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The 2008
World Golf Championships -CA
Championship will have an $8 million
purse, with the game's top players
competing for the $1.35 million
first-place prize and the Gene Sarazen
Cup. One of three World Golf
Championships events, the CA
Championship will feature the top-30
players from the final 2007 FedExCup
point standings, the top-50 players from
the Official World Golf Ranking the week
prior and the week of the event, the
top-10 players from the FedExCup point
standings the week prior and the week of
the event, along with leaders of the
Official Money Lists/Orders of Merit
from the European Tour, Australasian
Tour, Japan Golf Tour, Asian Tour and
Sunshine Tour. |
The 2008
CA Championship is planned to start on
March 17-23 at Doral Golf Resort & Spa
and will feature top players from around
the world. |
The World Golf
Championships-CA Championship will begin in March 2007
exclusively at Doral's Blue Course and the partnership
runs through 2010. The Championships will feature the
top 50 players from the Official World Golf Ranking
along with top finishers on the money lists of six Tours
comprising the International Federation of PGA Tours (PGA
TOUR, European Tour, Australasian Tour, Japan Golf Tour,
Asian Tour and Southern Africa Tour).
Doral Blue Monster
Doral is called the Blue
Monster because when it first was built back in 1960,
people said that Alfred Kaskel was creating a “monster”
in the middle of a swamp. When the course opened, it was
known as the “Blue” course. With its swirling winds,
water hazards and tough play, it soon became known as
the “Blue Monster.”
The Blue Monster was designed by Dick Wilson design and
later reworked by Raymond Floyd, the Blue Monster has
been hosting PGA Tour events for more than 40 years. The
7,125-yard course is known for its long fairways,
undulating greens, thick rough and strategic bunkers.
With its frequent star turns on television, the Blue
Monster overshadows its Doral siblings, the Gold, Red,
Silver and Great White courses. While all offer
excellent golf, only the Great White, named for designer
Greg Norman, is mentioned in the same breath as the
Blue. Also topping 7,000 yards, its difficulty wins fans
and detractors in equal number.
The four "other" Doral courses share some common
factors. One is water: The drink is a factor on most of
the 72 holes. Another is distraction. Planes buzz
overhead on route to the airport, and the Silver, Gold
and Red snake course.
With this new criteria,
the CA Championship can already boast that defending
champion Tiger Woods, the 2007 FedExCup champion and a
six-time winner of the CA Championship, has qualified
for the event, as has Steve Stricker (No. 2 in FedExCup
Points), Phil Mickelson (3), Rory Sabbatini (4), K.J.
Choi (5), Aaron Baddeley (6), 2007 Masters Champion Zach
Johnson (7), Mark Calcavecchia (8), Sergio Garcia (9)
and Vijay Singh (10).
Some of golf's best players have emerged victorious
during the tournament's six-year history. Tiger Woods
counts four victories in this tournament among his 12
World Golf Championships titles. He won the inaugural
event in 1999 at Valderrama in Spain and followed that
up with victories in 2002 in Ireland and 2003 and 2005
in the United States. In 2000, Canadian Mike Weir
captured the title, and in 2004, Ernie Els of South
Africa triumphed.
The World Golf Championships were developed to enhance
the competitive structure of professional golf worldwide
while preserving the traditions and strengths of the
individual tours and their events.
The Asian PGA joined the International Federation of PGA
Tours as a full-fledged member in November 1999. In
March 2000, the Canadian Tour was added as an Associate
Member. The World Golf Championships have been conducted
on five different continents. |
