Mighty-Macs Set for World Cup

Article by Yukilee

Northern Ireland’s dynamic duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell will team up for Ireland at this year’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup, the organizers confirmed on Tuesday. The event, which this year will carry a record prize fund of $ 7,500 and a first prize of $ 2,400 and will be staged at a brand new venue in the Mission Hills Resort on Hainan Island in Southern China, was not played last year following a decision that it become a biennial event from 2011 in order to cater for the Summer Olympic Games to which Golf was recently admitted. The first Olympic golf event is set to be played at the Rio de Janeiro Games in 2016. (TaylorMade Burner Rescue hybrids) At No 5, the highest-ranked Irishman on the World Rankings list, McIlroy, the 2011 US Open champion selected McDowell, the 2011 US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero of the same year, to partner him in the two-man team World Cup event in China from November 24-27. As they do in Rugby, the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland team up together and compete as Ireland in golf’s World Cup team event and McIlroy could also have selected three-time major winner Padraig Harrington had the Dublin star been in better form than he is right now.The McIlroy-McDowell duo were narrowly beaten with their TaylorMade Burner Rescue hybrids in the 2009 event, both having come away with high praise for the event and saying they were looking forward to having another crack at the title. “Graeme and I really enjoyed the experience at Mission Hills two years ago. We only missed out by a shot, and are looking forward to forming the Irish team again and trying to go one better this time,” 22-year-old McIlroy said. The pair, both from Northern Ireland, were last month joined by fellow countryman Darren Clarke as major winners following his triumph in the Open at Royal St George’s, but it was to McDowell that McIlroy gave the selection nod. (TaylorMade Burner Rescue hybrids)”There is nothing quite likes representing Europe in the Ryder Cup or Ireland in the World Cup – It’s a real buzz,” said McDowell. “We worked well as a partnership two years ago, and we can’t wait to try to claim the title at Hainan Island.” Eighteen of the 28 nations who were exempt for the World Cup through their highest World-ranked players, have confirmed their entry, but some have not yet named their two man teams. In the meantime Wales, originally 19th on the exemption list and one out of the group who did not need to qualify, have been advised by the organizers that they have joined the favored 18 thanks to the withdrawal of Korea, Fiji and Argentina. America’s three highest-ranked golfers Steve Stricker, Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson have all declined invitations, but world number 11 Matt Kuchar has confirmed he will play the TaylorMade Burner Rescue hybrids. He is another still to name his partner. Nine more countries will qualify for the World Cup via regional qualifiers in Asia, Europe and South America, with the top three from each region gaining entry