to win the Accenture Match Play Championship if they bring their best games and perform at the highest level for five consecutive days. This global golf event captures the spirit and culture of Accenture – to continually achieve through the very best performance, and then raise the bar even higher.
“The hallmark characteristics of match play mirror real-world business competition,” said James E. Murphy, Accenture’s global managing director of Marketing & Communications. “Match play’s unpredictability, head-to-head competition, required skills and strategy celebrate the highest human performance and extraordinary achievement. Our event typifies those challenges facing business every day, while at the same time communicates the power of the Accenture brand worldwide.”
The opening event of the four 2005 World Golf Championships, the Accenture Match Play Championship is further distinguished by the four 16-player brackets that were added in 2003, making it even more compelling. The 64 players are divided into four brackets of 16 players, each named in honor of four of the game’s greatest players: Ben Hogan, Bobby Jones, Gary Player and Sam Snead. Players in each of the brackets are seeded No. 1 through No. 16, with the top-ranked golfer playing the No. 16 seed in the first round, No. 2 pairing off with No. 15, No. 3 meeting No. 14, and so forth.
Viewed in more than 140 countries, the Accenture Match Play Championship will be telecast for a total of 27½ hours over the five days. In the United States, ESPN will lead off with 16 hours of coverage, Wednesday – Friday, Feb. 23-25 from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. and on Saturday, Feb. 26 from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., with ESPN2 adding another three and one-half hours of coverage on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 10:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m. ABC will provide eight hours of weekend coverage beginning Saturday, Feb. 26 from 3:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. and on Sunday, Feb. 27 from 2:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m. All times listed are Eastern Standard Time.
Prior to Tiger Woods’ 2003 and 2004 Accenture Match Play Championship wins, other previous winners include Kevin Sutherland in 2002; Steve Stricker in 2001; Darren Clarke, who defeated Woods in the 2000 championship match; and Jeff Maggert, who won the inaugural event in 1999.
About the Accenture Match Play Championship
This year marks the seventh playing of the World Golf Championships–Accenture Match Play Championship, one of four World Golf Championships sanctioned and organized by the International Federation of PGA Tours. The other World Golf Championships include the American Express Championship, NEC Invitational and Algarve World Cup in Portugal. For more information, please visit www.worldgolfchampionships.com.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company. Committed to delivering innovation, Accenture collaborates with its clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments. With deep industry and business process expertise, broad global resources and a proven track record, Accenture can mobilize the right people, skills and technologies to help clients improve their performance. With more than 100,000 people in 48 countries, the company generated net revenues of US$13.67 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2004. Its home page is www.accenture.com.
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