Two-man teams from some of Europe’s emerging golfing nations will join Chile, Portugal and the Netherlands at this week’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup European Qualifier in Estonia, all hoping to book their passage to China.
Three qualifying berths are available through the European Qualifier, the prize being a place in the field for the $7.5million Omega Mission Hills World Cup at Mission Hills, in China, from November 24-27.
The format for the qualifier is the same as the Omega Mission Hills World Cup itself, with fourballs on the first and third days and foursomes on the second and fourth days.
No strangers to World Cup competition, Mark Tullo and Felipe Aguilar will head to Tallinn to try to play their way into the Omega Mission Hills World Cup for the second time, having represented Chile in 2008. Aguilar also represented his country in 2003.
Tullo enjoyed a third place finish at the Barclays Scottish Open this year, and is excited to be playing for his country in the qualifier.
“I am very proud to have the opportunity to represent my country,” he said. “Felipe and I played together in 2008, and we hope to be able to finish in the top three this week to earn our chance to play in China again.”
They will be joined at the Estonia Golf and Country Club by the Dutch duo of Joost Luiten and Robert-Jan Derksen, plus the Portuguese pairing of Ricardo and Hugo Santos.
The Santos brothers will aim to become the third siblings to qualify for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup this year, with defending champions Francesco and Edoardo Molinari of Italy and Colombo’s Camillo and Manuel Villegas having already been confirmed as automatic qualifiers last month.
“It is exciting to have the opportunity to try and join the Molinaris and the Villegas brothers in the World Cup this year. It’s a really good target for us to have and a great challenge,” said Ricardo, the current Challenge Tour Rankings leader who represented Portugal in the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in 2008 alongside Tiago Cruz.
Younger brother Hugo Santos added: “It is an honour and a pleasure to play with my brother Ricardo. We have dreamt about playing together for Portugal since we were kids, and it would be a dream come true to qualify for the World Cup together.”
Derksen is a veteran of four World Cups, with his last appearance for the Netherlands coming in 2007.
“Playing for my country means a lot to me. Most of the time we are playing independently, so to play as a team is great and to represent our country is very special, especially now that the World Cup is only played every two years.”
Luiten will be playing the World Cup format for the first time but is no stranger to team competition, having represented the Netherlands as an amateur.
Also represented are Finland, Austria, Switzerland, Croatia, Greece, Poland, Slovenia and host nation Estonia. For these emerging golfing nations, the European Qualifier offers an opportunity to join some of the world’s best golfers in China.
Estonian Golf and Country Club, located just outside Estonia’s capital Tallinn and named in Golf World Magazine’s Top 100 European courses, provided a stern test for Europe’s hopefuls two years ago, and is likely to prove equally challenging again this year.
Omega Mission Hills European Qualifier Entries
AustriaRoland Steiner / Florian Prägaent
ChileMark Tullo / Felipe Aguilar
CroatiaMarin Stahan Miro Raic
EstoniaMark Suursalu / Egert Põldma
FinlandMikko Korhonen / Joonas Granberg
GreeceKarantzias Panagiotis/ Gkinis Themistoklis
NetherlandsJoost Luiten / Robert-jan Derksen
PolandMaksymilian Saluda/ Jakub Ossowski
PortugalRicardo Santos / Hugo Santos
SloveniaSebastjan Ajster / Gregor Slabe
SwitzerlandMartin Rominger / Nicolas Sulzer
