The Volvo Masters was the concluding official money event of the European Tour season until 2009, when it was replaced by the Dubai World Championship. The event was founded in 1988 and held at Valderrama Golf Club in Andalusia, Spain, except for a five-year period between 1997 and 2001 when Montecastillo Golf Club played host to the tournament.

Volvo Masters
Tournament information
LocationSotogrande, Spain
Established1988
Course(s)Valderrama Golf Club
Par71
Length6,952 yards (6,357 m)
Tour(s)European Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund4,000,000
Month playedOctober
Final year2008
Tournament record score
Aggregate269 Miguel Ángel Jiménez (1999)
To par−19 as above
Final champion
Denmark Søren Kjeldsen
Location map
Valderrama GC is located in Spain
Valderrama GC
Valderrama GC
Location in Spain
Valderrama GC is located in Andalusia
Valderrama GC
Valderrama GC
Location in Andalusia

The tournament reverted to its original name of "Volvo Masters" in 2005, having been known as the "Volvo Masters Andalucia" between 2000 and 2003 for sponsorship reasons. The prize money for the inaugural event was £351,690, and by 2008, this had increased to over €4 million, making it one of the richest events on the tour. The field consists of the top 60 leading money winners on the European Tour, and from 2005, an invitation has also been issued to the previous years winner regardless of their standing on the money list.

Prior to 2007, the Volvo Masters was held one week before The Tour Championship to allow golfers who are members of both the European and PGA Tours to participate, but this changed after the PGA Tour rescheduled their event to mid-September.

Following a one-year absence from the calendar, Valderama returned to the European Tour schedule in 2010 with the Andalucía Valderrama Masters under the sponsorship of Turismo Andaluz (Andalucia Government Tourism Organization).[1]

Winners

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European Tour (Tour Championship) 1988–2008
# Year Winner Score To par Margin of
victory
Runner(s)-up
Volvo Masters
21st 2008   Søren Kjeldsen 276 −8 2 strokes   Martin Kaymer
  Anthony Wall
20th 2007   Justin Rose 283 −1 Playoff   Simon Dyson
  Søren Kjeldsen
19th 2006   Jeev Milkha Singh 282 −2 1 stroke   Luke Donald
  Sergio García
  Pádraig Harrington
18th 2005   Paul McGinley 274 −10 2 strokes   Sergio García
Volvo Masters Andalucía
17th 2004   Ian Poulter 277 −7 Playoff   Sergio García
16th 2003   Freddie Jacobson 276 −12 Playoff   Carlos Rodiles
15th 2002   Bernhard Langer (2)
  Colin Montgomerie (2)
281 −3 Title shared[a]
14th 2001   Pádraig Harrington 204[b] −12 1 stroke   Paul McGinley
Volvo Masters
13th 2000   Pierre Fulke 272 −16 1 stroke   Darren Clarke
12th 1999   Miguel Ángel Jiménez 269 −19 2 strokes   Retief Goosen
  Pádraig Harrington
  Bernhard Langer
11th 1998   Darren Clarke 271 −17 2 strokes   Andrew Coltart
10th 1997   Lee Westwood 200[b] −16 3 strokes   Pádraig Harrington
9th 1996   Mark McNulty 276 −8 7 strokes   José Cóceres
  Sam Torrance
  Wayne Westner
  Lee Westwood
8th 1995   Alex Čejka 282 −2 2 strokes   Colin Montgomerie
7th 1994   Bernhard Langer 276 −8 1 stroke   Seve Ballesteros
  Vijay Singh
6th 1993   Colin Montgomerie 274 −10 1 stroke   Darren Clarke
5th 1992   Sandy Lyle 287 +3 Playoff   Colin Montgomerie
4th 1991   Rodger Davis 280 −4 1 stroke   Nick Faldo
3rd 1990   Mike Harwood 286 +2 1 stroke   Steven Richardson
  Sam Torrance
2nd 1989   Ronan Rafferty 282 −6 1 stroke   Nick Faldo
1st 1988   Nick Faldo 284 −4 2 strokes   Seve Ballesteros

Notes

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  1. ^ Title shared when darkness ended play with Langer and Montgomerie still tied after two holes of a sudden-death playoff.
  2. ^ a b Shortened to 54 holes due to weather.

References

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  1. ^ "European Tour schedule to feature Andalucia Masters at Valderrama". Golf Monthly. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 2009-12-22.
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