COSTA DEURL CASH; 'W' equals winners at the World Match Play Championship.

Byline: Jeremy Chapman

FAREWELL Wentworth, come in Finca Cortesin. Yes, they've found a new home for the World Match Play Championship on the Costa del Sol and those of who grew up with what we used to call the "Piccadilly" will never get over it. From Arnold Palmer beating Neil Coles in the first final in 1964 to Ernie Els blasting out Angel Cabrera for his recordbreaking seventh triumph in the last one two years ago, the eyeball-to-ball confrontations on the famed Burma Road held us all in thrall, an autumn treat to rival all others bar the Ryder Cup. After Piccadilly, Colgate, Suntory, HSBC, they've come up with a new sponsor, Volvo, a new course without any form to go on, and a new format, starting with four groups of roundrobin 18-holers played to the 18th green tomorrow and Friday, with the man who wins most holes progressing to Saturday's 36-hole semis. On the plus side, we won't be getting the foggy mornings and late starts that used to drive the organisers crazy at Wentworth in October. But how can you have a 'World Championship' with only one American, and a relatively minor one at that, Anthony Kim, in the 16-man field? It's a rum do with the world No. 168, Scott Strange, earning a spot by dint of winning the same sponsors' China Open. Of course, they used to say the same thing about the Wentworth bash when they kept inviting littleknown Japanese players to keep the oriental market and sponsors Suntory and Toyota happy, which is why it finally ran out of steam. But will the new IMG venture do any better? Paul Casey is top seed by virtue of his dubious world No. 4 ranking but he has not played for three months because of rib injury. Despite being a brilliant winner of the Match Play at Wentworth in 2006, he looks very vulnerable in Group A in which Kim, so aggressive in Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup, is a strong fancy to get through despite a dip in fortunes this year. But even though he is in the tougher half of the draw, in Group D, Lee Westwood shines out as the most likely winner. His form in the past four months knocks everyone else's into a cocked hat - and he is a past winner of the title, at Wentworth in 2000. He also has one of the great Ryder Cup records, or did have until Nick Faldo failed to make him tick at Valhalla. Having been unbeaten in the two previous Cups with 8.5 points out of ten, key man Westwood scored two great halves for the embattled Europeans in Kentucky and was promptly dropped. No wonder he never picked up the bit again and lost two subsequent matches. With consistency his middle name, Westwood finally got his just deserts by winning the Portugal Masters last time out to crown four months of extremely lucrative golf highlighted by third-place finishes in the last two Majors. Only once out of the top ten in nine outings, he now heads the Race To Dubai and the n750,000 first prize won't do his prospects any harm. Not that all Lee's great form will necessarily count for anything as 18-hole short-haul golf over the first two days always produces its share of surprises. Consistency is of little use if someone fires a 64 at you. You lose. But he's not 13-2 favourite for no reason. With limping Martin Kaymer and serial losers Robert Allenby and Oliver Wilson in his Group B, Sergio Garcia could be said to have an easy route to the semis. But his game looked fragile under pressure on Sunday and it is not just the putting that is slightly off. In fact, the Spaniard putted okay and still managed to lose. On home ground, he will feel he is one up already but, at 7-1, he's not a winner this year and not for me. In fact, there could be a turn-up in his group with Wilson, nine times a runner-up, showing solid matchplay skills in the Ryder Cup and Vivendi Trophy. Remember that Kevin Sutherland trundled along for years without being able to win a strokeplay tournament. Then he won the Accenture Match Play, still his only victory. It could be the same story with 25-1 shot Ollie. Try the W-Factor. Back Westwood to win and save on Wilson. It could be an all-English final. The hardest puzzle to solve is Group C, which houses three potential winners in Masters champion Angel Cabrera, Henrik Stenson and Rory McIlroy, along with in-form but probably outclassed Simon Dyson. Cabrera played some good golf in slamming Jim Furyk in the Presidents Cup and again with a 66 in round two of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf. This generous-off-the-tee luxury tourist course, long and exhausting though it may be, could suit him well - and he was a Match Play finalist the last time we had one, losing to Els (involved in Singapore this week) two years ago. It will also suit McIlroy but the lad from Holywood has been a slight underachiever in the past couple of months and may be feeling the effects of his first full season on tour. He has the media to deal with off the course as well and has handled everything brilliantly, but the shortputting still gives cause for alarm. Neither he, Garcia nor Robert Allenby can expect to be given many three-footers this week. Stenson's matchplay credentials are significant as winner of the Accenture title two years ago. This is a mighty hard group to call - I just favour Cabrera - and a hardtournament to get to grips with. I shall be keeping stakes small and concentrating on opposing players like Casey and Kaymer, who are battling injuries or just coming through them though not necessarily first time up when they are still fresh. Recommendations L Westwood 2pts 13-2 Coral, Totesport O Wilson 0.5pt each-way 25-1 Ladbrokes L Westwood to win Group D 2pts 13-8 Coral, Totesport A Kim to win Group A 1pt 9-4 general A Cabrera to win Group C 1pt 7-2 Betfred, Ladbrokes, P Powe