Quartet to make China trip

European Tour

Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson will take part in the World Golf Championships.

Martin Kaymer, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Phil Mickelson have confirmed that they will be playing in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Mission Hills Guangdong, China.

The event, which takes place on the Olazabal Course from November 1 to 4, carries prize money of US$7 million, and is the fourth and final World Golf Championships event of the season.

Kaymer, the 2010 US PGA Champion, is looking forward to defending the title which he won in such style last November, with nine birdies on the final day leaving him three shots clear of the chasing pack.

“I haven’t had as good a year as I would have liked and I really want to finish my season on a high note so winning my second World Golf Championships would be a great way to turn my season around,” said the German. “It is the biggest event we play in Asia and it is one that everyone wants to win.

“It is a little bit of a disadvantage to be defending my title on a different course but I really liked the Olazabal Course when I played the World Cup there in 2009 so I am looking forward to returning and seeing if I can mount a successful defence of this prestigious title.”

“It is Asia’s flagship event and has become a very significant tournament worldwide and I think our performances there will be a key factor in deciding both the Race to Dubai and the World Ranking come the end of the year,” added world number three Donald, who missed the event last year in order to attend the birth of his second daughter.

Mickelson, the only man to have won the WGC-HSBC Champions twice, will also be playing at the Singapore Open shortly after the conclusion of the tournament in Guangdong. “I love competing around the world, and it’s truly exciting in the growing markets of Asia and China because there’s a real buzz about golf and the fans are so enthusiastic and appreciative,” he added.

“As Asia becomes ever more important on the global golf map, I think it would be very special to claim my first World Golf Championships title in China,” added world number four Westwood. “I enjoy this tournament and, having never finished outside the top 15 including two second place finishes, hopefully I can finish one place higher this year.”

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