Seve Trophy
Encyclopedia
The Seve Trophy is a biennial golf
tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain
& Ireland
and Continental Europe
. It is named after five times major
winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key instigators of the tournament. He made an exceptional contribution to the European Ryder Cup
successes of the 1980s and 1990s, and came to be regarded as an exceptionally keen team man in a usually individualistic sport. A sponsorship deal with the French media conglomerate Vivendi
meant that the 2009 was known as The Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros and the 2011 event was the Vivendi Seve Trophy.
, which is now played between teams representing the whole of Europe and the United States
, the Seve Trophy is a team event played over three or four days, with two or three days of pairs matches (the precise formats used have varied) and a concluding set of singles matches on the final day. Major differences include the smaller size of the teams, which are ten strong, whereas in the Ryder Cup they are twelve strong, and the fact that there is prizemoney involved. Players are willing to play in the Ryder Cup for nothing because of its prestige, although they receive large indirect financial compensation from the boost that participation gives to their prestige and profile, but as a new event, founded only in 2000, the Seve Trophy needed to offer prize money to attract first rate players.
The first criterion is designed to select the biggest stars in European golf even if they do not play much in Europe (in practical terms, this means if they choose to play primarily on the U.S. based PGA Tour
). The second criterion is designed to show some favoritism to players who show loyalty to the European Tour, which is one of the sponsors of the trophy.
In 2005 and 2007, it was held in the same week as Europe's Ryder Cup opponents, Team USA, took on the "International Team" in the Presidents Cup
. In 2009, the two team events did not conflict, but the Seve Trophy was scheduled opposite the final event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup
playoffs, The Tour Championship
.
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
tournament between teams of professional male golfers representing Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
& Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
and Continental Europe
Continental Europe
Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands....
. It is named after five times major
Men's major golf championships
The men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
winner Seve Ballesteros, the most successful golfer ever from Continental Europe who was one of the key instigators of the tournament. He made an exceptional contribution to the European Ryder Cup
Ryder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
successes of the 1980s and 1990s, and came to be regarded as an exceptionally keen team man in a usually individualistic sport. A sponsorship deal with the French media conglomerate Vivendi
Vivendi
Vivendi SA is a French international media conglomerate with activities in music, television and film, publishing, telecommunications, the Internet, and video games. It is headquartered in Paris.- History :...
meant that the 2009 was known as The Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros and the 2011 event was the Vivendi Seve Trophy.
Teams
Like the much more established Ryder CupRyder Cup
The Ryder Cup is a biennial golf competition between teams from Europe and the United States. The competition is jointly administered by the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour, and is contested every two years, the venue alternating between courses in the United States and Europe...
, which is now played between teams representing the whole of Europe and the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, the Seve Trophy is a team event played over three or four days, with two or three days of pairs matches (the precise formats used have varied) and a concluding set of singles matches on the final day. Major differences include the smaller size of the teams, which are ten strong, whereas in the Ryder Cup they are twelve strong, and the fact that there is prizemoney involved. Players are willing to play in the Ryder Cup for nothing because of its prestige, although they receive large indirect financial compensation from the boost that participation gives to their prestige and profile, but as a new event, founded only in 2000, the Seve Trophy needed to offer prize money to attract first rate players.
Selection
Each team is selected as follows:- The leading five eligible players in the Official World Golf RankingsOfficial World Golf RankingsThe Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
- The leading five players on the European Tour Race to Dubai, not already selected on the first criterion
The first criterion is designed to select the biggest stars in European golf even if they do not play much in Europe (in practical terms, this means if they choose to play primarily on the U.S. based PGA Tour
PGA Tour
The PGA Tour is the organizer of the main men's professional golf tours in the United States and North America...
). The second criterion is designed to show some favoritism to players who show loyalty to the European Tour, which is one of the sponsors of the trophy.
Schedule
The event is played in September, in years when there is no Ryder Cup. Initially this meant even numbered years, but because the 2001 Ryder Cup was postponed by a year due to the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001, the Seve Trophy is now played in odd numbered years.In 2005 and 2007, it was held in the same week as Europe's Ryder Cup opponents, Team USA, took on the "International Team" in the Presidents Cup
Presidents Cup
The Presidents Cup is a series of men's golf matches between a team representing the United States and an International Team representing the rest of the world less Europe. Europe competes against the U.S. in a similar but considerably older event, the Ryder Cup. The Presidents Cup is held biennially...
. In 2009, the two team events did not conflict, but the Seve Trophy was scheduled opposite the final event of the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup
FedEx Cup
The FedEx Cup is a championship trophy for the PGA Tour. Its introduction marked the first time that men's professional golf had a playoff system. Announced in November 2005, it was first awarded in 2007 after a NASCAR-like points race. Bill Haas is the current champion...
playoffs, The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship
The Tour Championship was historically the final event of golf's PGA Tour season. Since 2007, it has been the final event of the FedEx Cup, the competition for the first official championship trophy for the PGA Tour season. From 1987 to 1996, several courses hosted the event...
.
Tour status
The Seve Trophy is an "approved special event" on the European Tour. A week in the tour schedule is set aside for it, but the prize money does not count towards the Race to Dubai (previously the Order of Merit).Results
| Year | Venue | Winning Team | | Score | Losing Team | Captains | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 2011 Vivendi Seve Trophy The 2011 Vivendi Seve Trophy, formerly known as the Seve Trophy, was played 15-18 September at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in France. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Paul McGinley, with the captain for Continental Europe being Jean van de Velde... |
Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.-History:Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche was built around 4 core hamlets near the Forest of Marly... (Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
 Great Britain &  Ireland |
15½ | 12½ |  Continental Europe |
Paul McGinley Paul McGinley Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England.... Jean van de Velde |
| 2009 2009 Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros The 2009 Vivendi Trophy with Seve Ballesteros, formally known as the Seve Trophy, was played 24-27 September at Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche in France. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Paul McGinley, with the captain for Continental Europe being Thomas Bjørn... |
Golf de Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche is a commune in the Yvelines department in the Île-de-France in north-central France.-History:Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche was built around 4 core hamlets near the Forest of Marly... (Paris Paris Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... ) |
Great Britain & Ireland |
16½ | 11½ | Continental Europe |
Paul McGinley Paul McGinley Paul McGinley is an Irish golfer who plays on the European Tour. He is most famous for holing the winning putt for the European team in the 2002 Ryder Cup. He currently resides in Sunningdale, England.... Thomas BjørnThomas Bjørn Thomas Bjørn is a professional golfer from Denmark who plays on the European Tour. He is the most successful Danish golfer to have played the game having won thirteen tournaments worldwide on the European Tour. In 1999 he also became the first Dane to qualify for a European Ryder Cup team... |
| 2007 2007 Seve Trophy The 2007 Seve Trophy took place between 27-30 September at The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort in the Republic of Ireland. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Nick Faldo, with the captain for Continental Europe being Seve Ballesteros... |
The Heritage Golf & Spa Resort (County Laois County Laois County Laois is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It was formerly known as Queen's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. The county's name was formerly spelt as Laoighis and Leix. Laois County Council... , Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... ) |
Great Britain & Ireland |
16½ | 11½ | Continental Europe |
Nick Faldo Nick Faldo Sir Nicholas Alexander "Nick" Faldo, MBE is an English professional golfer on the European Tour who now mainly works as an on air golf analyst. Over his career, he has won six majors: three Open Championships and three Masters. He was ranked the World No... Seve Ballesteros |
| 2005 2005 Seve Trophy The 2005 Seve Trophy took place between 22-25 September at Wynyard Golf Club, in North East England. The team captain for Great Britain and Ireland was Colin Montgomerie, with the captain for Continental Europe being José María Olazábal. The overall tournament host was Seve Ballesteros as he was... |
Wynyard Golf Club Wynyard Golf Club Wynyard Golf Club is a golf club situated in the village of Wynyard near Sedgefield, County Durham, England. The course was built in 1996 alongside the building of the Wynyard Estates development and was designed by Hawtree.... (County Durham County Durham County Durham is a ceremonial county and unitary district in north east England. The county town is Durham. The largest settlement in the ceremonial county is the town of Darlington... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
Great Britain & Ireland |
16½ | 11½ | Continental Europe |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... José María OlazábalJosé María Olazábal José María Olazábal Manterola is a Spanish professional golfer who has enjoyed success on both the European Tour and the PGA Tour, and has won two major championships.-Career outline:... |
| 2003 | Campo de Golf Parador El Saler (Valencia, Spain Spain Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula... ) |
Great Britain & Ireland |
15 | 13 | Continental Europe |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... Seve Ballesteros |
| 2002 | Druids Glen Druids Glen Druids Glen is a golf resort in Ireland, situated about south of Dublin in County Wicklow. The resort consists of the 5-star Marriott Druids Glen Hotel & Country Club, two championship golf courses, and Woodstock House, which was built in 1770 and is now the clubhouse at Druids Glen.The "Druids... (County Wicklow County Wicklow County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county... , Ireland Republic of Ireland Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,... ) |
Great Britain & Ireland |
14½ | 11½ | Continental Europe |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... Seve Ballesteros |
| 2000 | Sunningdale Golf Club Sunningdale Golf Club Sunningdale Golf Club is a golf club, located approximately 30 miles to the west of London, in Sunningdale, Berkshire, England.... (Berkshire Berkshire Berkshire is a historic county in the South of England. It is also often referred to as the Royal County of Berkshire because of the presence of the royal residence of Windsor Castle in the county; this usage, which dates to the 19th century at least, was recognised by the Queen in 1957, and... , England England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental... ) |
Continental Europe |
13½ | 12½ | Great Britain & Ireland |
Colin Montgomerie Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE is a Scottish professional golfer, often referred to by one of his nicknames 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles, including a streak of seven consecutively from 1993 to 1999, and 31... Seve Ballesteros |