18 January 2008

The 2008 Women's World Cup of Golf tees off at Sun City in South Africa's North West province today, with Sweden the bookmakers' favourite to win the title and the US and Korea expected to provide tough challenges..

Twenty countries are contesting the event, with Paraguay's pair of Julieta Granada and Celeste Troche back to defend the title they won so handsomely in January 2007, finishing seven shots clear of the second placed Americans.

Granada played her best golf of 2007 early in the year, finishing second at the SBS Open in February and second again at the Corona Championship in April, but her form in the latter part of the year has been patchy.

Troche, meanwhile, spent most of her year playing the Duramed Futures Tour; she contested just one LPGA Tour event and missed the cut. Like Granada, her form has been inconsistent, including many missed cuts.

Sweden
Sweden, the winner in 2006, is represented by Sophie Gustafson and Maria Hjorth, and the in-form duo poses, arguably, the most obvious title threat.

Gustafson topped the the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit for the third time in 2007 despite playing only seven tournaments. Her record included winning the De Vere Ladies Scottish Open and finishing second in the Scandinavian TPC, the UNIQA Ladies Golf Open, and the Madrid Ladies Masters.

Hjorth also played seven events and finished fifth on the Order of Merit. She captured second place in the Ricoh Women's British Open and fourth in the Scandinavian TPC. In September, in the Navistar LPGA Classic in Prattville, Alabama, she won her third title on the LPGA Tour over a powerful field.

Hall of Famer
As always, the United States should pose a serious title threat. World Golf Hall of Famer Juli Inkster, a seven-time major winner, will spearhead the American challenge. Although she failed to win a title in 2007 she posted consistently good results, including five top-five finishes.

Her partner, Pat Hurst, didn't match Inkster's form, notching five top-10 finishes, but her best result of the year - third in The Mitchell Company Tournament of Champions - came in her last outing.

Japan, the winners in 2005 on The Links at Fancourt, represented by Miki Saiki and Shinobu Morotmizato, will bear watching but lack experience.

Jennifer Rosales and Dorothy Delasin of the Philippines tied for second in 2005, but Rosales, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour, has endured a poor 2007.

Delasin has four LPGA victories to her credit, although the last came some time ago at the 2003 Mobile LPGA Tournament of Champions. Like Rosales, she has failed to fire this year.

South Africa
Ashleigh Simon and Laurette Maritz will team up for South Africa for the fourth time.

After a record-breaking amateur career, Simon turned professional in 2007 and recorded her first professional victory in the Catalonia Ladies Masters. Since that win in June, however, she has lacked the consistency required to challenge for more titles.

Maritz produced a fifth place finish in the Open de Espana Femenino and third in the Northern Ireland Ladies Open but, like her playing partner, she has struggled to find consistency.

Australia
Australia's Lindsay Wright and Nikki Garrett could be in the title mix. Wright enjoyed a solid season on the LPGA Tour and a purple patch in mid-year saw her record a fourth and two fifth places in the space of four tournaments.

Garrett was the Ladies European Tour's Rookie of the Year in 2006 and followed that up with two wins in Spain in 2007 - in the Tenerife Ladies Open and the Open de Espana Femenino - and a runner-up finish at the SAS Masters.

Angela Park made a huge impression in her first season on the LPGA Tour, capturing Rookie of the Year honours. Her best result was second place at the US Women's Open; it wasn't a major victory, but the $271 000 she pocketed for her effort couldn't have hurt.

Park finished in the top 10 eight times, with six of those results placing her in the top five. She will team up with Candy Hannemann for Brazil as a darkhorse combination.

Some of the other countries, such as Scotland and Wales will return familiar combinations, while others, such as Taiwan and India, are somewhat unknown.

Teamwork
Despite the big names that some of the teams boast, the Women's World Cup of Golf will also rely on teamwork and players clicking as a combination.

Using Tiger Woods as an example, teaming up for one's country is not just about putting two good individuals out on the course. Woods has a less than impressive record in the Ryder Cup, losing more often that he has won; there is no doubt that he is the best player in the world, but that status has often not been seen when he has played for his country.

It's that unknown that makes team competition interesting and it is the reason why predicting a winner is a lottery. The only reasonable expectation is one of some good to great golf on an excellent course at the Gary Player Country Club.

TEAMS

	Young South African golfing phenomenon Ashleigh Simon will get to show her off her game against the world's best at Sun City

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