International field shaping up for Accenture Match Play Championship

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In less than three weeks, the field for the 2008 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship will be set, and players from across the globe are getting into position to compete in the first World Golf Championship event of the season, kicking off the 10-year anniversary of the series.

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Adam Scott leads the list of 11 Aussies currently qualified for the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

If the 64-player field closed today, nearly two-thirds of those qualified would come from outside the United States, as 44 international players from 15 countries are currently ranked in the top 64 from the Official World Golf Ranking, including Germany's Martin Kaymer, who won the Abu Dhabi Championship on Sunday to move up 42 places in the World Ranking, from 76 to 34. The top-64 available players from the World Ranking released on Monday, February 11, will qualify for this year's event at The Gallery Golf Club at Dove Mountain in Marana, Ariz., Feb. 18-24.

Under the current standings, Australia would qualify the most players, outside of the United States, with 11 Aussies led by No. 8 Adam Scott and 2006 Accenture Match Play Championship winner Geoff Ogilvy (No. 13). Last year, eight Australian players qualified for the Accenture Match Play Championship. Scott is looking to continue the momentum from a career season in 2007 in which he won his fifth PGA TOUR title, qualified for his third Presidents Cup team and finished 12th in the FedExCup. The 2007 Accenture Match Play Championship will be Scott's seventh start in the event. His best finish came in 2003 when he finished third.

Both England and South Africa have six players currently within the top 64 in the World Ranking. England's qualifiers are headlined by European Tour Order of Merit winner Justin Rose (No. 6), who is looking for his first win on the PGA TOUR after an excellent showing in 2007. Rose set personal bests in earnings (more than $2.7 million), top-10 finishes (7) and finished in the top 12 at all four major championships. He tied for fifth at the 2007 Accenture Match Play Championship.

Other countries that have players currently ranked in the top 64 include: Argentina (2); Canada (2); Colombia (1); Denmark (2); Fiji (1); Germany (1); Ireland (1); Japan (2); South Korea (1); Spain (2); Sweden (5); United States (20); and Wales (1).

Players in each of the four brackets are seeded No. 1 through No. 16, with the top-ranked golfer playing the No. 16 seed, No. 2 pairing off against No. 15, No. 3 vs. No. 14, and so forth in the first round.

The Accenture Match Play Championship was held in Arizona for the first time in 2007. Henrik Stenson captured his first PGA TOUR win by defeating defending champion Geoff Ogilvy 2 & 1 during the 36-hole final round. Stenson collected the $1.35 million first-place prize and the Walter Hagen Cup.

Tickets may be purchased by visiting www.worldgolfchampionships.com or by calling 1-866-WGC-AMPC (1-866-942-2672).