CASARES, SPAIN - English world number four Paul Casey will make his return from a three-month injury lay-off when the World Match Play Championship begins at the Finca Cortesin Golf Club here on Thursday.

Casey, the 2006 champion, has been out of action since The Open in July with a torn rib muscle but will be the top seed at the four-day event.

"I'm pretty much recovered from the injury to the intercostal muscles in my ribs," he said. "It has been a very frustrating time but I feel my patience is being rewarded now, having practised with no ill effects.

"This is the longest I've been out of action and I am really eager to get back out on the course. I've listened to, and followed, all the medical advice and my first goal is to try to win The Race to Dubai, starting with the Volvo World Match Play."

The 32-year-old was leading the European money list - now known as The Race to Dubai - prior to his injury and his place at the top of the standings has been taken by countryman Lee Westwood.

Westwood, the champion in 2000, is the number two seed and has been drawn in Group D alongside fellow Englishman Ross Fisher, Camilo Villegas of Colombia and India's Jeev Milkha Singh.

Casey has been drawn in Group A with South Africa's Retief Goosen, American Ryder Cup representative Anthony Kim and Scott Strange of Australia.

The tournament, which has run since 1964, leaves England's Wentworth Golf Club for the first time in its history after a two-year absence from the Tour schedule.

The format of the event has also changed, with 16 players contesting four round-robin groups on Thursday and Friday before the top players from each group go forward to Saturday's semi-finals which, like Sunday's final, will take place over 36 holes.

Points for wins and ties will be awarded in the group stage and every match will be played to the 18th hole so that statistics for aggregate number of holes won can be used to separate players on the same points.

Players in Groups A and B play twice on Thursday, with their counterparts in Group C and D following suit on Friday.

Group B features world number 10 Sergio Garcia of Spain, the number four seed, and rising German star Martin Kaymer, as well as England's Oliver Wilson and Australia's Robert Allenby.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, currently third in The Race to Dubai, makes his competition debut in Group C against Swedish third seed Henrik Stenson, England's Simon Dyson and Masters champion Angel Cabrera of
Argentina. --AFP