Career victories, 44, European Tour wins, 14, ‘Majors,’ 2

South African star Retief Goosen is, by some way the most experienced player in the field for the Volvo World Match Play Championship, having played on nine occasions during the Wentworth years, his best performance to date losing out in the semi-final stage in 2005.
And, with compatriots Gary Player and Ernie Els taking the title five and seven times respectively, ‘the Goose,’ certainly understands the prestige apportioned to the event, and would like nothing better than to add his name to an already illustrious Roll of Honour.

Having made a somewhat inauspicious debut in 2009 at Finca Cortesín, he again failed to make it out of the group stages, losing first to Rory McIlroy, then to Nicolas Colsearts, but his knowledge and understanding of the golf course should now suit his unassuming, strategic style of play.

The 43-year-old certainly knows how to win, two US Open titles the jewels in his crown, but he has 14 European Tour victories to his name, 35 in all competitions won in a dozen different countries; Goosen won the then Volvo Order of Merit in 2001 and retained it the following year, but, with his last win in 2009, the South African would dearly love to become the third South African to get his name onto one of the most star-studded Rolls of Honour in world golf.

Retief Goosen qualified for the 2012 Volvo World Match Play Championship as the highest ranked and available player from Africa / Middle East.