Power Rankings: OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup

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If you didn't get your fill for biennial team competition with the Presidents Cup, you are treated to a second helping in the form of this week's OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup in Hainan Island, China.

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Twenty-eight teams of two from Austria to Zimbabwe are represented in what is now an every-other-year event. In the stroke-play format, the duos will alternate four-ball in the first and third rounds with foursomes in rounds two and four. Italian brothers Edoardo and Francesco Molinari will be defending their 2009 title won at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, which is located on mainland China.

The World Cup dates back to 1953. Originally labeled the Canada Cup, it was contested in the country just twice (the first two years) before adopting the global designation in 1967. It was in the rotation of World Golf Championships from 2000-2006.

This year's host venue is Mission Hills' Blackstone Course. It's the tenth and most recent creation on the property, all of which by Schmidt-Curley Design. Blackstone was site of the Mission Hills Star Trophy, an exhibition featuring celebrities and professional golfers in October 2010. Ryuji Imada was infamously assessed 13 two-stroke penalties for improper application of the lift, clean and place local rule in the first round, but champion Lorena Ochoa still would have clipped him by one stroke without the infractions. This week's event featuring pros only.

The field will be challenged by a par-73 track that can be stretched to 7,808 yards. It includes five par 5s (including consecutively at holes 12 and 13) along with the usual quartet of par 3s. Furthermore, Blackstone is unique in that there is no rough flanking the paspalum fairways. Instead, 147 bunkers, many of which are sizable and everything but flat, will help change the minds of guys that think a driver off 14 tees will suffice.

Elevation changes, ravines, lakes and ancient village ruins will add to what sets up as a thoroughly enjoyable experience. Overall, the navigation through lava rock (giving the course its name), centuries-old trees, jungle and wetlands conjures parallels with the Greg Norman-designed El Camaleon Golf Club, site of the Mayakoba Golf Classic.

Seasonable weather conditions are on tap. Temperatures will top out in the mid-to-upper 70s. After what is forecast to be a dry Thursday, the threat of rain and storms enters the picture during each of the final three rounds. Steady winds of 10-15 mph are also expected.

OMEGA MISSION HILLS WORLD CUP: Team profiles | Course | Coverage

Power Rankings: OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup

Rank Player   Comment IRELAND Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy return as partners following a co-runner-up in 2009. Each has won a major since. G-Mac has two third-place finishes in last six starts; McIlroy has six straight top-fours, including a win at the Shanghai Masters. SOUTH AFRICA Charl Schwartzel is coming off a 3-1-1 record as a rookie in a team defeat at the Presidents Cup. Fellow major champion and good friend Louis Oosthuizen has rebounded from a relative off-year with top 10s in five of his last six starts worldwide. ENGLAND Ian Poulter teamed with Ross Fisher in 2009 to finish in fourth place at this event. This time, Poulter rejoins forces with pal Justin Rose; the twosome also placed fourth in the 2007 World Cup. They went 2-1-0 as partners at the 2008 Ryder Cup. UNITED STATES During the 2009 World Cup, Gary Woodland was recovering from shoulder surgery and ranked 950th in the world. Kuchar went 1-3-1 at the Presidents Cup; all three losses were 1-down. Combined 15 top 10s and another 19 top 25s on PGA TOUR in 2011. SPAIN Miguel Angel Jimenez and Alvaro Quiros compose what is arguably the most fascinating partnership in the field. The 47-year-old Jimenez refuses to go away; ranked 40th in the world with three seconds this year. Quiros' length is an asset despite poor recent form.