Most of Europe's biggest names have arrived in Surrey for the BMW-sponsored PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Englishman Luke Donald is hoping to join Colin Montgomerie (1998-2000) as the only two players to win this prestigious event three years in a row.
And the famed West Course will once again provide a stern test for the pros.
Opened in 1926, the reasonably flat, tree-lined venue was given a facelift by Ernie Els four years ago when all 18 greens underwent significant surgery.
Ahead of the 2010 tournament, putting surfaces were re-contoured, while a number of new bunkers were added and some existing ones deepened.
SELECTED PLAYERS with GOOD to REASONABLE FORM at WENTWORTH
Last Eight Years
Player: '05 / '06 / '07 / '08 / '09 / '10 / '11 / '12
Felipe Aguilar: - / - / - / 16 / MC / MC / 13 / MC
Thomas Aiken: - / - / - / - / 10 / 17 / 39 / MC
Fredrik Andersson: MC / - / 24 / MC / - / 2 / 61 / 18
Rafael Cabrera-Bello: - / - / - / - / MC / 17 / MC / 15
Paul Casey: MC / 11 / 12 / 10 / Won / 17 / 24 / MC
Robert-Jan Derksen: 39 / MC / 30 / 25 / 21 / 17 / Ret / 61
Luke Donald: 18 / 25 / 7 / 3 / 35 / 2 / Won / Won
Jamie Donaldson: 8 / MC / - / 53 / 32 / 34 / 7 / 53
Simon Dyson: 65 / 37 / MC / 25 / 16 / 34 / 3 / -
Ernie Els: 39 / 19 / 24 / MC / 21 / 34 / 16 / 7
Ross Fisher: - / 41 / 39 / 68 / 2 / 10 / 39 / MC
Marcus Fraser: 49 / MC / 12 / 34 / 43 / MC / 4 / MC
Ricardo Gonzalez: MC / MC / 68 / 46 / 72 / 17 / 13 / 33
Retief Goosen: 11 / 19 / MC / 6 / MC / - / 18 / MC
Richard Green: 33 / 14 / 8 / 6 / 21 / 48 / MC / 65
Anders Hansen: MC / MC / Won / 40 / 21 / 71 / 18 / MC
Soren Hansen: 60 / 11 / MC / 34 / 21 / 41 / MC / -
Peter Hanson: 5 / Wd / MC / 16 / 54 / 13 / 18 / MC
Padraig Harrington: 11 / 6 / 24 / - / - / 6 / - / MC
David Howell: 4 / Won / - / 63 / 72 / 61 / 39 / MC
Raphael Jacquelin: 49 / 19 / 56 / MC / 71 / MC / 4 / MC
Thongchai Jaidee: 11 / MC / 8 / 30 / 43 / 13 / 24 / 56
Miguel Angel Jimenez: 56 / 3 / 5 / Won / 43 / MC / MC / 39
Robert Karlsson: Ret / 14 / 41 / 3 / 32 / 13 / - / MC
Martin Kaymer: - / - / 30 / 16 / 11 / MC / 31 / 15
Simon Khan: MC / 2 / 24 / 10 / MC / Won / MC / 27
Soren Kjeldsen: 27 / 64 / MC / 10 / 3 / 41 / MC / MC
Peter Lawrie: 39 / 25 / 12 / 34 / MC / 56 / MC / 4
Paul Lawrie: 33 / 37 / MC / 22 / 32 / 6 / MC / 2
Thomas Levet: 39 / - / 64 / 58 / 9 / MC / 16 / MC
Matteo Manassero: - / - / - / - / - / 17 / 7 / 43
Paul McGinley: 2 / - / 50 / 10 / MC / 28 / MC / 33
Rory McIlroy: - / - / - / MC / 5 / 48 / 24 / MC
Colin Montgomerie: 11 / 53 / 30 / MC / 35 / 48 / 7 / 72
Alexander Noren: - / - / MC / 6 / 21 / 74 / MC / 21
Ian Poulter: 33 / MC / MC / - / - / MC / 18 / 10
Alvaro Quiros: - / - / - / MC / 16 / MC / 18 / 10
Robert Rock: - / - / MC / - / 16 / 34 / 45 / 21
Justin Rose: - / - / 2 / MC / - / 10 / MC / 2
Richard Sterne: 22 / MC / 3 / MC / MC / - / - / 6
Marc Warren: - / Ret / 30 / 22 / 21 / MC / - / 27
Steve Webster: 11 / 19 / MC / 10 / MC / 41 / MC / 61
Lee Westwood: 27 / MC / 12 / Ret / MC / 10 / 2 / 33
SELECTED PLAYERS with POOR to MEDICORE FORM at WENTWORTH
Last Eight Years
(No Top-30 Finishes from three or more starts since 2005)
Player: '05 / '06 / '07 / '08 / '09 / '10 / '11 / '12
Seve Benson: - / - / - / - / 54 / MC / 56 / -
Darren Clarke: Wd / MC / MC / MC / 52 / MC / 45 / MC
Robert Coles: 39 / MC / - / - / - / MC / MC / MC
Nicolas Colsaerts: - / 35 / - / - / - / 78 / MC / MC
Andrew Dodt: - / - / - / - / - / 41 / 53 / 39
Richard Finch: MC / MC / MC / MC / MC / 48 / MC / 33
Mark Foster: MC / 41 / 74 / 58 / 48 / 74 / 47 / MC
Gregory Havret: MC / MC / MC / 38 / MC / 76 / MC / 61
Michael Hoey: - / - / - / - / Ret / Wd / 31 / MC
Greig Hutcheon: - / - / MC / MC / - / - / 62 / MC
Michael Jonzon: - / - / - / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC
Pablo Larrazabal: - / - / - / - / 48 / MC / MC / 65
Mikael Lundberg: - / MC / - / MC / MC / MC / - / -
David Lynn: 39 / MC / MC / MC / MC / 56 / MC / MC
Gareth Maybin: - / - / - / - / MC / 34 / 62 / 39
Richard McEvoy: - / - / - / - / - / 48 / MC / MC
Edoardo Molinari: - / - / - / - / - / MC / 39 / 49
Phillip Price: - / 53 / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC / MC
Lee Slattery: 56 / - / 50 / MC / 35 / - / - / MC
Graeme Storm: 65 / 63 / MC / MC / MC / Ret / 50 / MC
Simon Wakefield: MC / MC / MC / 40 / 68 / - / - / -
TOP-10 Finishers over the WEST COURSE in 2012 (Not Listed Above)
Branden Grace: (5th)
Francesco Molinari: (T-7th)
Marcel Siem: (T-7th)
David Drysdale: (T-10th)
David Higgins: (T-10th)
James Morrison: (T-10th)
LOWEST 25 STROKE AVERAGES at WENTWORTH
(Last Four Years - 2009/12)
Average (Rounds)
69.81: Luke Donald (16)
70.79: Ross Fisher (14)
70.80: Justin Rose (10)
70.92: Simon Dyson (12)
71.00: Paul Lawrie (14)
71.21: Paul Casey (14)
71.25: Ernie Els (16)
71.50: Martin Kaymer (14)
71.57: Thomas Aiken (14)
71.58: Matteo Manassero (12)
71.64: Alvaro Quiros (14)
71.67: Simon Khan (12)
71.69: Francesco Molinari (16)
71.70: Robert Karlsson (10)
71.70: Ian Poulter (10)
71.71: Lee Westwood (14)
71.75: Robert Rock (16)
71.81: Jamie Donaldson (16)
71.90: Peter Whiteford (10)
71.92: Fredrik Andersson (12)
71.92: Soren Kjeldsen (12)
71.92: Thomas Levet (12)
71.92: Graeme McDowell (12)
71.93: Rory McIlroy (14)
72.00: Gonzalo F'dez-Castano (8)
Min. No. of Rounds = 8
FIRST ROUND HOODOO
Since 1990 only one of the 36 players to have either led outright or shared the lead through 18 holes, have gone on to lift the trophy.
That was Luke Donald in 2011 who won the tournament following a play-off against Lee Westwood.
Leader Thru 18 (Final Position)
1990: Paul Curry* (7th)
1990: Tony Johnstone* (7th)
1990: Jose Maria Olazabal* (4th)
1990: Eduardo Romero* (6th)
1991: Wayne Riley (15th)
1992: David Gilford (6th)
1993: Gary Evans (24th)
1994: Ernie Els (2nd)
1995: Peter Senior (4th)
1996: Nick Faldo (2nd)
1997: Darren Clarke* (2nd)
1997: Eamonn Darcy* (11th)
1998: Michael Jonzon (33rd)
1999: Bernhard Langer (7th)
2000: Nick O'Hern (11th)
2001: Angel Cabrera (2nd)
2002: Colin Montgomerie (2nd)
2003: Darren Clarke (14th)
2004: Ernie Els (7th)
2005: Graeme McDowell* (27th)
2005: Peter Lawrie* (39th)
2005: Jose-Filipe Lima* (49th)
2006: Nick Dougherty* (37th)
2006: Paul Casey* (11th)
2006: Andrew McLardy* (29th)
2006: Luke Donald* (25th)
2007: Justin Rose* (2nd)
2007: Paul Broadhurst* (20th)
2008: Paul McGinley (10th)
2009: Anthony Wall* (6th)
2009: Gonzalo F'dez-Castano* (11th)
2009: Dave Horsey* (43rd)
2010: Danny Willett (5th)
2011: Luke Donald (Won)
2012: David Drysdale* (10th)
2012: Peter Lawrie* (4th)
Note: * - Joint Leader after 18 holes
LOWEST ROUNDS over WEST COURSE SINCE 2000
62: Robert Karlsson (2010)
63: Angel Cabrera (2001)
63: Jarrod Moseley (2002)
63: Robert Dinwiddie (2008)
64: 12 times
Note: The lowest PGA Championship round carded over the West Course prior to 2000 was a 63 by Aussie Wayne Riley in 1991.
Wentworth's West Course: Par 72; 7,302 yards
Winning Totals (Last Three Years):
2012: 273 (Luke Donald)
2011: 278 (Luke Donald)
2010: 278 (Simon Khan)
