KINGSBARNS, SCOTLAND: Robert Karlsson of Sweden plays his second shot to the fifth hole during the third round of The Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at Kingsbarns Golf Links in Kingsbarns, Scotland.
Photograph by: Andrew Redington
Credit: Getty Images

Twenty-eight nations will battle for the title at Mission Hills in southern China in the 5.5-million-dollar strokeplay team event featuring the likes of Sergio Garcia and Asia's first Major winner, Yang Yong-Eun.

Stenson, ranked seventh in the world, said the team format of the tournament presented players with a different challenge from what they usually faced.

"I think it's a whole lot of fun just to be able to play in a relaxed, but still competitive mode," he said.

"It's also a great honour to play for your country, and I think that's the most important thing - that we go out there and we represent Sweden," he added.

Spain's Garcia, ranked eighth, is hoping he can drive his team to victory, but knows the competition will be fierce, particularly from the Swedes, who beat Spain by three strokes in 2008.

"There are always a lot of good teams at the World Cup. I think that the Swedish team, the defending champions, will be very good," said Garcia.

South Korea's Yang, who became a household name in Asia after holding off Tiger Woods to win the PGA Championship in August, will team up with Charlie Wi.

"When I claimed the PGA championship, I was honoured to be showered with messages of encouragement about how I boosted Korea's national pride," he said.

"And so if things go well and we win the World Cup, this game will serve as an excellent opportunity to demonstrate to the world how Koreans are hard-working and have the potential to become the world's best."

England pair the flamboyant Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher for the second year running, both of whom finished in the top ten on the European Tour money list.

"I'm looking forward to being a team that way. I think it's good to gel as a team, and we will be wearing outfits which coordinate, which I think is a good thing to do in this format," Poulter said.

"It shows you're trying. It shows you want to be part of the team. And we'll be trying hard."

Graeme McDowell and young Irish hotshot Rory McIlroy, who finished second on the European money list and is ranked number ten in the world, team up for Ireland.

"Hopefully myself and Rory can have that type of relationship that Padraig Harrington had with Paul McGinley when they won the World Cup (in 1997)."

Potentially strong Asian challenges, aside from South Korea, come from Thailand, who feature Asian Tour regulars Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng, and India, who feature Jeev Milkha Singh and Jyoti Randhawa.

Of the 28 nations that tee off on Thursday at Mission Hills, near Shenzhen, 18 will have qualified automatically via the world golf rankings. China will take their place in the field as the host nation alongside nine nations who have qualified through events held in Europe, Asia and South America.

The Omega Mission Hills World Golf Championship is a 72-hole event with each team comprising two players.

The first and third days are fourball, in which four balls are used and the player with the fewest shots takes the hole for their team. The second and final days involve foursomes play, where the teams compete using only one ball per pair.