Harrington claims final place at Wentworth

Golf/World Matchplay: Padraig Harrington has been awarded the final slot in the HSBC World Matchplay Championship at Wentworth Golf Club from October 14th to 17th.

The 33-year-old Irishman qualified as one of the two leading European Tour members, not otherwise exempt, from the 2004 Volvo Order of Merit after Thomas Levet qualified from the HSBC Major Championships Ranking.

The final four players to qualify and then accept invitations to play in the 16-man field competing for the world-record £1-million first prize are the victorious Ryder Cup captain Bernhard Langer, US Ryder Cup team member Chris Riley, his US compatriot Steve Flesch and Harrington.

The Dubliner expressed his satisfaction at making a line-up that includes the world numbers one and two in Vijay Singh and Ernie Els and the current US and British Open champions in Retief Goosen and Todd Hamilton.

"I am thrilled to have made it into this prestigious event. I really enjoy matchplay and, with such a strong field, it should be a very exciting week," he said.

The World Matchplay Championship, now in its 41st year, is officially sanctioned by the European Tour, with the results counting for official world ranking points for the first time. All 16 players will compete in the opening round of 36-hole matches next Thursday, with the final taking place on the Sunday.

Harrington made his debut in the tournament - under its old format, which was strictly on an invitation basis and largely revolving around IMG players - in 2000 when he beat American Bob May 6 and 5 before losing to Colin Montgomerie in the second round 5 and 3.

The Irishman's best performance in the event came the following year, when he was narrowly beaten 2 and 1 in an epic final with Ian Woosnam.

Harrington hammered Nick Faldo 9 and 8 in the first round, accounted for fellow Irishman Darren Clarke 5 and 4 in the second and then in the semi-final beat Sam Torrance 4 and 3.

His form that week was superlative and included shooting a record - it was bettered by Ernie Els last year - 61 over the demanding Wentworth layout.

This he managed on a course he claims his game is not really suited to - he has used that as a reason not to play the Volvo PGA Championship in recent years.

In mitigation he prefers the way the greens run at this time of the year rather than in early summer when the Volvo PGA is staged.

In the final against Woosnam, the little Welshman equalled his own record of seven successive birdies and broke the front nine mark in taking just 28 shots to negotiate the journey. Harrington shattered the back nine record with 30 blows.

The 36-hole final produced a record 32 birdies with Woosnam becoming the first player to win the tournament in three different decades.

In 2002 Harrington defeated Mike Weir 4 and 3 before losing 2 and 1 to Sergio Garcia; he didn't play last year when Els claimed a fifth crown in beating Denmark's Thomas Bjorn 4 and 3.

Langer, who has played in seven previous World Matchplays admitted: "I am delighted to have qualified. It will be my first tournament back in Europe after the Ryder Cup and I think it will be very special playing with some of my Ryder Cup colleagues and in front of our loyal home crowd."

World Matchplay Championship: Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Todd Hamilton, KJ Choi, Mike Weir, Jeff Maggert, Chris Riley, Lee Westwood, Steve Flesch, Bernhard Langer, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Thomas Levet, Scott Drummond, Angel Cabrera, Padraig Harrington.