Date: November 21-27, 2011

Location: Hainan Island, China

Course: Mission Hills’ Blackstone

European Tour Golf Betting Odds: US Open Champion Rory McIlroy and Masters winner Charl Schwartzel have confirmed their participation in this year’s OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup, which also sees Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari defend their title. The event moves to the new Mission Hills Resort on Hainan Island from November 24-27, and Irishman McIlroy and South African Schwartzel, ranked fifth and tenth respectively on the Official World Golf Ranking, are excited at the prospect of trying to lower the Italian colors in China.

McIlroy has selected close friend and World Number 12 Graeme McDowell, the 2010 US Open Champion, as his partner to try and go one better after the pair came up short one stroke behind the Molinaris in 2009. Meanwhile, friendship was the factor behind Schwartzel, who won his first Major at Augusta National in April, selecting last year’s Open Champion Louis Oosthuizen as his partner in the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup, which has now become a biennial event on the world golfing calendar.

Eighteen exempt nations out of the 28 participating at Hainan Island have confirmed their entry, with their partners to be confirmed by August 22. Nine more nations will qualify via the Regional Qualifiers in Asia, Europe and South America, with the top three from each gaining exemption. As the host nation, China qualifies automatically for the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup to complete the field.

Another reigning Major Champion, World Number Three Martin Kaymer, will represent Germany hoping to emulate his country’s victory in Barbados in 2006 when Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem triumphed. England’s Ian Poulter and America’s Matt Kuchar have also confirmed their intention to chase World Cup glory, and both will select their partners at a later date.

Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who partnered Henrik Stenson to victory at the original Mission Hills Resort in 2008 and finished joint runners-up with Ireland in 2009, is a confirmed participant once again, as are Alvaro Quiros of Spain, Scotland’s Martin Laird, Anders Hansen of Denmark – who has selected Thomas Björn as his partner – Raphael Jacquelin of France, Brendan Jones and Richard Green (Australia), Nicolas Colsaerts and Jerome Theunis (Belgium), Camilo Villegas and his brother Manuel (Colombia) and Jamie Donaldson and Rhys Davies (Wales).

It will be the first time the Omega Mission Hills World Cup has taken place in Hainan, a stunning tropical island in the South China Sea which is rapidly becoming a golfing mecca with its world class courses.

Two years ago brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari took Italy to a maiden victory in the competition, which now takes place every other year instead of annually, heightening the sense of anticipation and excitement. This year’s event will be filled with all kinds of surprises and should be fun to watch.

2011 Omega Mission Hills World Cup Winner - US wins Omega Mission Hills World Cup golf

Matt Kucher and Gary Woodland of the United States showed why they are the best in the world when they staged a battling comeback to win the Omega Mission Hills World Cup here Sunday.

The Americans combined effectively to extend the United States record wins to 24 following a final round five-under-par 67 which also ended a 11-year wait for the United States since Tiger Woods and David Duval won the title in 2000 in Argentina.

Germany, who hauled themselves back into contention with a third round 61, could not rally back again after Martin Kaymer and Alex Cejka closed with a 69 at the Mission Hills Resort in Hainan Island.

The English pair of Ian Poulter and Justin Rose left it too late and had to settle for a share of second place alongside the Germans after they signed off with the day`s best score of 63.

Starting the day two shots behind overnight leader Ireland, Kuchar and Woodland got off to a great start with birdies at the first and second holes before picking up further birdies at the sixth and seventh holes to reach the turn in 32.

Despite picking up their lone bogey on the par-three 11th, the Americans came charging back strongly with further birdies on the 12 and 13 holes before making pars in the rest of the holes to complete their week with a winning total of 24-under-par 264.

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