HSBC Champions -- 2009 eligibility requirements

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Here is how the field will be filled out for this year's HSBC Champions tournament, which is now the fourth event of the World Golf Championships (players listed have already become eligible in that category):

1. Winners of the 2009 Masters, PLAYERS Championship, U.S. Open, British Open, and PGA Championship.
• Masters -- Cabrera, Angel
• THE PLAYERS Championship -- Stenson, Henrik
• U.S. Open -- Glover, Lucas
• British Open -- Cink, Stewart
• PGA Championship

2. Winners of the 2009 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship, World Golf Championships-CA Championship and World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational. Note: For 2010 eligibility, this category shall include the winner of the previous year's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions
• Accenture Match Play Championship -- Ogilvy, Geoff
• CA Championship -- Mickelson, Phil
• Bridgestone Invitational -- Tiger Woods

3. Winners from 23 PGA TOUR co-sponsored events in 2009, which shall be identified as those 23 PGA TOUR events from 2008 with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more.

4. Top-five available players not otherwise exempt from the final 2009 PGA TOUR FedExCup Points List.

5. Winners from 23 European Tour-sanctioned events from the 2008 HSBC Champions through the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those 23 European Tour events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more.

6. Top-five available players not otherwise exempt from the European Tour's Race to Dubai Order of Merit as of Oct. 26, 2009.

7. Winners from nine Asian Tour-sanctioned events from the 2008 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those nine Asian Tour events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more. If fewer than nine players are eligible via this category (i.e. there is one or more multiple winners in these nine events or a winner is qualified in a higher category or there are insufficient tournaments with the approved rating) additional players from the Asian Tour Order of Merit as of Oct. 26, 2009, in order of their positions, shall fill this category to nine eligible players.

8. Winners from five Japan Golf Tour-sanctioned events from the 2008 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those five Japan Golf Tour events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more. If fewer than five players are eligible via this category (i.e. there is one or more multiple winners in these five events or a winner is qualified in a higher category or there are insufficient tournaments with the approved rating) additional players from the Japan Golf Tour Order of Merit as of Oct. 26, 2009, in order of their positions, shall fill this category to five eligible players.

9. Winners from five Sunshine Tour-sanctioned events from the 2008 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those five Sunshine Tour events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more. If fewer than five players are eligible via this category (i.e. there is one or more multiple winners in these five events or a winner is qualified in a higher category or there are insufficient tournaments with the approved rating) additional players from the final 2008 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit, in order of their positions, shall fill this category to five eligible players.

Final 2008 Order of Merit (if needed to fill the category to five players)
• 1. (Sterne, Richard)
• 2. Mulroy, Garth
3. Aiken, Thomas
• 4. Murless, Mark
• 5. Kingston, James

10. Winners from five Australasian Tour-sanctioned events from the 2008 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those five Australasian Tour events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the event preceding the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more. If fewer than five players are eligible via this category (i.e. there is one or more multiple winners in these five events or a winner is qualified in a higher category or there are insufficient tournaments with the approved rating), additional players from the final 2008 Australasian Tour Order of Merit, in order of their positions, shall fill this category to five eligible players.

Final 2008 Order of Merit (if needed to fill the category to five players)
• 1. Brown, Mark
• 2. (Pampling, Rod)
• 3. (Ogilvy, Geoff)
• 4. (Strange, Scott)
• 5. Chalmers, Greg

11. Four Chinese players

12. Top two available players, not otherwise exempt, from the Official World Golf Ranking as of Oct. 26, 2009

13. If necessary to fill the field to 78 players, additional Tournament Winners from the 2008 HSBC Champions through the event preceding the 2009 World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions, which shall be identified as those winners of events from the 2007 HSBC Champions to the 2008 HSBC Champions with the highest Official World Golf Ranking Strength of Field Rating -- having a rating of 40 points or more, not listed in an above category: