The top four players on the European Tour money list have all avoided each other in the draw for the Volvo World Match Play Championship in Spain this week. For the first time in a history dating back to 1964 - and always previously played at Wentworth - the event starts with a round-robin group stage.

Decided by the world rankings, current Race to Dubai leader Lee Westwood is seeded second and up against Colombian Camilo Villegas, fellow Englishman Ross Fisher and India’s Jeev Milkha Singh.

Top seed Paul Casey, out of action since August 6th with a torn rib muscle, faces South African Retief Goosen, American Anthony Kim and Australian Scott Strange.

Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer, who like Casey have the chance to take the number one spot off Westwood if they make it through their groups into the semi-finals, are the sixth and fifth seeds.

Kaymer tackles Spain’s Sergio Garcia, Australian Robert Allenby and England’s Oliver Wilson, while McIlroy’s group is headed by Swede Henrik Stenson and also contains Argentina’s Masters champion Angel Cabrera and England’s Simon Dyson.

That gives McIlroy the chance to repeat last month’s Vivendi Trophy win over Stenson. The 20-year-old won on the final green and took four points out of five during the week as Britain and Ireland beat Continental Europe in Paris.

All group matches at Finca Cortesin near Marbella are to be played to the 18th green, while the semi-finals on Saturday and final on Sunday are over 36 holes.

Draw(seeded positions in brackets):

Group A— (1) Paul Casey, (8) Retief Goosen, (9) Anthony Kim, (16) Scott Strange

Group B— (4) Sergio Garcia, (5) Martin Kaymer, (12) Robert Allenby, (13) Oliver Wilson

Group C— (3) Henrik Stenson, (6) Rory McIlroy, (11) Angel Cabrera, (14) Simon Dyson

Group D— (2) Lee Westwood, (7) Camilo Villegas, (10) Ross Fisher, (15) Jeev Milkha Singh