The 28 teams who will compete in next month's Golf World Cup in China have now been confirmed with the Dubai-based Henrik Stenson partnering Robert Karlsson - the European Tour's player of the month - in what looks a strong Swedish entry. The Swedes are the top seeds for the Nov 27-30 tournament and a buoyant Karlsson said: "I am really looking forward to playing with Henrik and representing Sweden. We have only had one chance to play together before - in the Ryder Cup - and that worked well. I think it will be a good pairing and hopefully it will be successful."
Scotland will defend the trophy they won 12 months ago on the Olazabal course in Spain when Colin Montgomerie and Marc Warren overcame the American pairing of Boo Weekley and Heath Slocum in a play-off. Montgomerie, who failed to qualify for Europe's Ryder Cup team last month, retains his Scottish place and will have a new partner in Alastair Forsyth. The US have selected Ben Curtis, the 2003 British Open champion, along with Brandt Snedeker in an attempt to go one better than the Boo Weekley-Heath Slocum double act of a year ago,
Snedeker said: "I am excited to be playing with Ben. In our sport you do not get the opportunity too many times to compete for your country and this is going to be a thrill for me. I look forward to it and hope we can represent the United States well." Europe's Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter competes for England alongside Ross Fisher, while Ireland have a cross-border paring of Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley and Wales have opted for Bradley Dredge and Richard Johnson.
wjohnson@thenational.ae
