FOR 43 years the greats flocked to Wentworth. Now it’s the turn of Spain to play host to the inaugural edition of what is now the Volvo World Matchplay Championship.

After a year’s hiatus and with bulldozers still trundling around the fabled West Course in London, this Cabell Robinson-designed track on the Costa del Sol plays host to the leading contenders in the cash chase known as the Race to Dubai.

Rory McIlroy is Ireland’s lone qualifier for the 16-man tournament on a testing, 7,380-yard track that has been painstakingly carved out of some extreme terrain in the hills overlooking the Bahîa de Casares, around eight miles north of Valderrama.

“For the piece of land that they have built the golf course on, they have done an excellent job, because I don’t think I could have designed a golf course on the terrain that it is on,” said a diplomatic McIlroy.

The buzz of bulldozers at Wentworth will be replaced by the humming of golf carts as the players are ferried over some of the more arduous climbs from tees to greens.

That’s not good news for spectators or players struggling with fitness, such as England’s Paul Casey, who hasn’t played a competitive round since he retired injured from the Bridgestone Invitational three months ago.

The world number four was leading the Race to Dubai when he tore a rib muscle, and though he says he’s “chomping at the bit” to catch leader Lee Westwood in the Race to Dubai, it remains to be seen if he will be fit enough to play 54 holes in two days of round-robin combat, never mind the 36-hole semi-finals and finals.

Asked what it would take for him to withdraw, he said: “Sharp pain . . . One sharp pain – that’s enough. I’ll be out of here. I’m not going to push it and do any more damage.”

The same could be said for Martin Kaymer, who hobbled to second place in Valencia last week on his return to action following a karting accident.

The new format this year means the 16-man field has been divided into four groups of four with each player playing his group rivals to a finish over all 18 holes.

Aggregate holes won will be used to break ties and decide the group winners, who will advance to Saturday’s semi-finals.

McIlroy is under no illusions about the task facing him.

If this were the Champions League of golf, then McIlroy is in the Group of Death with US Masters champion Angel Cabrera, world number seven Henrik Stenson and stablemate Simon Dyson, his nemesis in the Alfred Dunhill Links, standing in his way.

“It will be really tough to get through the group,” McIlroy said. “Obviously Angel has won the Masters this year and Henrik has done very well in the past in matchplay, and obviously he’s The Players champion this year.

“And Simon is in the best form of his life. So it’s a pretty tough group.”

McIlroy beat Stenson by one hole in the Vivendi (Seve) Trophy last month, and the world number 16 knows he has the right stuff to produce the goods under pressure and add to his Dubai Desert Classic breakthrough in February and stellar performances in the Masters, the US Open and the US PGA.

Ranked third in the money list, €209,245 behind Westwood, he knows he could go top if he takes home the €750,000 winner’s cheque.

Just €541,667 will count in the Race to Dubai as the event has a limited field, but it could still be enough to regain top spot with the HSBC Champions, the Hong Kong Open and the Dubai World Championship to come over the final weeks of the season.

“I desperately want to win the Race to Dubai,” McIlroy said, refusing to declare himself happy with his lot so far this year.

“It’s been on my mind since the US PGA, or even Switzerland. I know it will be tough and I have to play very, very well. But if I don’t win, I will be a little disappointed. It will be natural if I am.”

Victory would fulfil a boyhood dream for McIlroy, who saw Harrington lose to Ian Woosnam on a family visit to the old Cisco World Matchplay Wentworth in 2001.

“I remember running around Wentworth twice a day when I was a kid. It’s a pretty cool feeling to be able to play in it now. I’m really looking forward to it.”

As for the pressure, McIlroy believes it only heightens his competitive instincts.

“I revel in it,” he said.

“Obviously I expect a lot of myself. I put myself under the most pressure, because I want to do well.”

Four of the world’s top-10 and eight of the top-20 are in action, though seven Americans, including Tiger Woods, turned down their places in the field, leaving the way clear for Anthony Kim to tee it up in what promises to be a compelling spectacle.