View source for World Golf Championships

{{Short description|Golf tournaments}}
{{for|the 1950s PGA tour event|World Championship of Golf}}
{{Multiple issues|
{{more citations needed|date=April 2020}}
{{weasel|date=April 2020}}
}}

The '''World Golf Championships''' ('''WGC''') were a group of annual professional [[golf]] tournaments played from 1999 through 2023 created by the [[International Federation of PGA Tours]] as a means of gathering the best players in the world together more frequently than the pre-existing four [[Men's major golf championships|major championships]]. All WGC tournaments are official money events on the [[PGA Tour]] and the [[European Tour]], and officially sanctioned by the [[Asian Tour]], [[Japan Golf Tour]], [[Sunshine Tour]], and [[PGA Tour of Australasia]].{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

The WGC tournaments offered comparable prize money to the [[Men's major golf championships|major championships]]. In the pantheon of golf events, the WGCs ranked below the major championships and above most other competitions, although [[The Players Championship]], promoted by the PGA Tour as the "fifth major", may also claim such status.

Despite the name, the World Golf Championships did not claim to crown a recognised 'world champion'.{{citation needed|date=April 2019}}

The World Golf Championships came to an end as the PGA Tour announced the [[2023 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play|2023 WGC Match Play]] would be the last WGC tournament.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.si.com/golf/news/final-world-golf-championships-end-of-an-era-pga-tour|title=The Final World Golf Championships Event Marks the End of an Era on the PGA Tour|first=Bob|last=Harig|date=March 19, 2023|website=Sports Illustrated}}</ref> The [[COVID-19 pandemic]] severely hampered the WGCs, as several tournaments were moved and the [[WGC-HSBC Champions]] in China was never played again once the pandemic began. As the PGA Tour's conflict with [[LIV Golf]] began, the PGA Tour pursued an "elevated status" for some existing events which have some similarities to WGC events (smaller fields, no cut, and higher prize money).<ref name="WGC end">{{cite web |title=End Of The WGC But Monahan Hints Match Play Event May Return |url=https://www.golfmonthly.com/news/end-of-the-wgc-but-monahan-hints-match-play-event-may-return |website=Golf Monthly |access-date=15 March 2023 |date=9 March 2023}}</ref>

==Events==
{| class="wikitable"
! Event
! Format
|-
| [[WGC Championship]] (1999–2021)
| Individual [[stroke play]]
|-
| [[WGC Match Play]] (1999–2023)
| Individual [[match play]]
|-
| [[WGC Invitational]] (1999–2021)
| Individual [[stroke play]]
|-
| [[WGC World Cup]] (2000–2006)
| Team [[stroke play]]
|-
| [[WGC-HSBC Champions|WGC Champions]] (2009–2019)
| Individual [[stroke play]]
|}

The WGC Championship, WGC Match Play and WGC Invitational events all began in 1999, although the WGC Invitational is the direct successor of the [[World Series of Golf]], which began in 1976 and the WGC Match Play is a direct successor to the [[Andersen Consulting World Championship of Golf]] which began in 1995. The WGC Championship originally traveled to different venues around the world. After 2006 it found a home at Doral Resort in Florida superseding the [[Doral Open]], a long-standing event on the PGA Tour. Between 2000 and 2006, the men's World Cup was accorded WGC status. The [[HSBC Champions|WGC Champions]], first held in 2005, was awarded World Golf Championships status starting with the 2009 edition, becoming the fourth WGC tournament on the worldwide calendar.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/8022189.stm|title=Asian event joins elite WGC list |date=28 April 2009 |work=[[BBC Sport]] |access-date=28 April 2009}}</ref>

In April 2011, the Sunshine Tour announced that it would host a fifth WGC event. The event, to be known as the [[Tournament of Hope]], was to be linked to awareness of poverty and HIV/AIDS in Africa.<ref name="Tournament of Hope">{{cite press release |url=http://www.pgatour.co.za/article.asp?id=413486 |title=Sunshine Tour announces major coup for SA golf |publisher=Sunshine Tour |date=12 April 2011 |access-date=15 April 2011}}</ref> In early 2012 it was announced that the tournament would be played in 2013;<ref name=pga2012>{{cite news |url=http://www.pga.com/news/pga-tour/tournament-hope-in-south-africa-join-world-golf-championships-in-2013 |title=Tournament of Hope in South Africa to join World Golf Championships |work=PGA of America |agency=Associated Press |access-date=2 March 2012}}</ref> later in 2012 it was announced that the tournament would not be a WGC event,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/8454833/south-africa-host-second-richest-tournament-golf-2013 |title=South Africa to host $8.5M event |work=ESPN |agency=Associated Press |date=2 October 2012 |access-date=3 October 2012}}</ref> but ultimately the tournament never took place.

The WGC concept was introduced to create a larger group of golf tournaments with a high global profile by bringing the leading golfers from different tours together on a more regular basis, rather than just for the [[men's major golf championships|major championships]]. At the time the publicity spoke of a "World Tour" which might develop on the basis of the World Championships and the majors.

The "World Tour" concept seems to have been dropped, but the four events usually attract almost all of the elite players who are eligible to compete and they rank among the most prestigious and high-profile events outside of the majors. The prize money on offer is very close to being the highest for any professional golf tournament. Winners generally receive 70 to 78 [[Official World Golf Rankings]] points, the most awarded for any tournament apart from the major championships, which carry 100 points, and [[The Players Championship]], which is allocated 80.{{efn|Prior to 2007, the official points allocations were half of these values, but points won in the current year were given a weighting of 2 in the ranking calculation. The system was revised in 2007, so that points are now given an initial weighting of 1, which then tapers to zero over a two-year period starting 13 weeks after the award.}} [[Tiger Woods]] has dominated these tournaments, winning 16 of the first 32 individual (non-World Cup) events and winning at least one event each year from 1999 to 2009.

From 2000 to 2006 the men's golf [[World Cup (men's golf)|World Cup]], a tournament for teams of two players representing their country, was a World Golf Championship event, although it was not an official money event on any tour. Beginning in 2007 it is no longer part of the World Golf Championships, but it is still played, and is currently known as the [[World Cup (men's golf)|Mission Hills World Cup]].

Also from 2000 to 2006, two or three of the four events were staged in the [[United States]] in most of the years, and one or two were staged elsewhere. Starting in 2007, all three of the individual World Golf Championships events were played in the United States, which attracted criticism from some golfers, including [[Tiger Woods]] and [[Ernie Els]], and in the media outside the United States. [[PGA Tour]] Commissioner [[Tim Finchem]] responded by insisting that playing in the U.S. is best for golf as more money can be made there than elsewhere.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/golf/4753774.stm|title=PGA Tour chief defends US dates|date=February 26, 2006|via=news.bbc.co.uk}}</ref> This criticism has been muted since the 2009 elevation of the HSBC Champions, held in [[China]], to full WGC status. In addition, the WGC-Mexico Championship in 2017 marked the move of half the WGC events to outside the United States. At the end of the 2021 season, the number of WGC events was reduced to two, the Match Play and the HSBC Champions. The HSBC Champions was not held between 2020 and 2022 due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]], and the Match Play will cease following the 2023 edition.<ref>{{cite news |last=Romine |first=Brentley |title=WGC era over: Match Play out, though Monahan doesn't rule out return |url=https://www.golfchannel.com/news/wgc-era-over-match-play-out-though-monahan-doesnt-rule-out-return |work=Golf Channel |date=March 7, 2023 |access-date=March 14, 2023}}</ref>

The winners receive [[Wedgwood]] trophies named for a golf legend. The HSBC Champions features the [[Old Tom Morris]] Cup; the Dell Match Play Championship, the [[Walter Hagen]] Cup; the Mexico Championship, the [[Gene Sarazen]] Cup; and the FedEx St. Jude Invitational, the [[Gary Player]] Cup.<ref name="wedgwood">{{cite web |title=Mickelson Unveils New WGC-HSBC Champions Trophy |url=http://www.asiantour.com/2010/10/12/mickelson-unveils-new-wgc-hsbc-champions-trophy/ |publisher=Asian Tour |access-date=28 October 2017 |date=12 October 2010}}</ref>

==Winners==
{| class=wikitable
!Year
![[WGC Championship|Championship]]
![[WGC Match Play|Match Play]]
![[WGC Invitational|Invitational]]
![[WGC-HSBC Champions|Champions]]
|-
|[[2023 in golf|2023]] ||rowspan=2 style="background:#eeeeee;"| || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Sam Burns]] ||rowspan=2 style="background:#eeeeee;"| ||style="background:#eeeeee;"|
|-
|[[2022 in golf|2022]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Scottie Scheffler]] || rowspan=3|<small>''Cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]''</small>
|-
|[[2021 in golf|2021]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Collin Morikawa]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Billy Horschel]] || {{flagicon|MEX}} [[Abraham Ancer]] 
|-
|[[2020 in golf|2020]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Reed]] (2/2) || <small>''Cancelled due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic]]''</small> || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Justin Thomas]] (2/2) 
|-
|[[2019 in golf|2019]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (6/6) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kevin Kisner]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Brooks Koepka]] || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Rory McIlroy]] (3/3)
|- 
|[[2018 in golf|2018]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Phil Mickelson]] (3/3) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bubba Watson]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Justin Thomas]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Xander Schauffele]]
|- 
|[[2017 in golf|2017]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (4/6) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (5/6) || {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Hideki Matsuyama]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Justin Rose]] (2/2)
|- 
|[[2016 in golf|2016]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Adam Scott (golfer)|Adam Scott]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jason Day]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (3/6) || {{flagicon|JPN}} [[Hideki Matsuyama]] (1/2)
|-
|[[2015 in golf|2015]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (2/6) || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Rory McIlroy]] (2/3) || {{flagicon|IRL}} [[Shane Lowry]] || {{flagicon|SCO}} [[Russell Knox]]
|-
!Year
![[WGC Match Play|Match Play]]
![[WGC Championship|Championship]]
![[WGC Invitational|Invitational]]
![[WGC-HSBC Champions|Champions]]
|-
|[[2014 in golf|2014]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Jason Day]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Patrick Reed]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Rory McIlroy]] (1/3) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Bubba Watson]] (1/2)
|-
|[[2013 in golf|2013]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Matt Kuchar]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (17/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (18/18)|| {{flagicon|USA}} [[Dustin Johnson]] (1/6)
|-
|[[2012 in golf|2012]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Hunter Mahan]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Justin Rose]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Keegan Bradley]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Poulter]] (2/2)
|-
|[[2011 in golf|2011]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Luke Donald]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Nick Watney]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Adam Scott (golfer)|Adam Scott]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|DEU}} [[Martin Kaymer]]
|-
|[[2010 in golf|2010]] || {{flagicon|ENG}} [[Ian Poulter]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Ernie Els]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Hunter Mahan]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|ITA}} [[Francesco Molinari]]
|-
|[[2009 in golf|2009]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Geoff Ogilvy]] (3/3) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Phil Mickelson]] (1/3) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (16/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Phil Mickelson]] (2/3)
|-
|[[2008 in golf|2008]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (15/18) || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Geoff Ogilvy]] (2/3) ||{{flagicon|FJI}} [[Vijay Singh]] || style="background:#eeeeee;" rowspan="2"|
|-
|[[2007 in golf|2007]] || {{flagicon|SWE}} [[Henrik Stenson]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (13/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (14/18)
|-
!Year
![[WGC Match Play|Match Play]]
![[WGC Invitational|Invitational]]
![[WGC Championship|Championship]]
![[World Cup (men's golf)|World Cup]]
|-
|[[2006 in golf|2006]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Geoff Ogilvy]] (1/3) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (11/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (12/18) ||{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Bernhard Langer]] and<br />{{flagicon|DEU}} [[Marcel Siem]]
|-
|[[2005 in golf|2005]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[David Toms]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (9/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (10/18) ||{{flagicon|WAL}} [[Stephen Dodd]] and<br />{{flagicon|WAL}} [[Bradley Dredge]]
|-
|[[2004 in golf|2004]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (8/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Stewart Cink]] || {{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Ernie Els]] ||{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Paul Casey]] and<br />{{flagicon|ENG}} [[Luke Donald]]
|-
|[[2003 in sports#Golf|2003]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (6/18) || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Darren Clarke]] (2/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (7/18)||{{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Trevor Immelman]] and<br />{{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Rory Sabbatini]]
|-
|[[2002 in sports#Golf|2002]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Kevin Sutherland]] || {{flagicon|AUS}} [[Craig Parry]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (5/18) ||{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Toshimitsu Izawa]] and<br />{{flagicon|JPN}} [[Shigeki Maruyama]]
|-
|[[2001 in sports#Golf|2001]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Steve Stricker]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (4/18) || <small>''Cancelled due to [[September 11 attacks|9/11]]''</small>||{{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Ernie Els]] and<br />{{flagicon|ZAF}} [[Retief Goosen]]
|-
|[[2000 in sports#Golf|2000]] || {{flagicon|NIR}} [[Darren Clarke]] (1/2) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (3/18) || {{flagicon|CAN}} [[Mike Weir]]||{{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] and<br />{{flagicon|USA}} [[David Duval]]
|-
|[[1999 in sports#Golf|1999]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Jeff Maggert]] || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (1/18) || {{flagicon|USA}} [[Tiger Woods]] (2/18) || style="background:#eeeeee;" rowspan="2"|
|}

==Multiple winners==
[[Dustin Johnson]]  is the only player to win all four individual WGCs. [[Tiger Woods]]' 18 WGC victories dwarfs his nearest rival, Johnson, with six. Although not counting as individual wins, Woods also won the then WGC-World Cup with the United States, and 2-time WGC winner [[Ernie Els]] won the same competition with South Africa.

{|class="sortable wikitable"
!Player || Wins || [[WGC Match Play|Match Play]] || [[WGC Championship|Championship]] || [[WGC Invitational|Invitational]] || [[WGC-HSBC Champions|Champions]]
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Tiger|Woods}} || align="center" |18 || '''3:''' 2003, 2004, 2008 || '''7:''' 1999, 2002, 2003,<br />2005, 2006, 2007, 2013 || '''8:''' 1999, 2000, 2001, 2005,<br />2006, 2007, 2009, 2013 || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Dustin|Johnson}} || align=center|6 || '''1''': 2017 || '''3:''' 2015, 2017, 2019 || '''1:''' 2016 || '''1:''' 2013
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Phil|Mickelson}} || align=center rowspan=3|3 || align=center|— || '''2:''' 2009, 2018 || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2009
|-
| {{flagicon|AUS}} {{sortname|Geoff|Ogilvy}} || '''2:''' 2006, 2009 || '''1:''' 2008 || align=center|— || align=center|— 
|-
| {{flagicon|NIR}} {{sortname|Rory|McIlroy}}  || '''1:''' 2015 || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2014 ||  '''1:''' 2019
|-
| {{flagicon|NIR}} {{sortname|Darren|Clarke}} || align=center rowspan=11|2 || '''1:''' 2000 || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2003 || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|AUS}} {{sortname|Jason|Day}}  || '''2:''' 2014, 2016 || align=center|— || align=center|— || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|ZAF}} {{sortname|Ernie|Els}} || align=center|— || '''2:''' 2004, 2010 || align=center|— || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Hunter|Mahan}} || '''1:''' 2012 || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2010 || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|JPN}} {{sortname|Hideki|Matsuyama}} || align=center|— || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2017 || '''1:''' 2016
|-
| {{flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Ian|Poulter}} || '''1:''' 2010 || align=center|— || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2012
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Patrick|Reed}} || align=center|— || '''2:''' 2014, 2020 || align=center|— || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|ENG}} {{sortname|Justin|Rose}} ||align=center|— || '''1:''' 2012 || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2017
|-
| {{flagicon|AUS}} {{sortname|Adam|Scott|Adam Scott (golfer)}}  || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2016 || '''1:''' 2011 || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Justin|Thomas}} || align=center|— || align=center|— || '''2:''' 2018, 2020 || align=center|—
|-
| {{flagicon|USA}} {{sortname|Bubba|Watson}} || '''1:''' 2018 || align=center|— || align=center|— || '''1:''' 2014
|}
* Note: The World Cup did not count as individual wins, so it is not mentioned here as a part of this table.

==National summary==
{|class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center"
!Nation!!Total wins!!Team wins!!Individual wins!!Individual winners
|-
|align=left|{{USA}} || 49 || 1 || 48 || 20
|-
|align=left|{{AUS}} || 8 || 0 || 8 || 4
|-
|align=left|{{ENG}} || 6 || 1 || 5 || 3
|-
|align=left|{{NIR}} || 5 || 0 || 5 || 2
|-
|align=left|{{ZAF}} || 4 || 2 || 2 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{JPN}} || 3 || 1 || 2 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{DEU}} || 2 || 1 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{CAN}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{FJI}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{IRL}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{ITA}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{SCO}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{SWE}} || 1 || 0 || 1 || 1
|-
|align=left|{{WAL}} || 1 || 1 || 0 || 0
|}

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.worldgolfchampionships.com/ Official site]

{{World Golf Championships}}
{{World Golf Championships winners}}
{{PGA Tour Events}}
{{European Tour}}
{{Golf}}

[[Category:World Golf Championships| ]]
[[Category:World championships in golf]]