Guandong,(China): Justin Rose of England heads the list of in-form 2012 Ryder Cup stars at the World Golf Championship-HSBC Champions from October 29 to November 4 at the Mission Hills Guangdong, China, on the Olazabal Course.
A key member of the triumphant European Ryder Cup team, the world number five Rose, who also won in Turkey last week said: “Winning the Ryder Cup was so special and then it was fantastic to go on to beat so many of the world’s best players last week. Now, I want to have the same success in the WGC-HSBC Champions where the amount of world ranking points on offer could make a massive difference to my end of year ranking and my place on the Race to Dubai.
“I’ve won one World Golf Championships and it would be fantastic to add another. I’ve played in the World Cup a couple of times at Mission Hills so hopefully that experience will give me a real advantage,” he added.
Rose is joined by nine of his Ryder Cup team mates including 2012 Volvo World Match Play champion, Nicolas Colsaerts, winner of the 2012 BMW PGA Championship, Luke Donald, defending champion, Martin Kaymer, former Open champion Paul Lawrie, 2012 KLM winner, Peter Hanson, Ryder Cup stand-out, Ian Poulter, 2010 US Open Champion Graeme McDowell, 2010 WGC-HSBC Champion, Francesco Molinari and world number four Lee Westwood.
The American charge is led by Phil Mickelson, Brandt Snedeker, the 2012 FedEx Cup champion and Zurich Classic of New Orleans champion, Jason Dufner, the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational winner, Keegan Bradley, Bubba Watson, the reigning Masters champion and World Number 13, Dustin Johnson.
Dufner said, "I am really looking forward to competing at the WGC-HSBC Champions at Mission Hills. It is a WGC event, and it has been circled on my calendar since I notched a victory in May. It is one of the most important events we play all season, and I'd like nothing more than to win Asia's major."
The tournament boasts the toughest qualification criteria’s of all the World Golf Championships with the majority of the field qualifying only by winning a key tournament on their Tours or by being ranked in the World’s top 25.
The final World Golf Championships of 2012 will take place at Mission Hills for the first time after seven very successful editions at the Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai.
HSBC Global Head of Sponsorship and Events Giles Morgan said: “As the countdown to the WGC-HSBC Champions gathers pace one of the intriguing sub-plots is the renewal of some of the Ryder Cup rivalries – add in a host of other big names from the world of golf and it has the makings of an end of season classic. We’re approaching our tenth year as a major international sponsor of golf and this memorable golfing year looks like getting the memorable finale it deserves.”
IMG’s Executive Tournament Director, Marc Webster, commented, “The field is really shaping up well for this year’s tournament with players looking forward to challenging to win what many of them refer to as ‘Asia’s Major. While there has been plenty of focus lately on the Ryder Cup players, there are a number of challengers who could come from out with the Ryder Cup players such as the likes of the resurgent South African Ernie Els, the in-form Louis Oosthuizen or Australia’s Adam Scott for example. Preparations are going well at Mission Hills and, with any number of challengers, we should have another fantastic week of golf ahead of us.”
By Indian Sports News Network