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Montgomerie faces Howell at Wentworth

11/09/2006

Ryder Cup team-mates Colin Montgomerie and David Howell will go head to head in the pick of the first-round ties for this year's £1 million world matchplay championship at Wentworth.

The eight-time European number one and the current European Tour order of merit leader form just part of a star-studded line-up for the prestigious event, thankfully revived this year by the reappearance of the game's big names.

World number one Tiger Woods is the highest profile star to be in attendance and he will mark his first appearance since losing the 1998 final by playing fellow American Shaun Micheel.

Woods is only seeded second this week, behind defending champion Michael Campbell who goes up against unheralded English star Simon Khan.

Other names in the hunt include Jim Furyk, who is today the second ranked player in the world following his triumph last night at the Canadian Open.

World number six Retief Goosen is playing and he takes on Paul Casey while Australian star Adam Scott, who won in Singapore yesterday, plays 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir.

Ernie Els, a six-time world matchplay champion, is also back after injury and the Big Easy starts his campaign against the unpredictable Angel Cabrera.

Meanwhile, South African legend Gary Player has today expressed his delight at seeing the big names, especially Woods, returning to Wentworth.

Player, who won the event on five occasions between 1965 and 1973, told the BBC: "It's wonderful that Woods is playing. I've been quite disgusted - in the last ten years the fields have been pitiful."

2006 HSBC world match play championship first-round draw:

Michael Campbell (1) v Simon Khan (16)
David Howell (8) v Colin Montgomerie (9)
Retief Goosen (5) v Paul Casey (12)
Adam Scott (4) v Mike Weir (13)
Jim Furyk (3) v Robert Karlsson (14)
Ernie Els (6) v Angel Cabrera (11)
Luke Donald (7) v Tim Clark (10)
Tiger Woods (2) v Shaun Micheel (15)

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