Graeme McDowell says European Tour golfers were 'bowled over' by their first taste of Bulgaria which hosted last week's Volvo World Match Play Championship. The Gary Player-designed Thracian Cliffs was the venue for the event at the Black Sea resort close to Kavarna. McDowell won the 24-man tournament by beating Thongchai Jaidee in the final and the Irishman said: "It will sound easy for me to say because I am standing here with a magnificent trophy in my hands. "But I think if you ask all of the players who came here this week they will all tell you how enjoyable it has been to come to Bulgaria.
"Bulgaria is obviously a fairly new golfing country but hopefully we have helped start something special in this beautiful land and we can see a lot more people taking up the game here and really enjoying the sport." Thracian Cliffs has been described as the 'Pebble Beach of Europe', a reference to the championship links on the Monterey Peninsular in California. South African Thomas Aiken, who reached the semi-finals last week, added: "It's a fantastic golf course with a spectacular view. "It is also a great course to play, so all in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the week."
Per Ericsson, president of Volvo Event Management, said: "We take great pride and we take enormous satisfaction that we are the first to bring a full European Tour event to Bulgaria. "Thracian Cliffs provided a wonderful stage for this great tournament and everything about the venue was wonderfully received by the players. We feel our the tournament has been a great triumph." Dave Tindall with his in-depth preview and best bets for this week's BMW PGA Championship. A form guide and some key stats ahead of the European Tour's flagship event - the BMW Championship. Jack Nicklaus once called Muirfield "the best golf course in Britain" and it's easy to agree.