HSBC Golf sponsorship

HSBC Champions

World number two Phil Mickelson won the HSBC Champions in Shanghai as he edged out English pair Ross Fisher and Lee Westwood with a birdie at the second hole of a sudden death play off. It was Mickelson's first overseas title in 14 years and came after a fluctuating final day at the Sheshan International course with most of the drama reserved for the par-five 18th.

Overnight leader Mickelson held a five-stroke advantage over Fisher through seven holes of his final round, but dropped six shots in eight holes to give Fisher a one-stroke advantage playing the final hole. Westwood had continued his superb end of season form with a best-of-day 67 to set the clubhouse pace on 278 - ten-under-par - but with Fisher on 12-under playing the final hole and Mickelson one further back it looked unlikely he would play any further part.

But both Fisher and Mickelson found water with approaches to the final hole, Mickelson with his second as he chased a birdie, Fisher with a careless chip for his third. Fisher holed a testing putt to make a double bogey seven while Mickelson made a bogey six, leaving the trio tied to force extra holes.

The 18th was also used for the play-off hole and all three men had birdie chances on the first extra hole which they missed, leaving them to go back to the 18th tee again. This time around, Westwood found water at the front of the green and Fisher hit his second into greenside bunker, with Mickelson on the fringes of the green after a superb drive and brave second shot. Westwood, following a drop, played his fourth shot through the green and down the slope into the water, while Fisher chipped out of the bunker to within eight feet in four.

But Mickelson played a masterful flop shot to four feet with his third, and after Fisher missed, the American holed his birdie putt to claim the US$833,300 first prize and 'Champion of Champions' title.

After a topsy turvy final day Mickelson said, "It feels amazing I don't know how it happened. The whole day was a whirlwind, but what a fun day and what a fun opportunity to come and play here in China."

Follow this link for complete HSBC Champions Coverage.

HSBC World Match Play Championship

The South African star Ernie Els won the HSBC World Match Play title at Wentworth for the seventh time when he beat US Open champion Angel Cabrera 6 & 4 in the 2007 final.
 
Els, who had the considerable advantage of this being his "local" course - he owns a home on the exclusive Wentworth estate - led from the start, hitting 13 birdies in a comprehensive victory. And after playing eight rounds of golf in four days, he still had the energy left to go straight from the course to jet off to Paris to watch South Africa beat Argentina in the rugby world cup semi-final later that evening.
 
So that made it a South African double over Argentina. Cabrera, bidding to become only the fifth man to win both the US Open and World Match Play tournaments in the same year, only occasionally showed the form that had seen him dispatch Retief Goosen, Paul Casey and American surprise-package Hunter Mahan in previous rounds. Cabrera won only five of the 32 holes played in the final.
 
However, it had taken the Big Easy, as the laid-back Els is known, 25 holes before he had taken a decisive lead - only afterwards revealing he had woken that morning with a sore back. Once in front there was seldom a doubt. Els began to seal victory from the tenth in the afternoon round, collecting a birdie to go three up. At the 12th, Cabrera missed a crucial five-foot putt to see Els birdie and take a four-hole lead.
 
The match really slipped from Cabrera's grasp at the 13th, after two poor shots saw him finish in five, while Els clinched it in four to go five up with five to play. The South African duly wrapped up victory at the par-three 14th after Cabrera's second-shot chip went wide.
 
So Ernie Els lifted the trophy for the seventh time, collecting the one-million-pound winner's cheque, and taking his earnings at this event alone beyond four million pounds.
 
After receiving the trophy from Dyfrig John, CEO of HSBC - and now a familiar face to Els! - the beaming star said: "I never thought I'd win this trophy for a seventh time - it's just amazing. To win this prestigious tournament again is an absolutely wonderful feeling - it's a very important win for me and my career."

Follow this link for complete HSBC World Match Play Championship coverage.

HSBC Women's Champions

The top women golfers in the world will tee-off in the inaugural HSBC Champions tournament at the Tanah Merah Country Club in Singapore from February 28-March 2 in 2008. A $2 million prize purse will make the LPGA-sanctioned tournament the richest event in Asia with a $300,000 first prize.

The tournament is modelled on the hugely successful HSBC Champions men's event, which is played in Shanghai in November and has already been dubbed the 'Asian Major'.

The leading 30 players in the world rankings at the end of 2007, winners of women's majors over the past three years plus Order of Merit winners from regional golf tours in Europe, Asia and Africa will be among the stars invited to the 72-hole strokeplay tournament.

The ground breaking event is an exciting new addition to HSBC's golfing portfolio. Women's golf legend Annika Sorenstam, a ten-time major winner, has given an enthusiastic endorsement: "I am delighted to hear about this new LPGA event. This will be very exciting news for all the players on the LPGA Tour who will be thrilled to be playing in Singapore. HSBC are great supporters of golf and we will all be keen to win the inaugural HSBC Women's Champions title,” said the Swede.