England’s Justin Rose heads the list of in-form 2012 Ryder Cup stars to enter the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions from October 29-November 4 at Mission Hills Guangdong, China, on the Olazábal Course.
A key member of the triumphant European Ryder Cup team, World Number Five Rose, who also won in Turkey last weekend, 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.”
While Rose is joined by nine of his Ryder Cup team mates in pursuing this title – 2012 Volvo World Match Play Champion, Nicolas Colsaerts; winner of the 2012 BMW PGA Championship, Luke Donald; defending champion, Martin Kaymer; 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 Americans will be looking to readdress the balance by claiming the final World Golf Championships of the year.
Phil Mickelson heads the charge of US Ryder Cup players with a point to prove and is joined by 2012 FedExCup Champion, Brandt Snedeker, Zurich Classic of New Orleans Champion, Jason Dufner, WGC Bridgestone Invitational winner, Keegan Bradley, Masters Champion, Bubba Watson 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 top 25 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
The final WGC 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.”
The WGC-HSBC Champions boasts a prize fund of US$7,000,000 and is one of four World Golf Championships sanctioned and organized by the operational committee of the International Federation of PGA Tours, which includes the Asian Tour, European Tour, Japan Golf Tour, PGA Tour, PGA Tour of Australasia and Sunshine Tour. The other World Golf Championships include the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, WGC-Cadillac Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
For ticket information, regular field updates, the full qualifying criteria and more information, please visitwww.hsbcgolf.com.
