Defending champion Colin Montgomerie, Masters champion Vijay Singh, world No. 2 Ernie Els, and rising Danish star Thomas Bjorn have been announced as the first four players for the Cisco World Match Play Championship at Wentworth, England, on Oct. 5-8.
The other eight players will be announced soon for a championship where the prize money has been increased from $985,000 to $1.4 million.
Montgomerie collected a cheque for $241,000 when he beat Mark O'Meara 3 and 2 in last year's final. This time the winner will receive $355,000.
Montgomerie will be back to defend his trophy at Wentworth. Allsport
Even the first-round losers will leave with $71,000. Last year it was $42,000.
Singh and Els are former winners as well. Els won the title on his first three appearances in the event before suffering his first defeat when he lost the 1997 final to Singh.
