8 October 2007

Retief Goosen and Trevor Immelman will be aiming for South Africa's sixth World Cup victory when they do battle against some of golf's best players at the 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup.

On paper, the duo forms one of the most formidable teams among the 18 countries already qualified for the US$5-million event, which will be contested at the Olazábal signature course at Mission Hills Golf Club in China from 22 to 25 November.

Two-time US Open champion Goosen has already experienced the thrill of victory in the World Cup. He teamed with Ernie Els to secure a dramatic play-off victory over Denmark, New Zealand and the United States in Japan in 2001.

Four-stroke victory
In 2003, Immelman and Rory Sabbatini combined for a four-stroke victory at the World Golf Championships-World Cup at the Ocean Course, Kiawah Island in South Carolina.

Immelman came close to a second win in 2005 when he and partner Tim Clark were well on their way to challenging for South Africa's sixth World Cup title before torrential rains and brutally high winds prompted the cancellation of the final round. As a result, the Welsh team of Bradley Dredge and Stephen Dodd was declared the winner.

Goosen, in particular, is making a sentimental return to Mission Hills, 12 years after representing South Africa in the 1995 World Cup.

That year, South Africa finished eighth and Goosen will be determined to secure a higher placing this time around.

Course designer in action
The South African pair will be teeing it up alongside Spanish number one and course designer José Maria Olazábal, who will be partnered by his close friend Miguel Angel Jiménez for Spain.

Jiménez came close to World Cup success three years ago when Spain finished runners-up, one shot behind England, over another Olazábal-designed course, Real Club de Golf Sevilla, in his home country.

The 2007 Omega Mission Hills World Cup will see a total of 28 nations battle it out for the prestigious title and the imposing World Cup Trophy.

Qualifiers
The 18 countries already qualified will be joined by a further 10 teams following two qualifying competitions in Asia and Latin America from 27 to 30 September.

Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, the eight-time European Tour Order of Merit winner, will join forces with Marc Warren in an attempt to go one better than last year in Barbados when the same partnership lost out to Germany in a sudden-death play-off.

South African-born Justin Rose has invited his close friend Ian Poulter to represent England, who tasted success in 1998 and 2004.

Rose, in tandem with Paul Casey, finished second behind South Africa at Kiawah Island in 2004, while Poulter's only previous appearance was at the Taiheiyo Club in Japan in 2001.

Hosts
The host nation, China, will be represented at the Omega Mission Hills World Cup by the older generation in Zhang Lian-wei - the first Chinese golfer to win on the European Tour - and the younger generation in Liang Wen-Chong, who recorded China's most recent European Tour win earlier this season in Singapore.

Arron Oberholser and Sean O'Hair will represent the USA, while 2005 winners Stephen Dodd and Bradley Dredge will reunite in a bid to wrest back the trophy for Wales.

CONFIRMED ENTRIES

	Retief Goosen watches another drive fly down the fairway

	South Africa's Trevor Immelman has become a world-class performer on the US PGA Tour

	Golden 'Goose' takes US Open Top field for Mandela Invitational First golf estate for Soweto Two seconds for SA at US Masters Immelman a 'Compleat' winner Goosen in stunning Qatar win Goosen's China Masters double Les vacances du golf en Afrique du Sud Golf holidays in South Africa Goosen takes 2005 SAA Open

	PGA European Tour  US PGA Tour  Sunshine Tour  Mission Hills Golf Club

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