The stage is set for the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China, where many of golf’s superpowers will go head to head with some of the sport’s emerging nations to see who will be crowned world champions at the magnificent Mission Hills Resort.

Defending champions Sweden are back at the world’s largest golf resort, with Robert Karlsson and Henrik Stenson looking to repeat their memorable success of 12 months ago when a superb final round of 63 over the Olazábal Course in the foursomes format saw them make an unstoppable charge towards glory to secure Sweden’s second World Cup victory.

“I am really looking forward to going back to defend with Robert,” said Stenson. “If we can both bring some game back to China there is no reason why we can’t repeat it.  I hope the people in Sweden recognise the achievement – it was only the second time that Sweden have won it and I hope we gave some people some pride back home. It is a great achievement for any country to be world champions, no matter what the sport is, and I hope Robert and I can do it all again.”

Karlsson added:  “The final round 63 was probably the easiest 63 we have ever produced because we hit all the important shots very well and putted great so it was easy in that respect. It could probably have been lower, but it was a great score and turned out to be a special day for us and for Sweden.”

The Swedes were irresistible during last year’s final round, but they will face some new partnerships amongst their principle rivals this year, with World Number Eight and Omega Ambassador Sergio Garcia joining Gonzalo Fernandez-Castaño to form a formidable Spanish partnership, while Ireland boast the explosive duo of Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.

Garcia is excited to be playing at Mission Hills for the first time. He said: “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. The Americans always seem to bring a good solid team into the tournament. Australia, of course, is going to have a good one coming in. One of the Asian teams could be solid."

The USA, the most prolific winners in the tournament’s history with 23 successes, will be represented by John Merrick and Nick Watney, while England, represented by Ross Fisher and Ian Poulter will also be among the tournament favourites, as will the Australian duo of Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby.

Those established golfing nations will not have it all their own way though.

Now a highly visible sport on a global landscape, many of the golf’s ‘newcomers’ are ready to become dominant forces, none more so than the Korean pairing of US PGA Champion YE Yang, the first Asian male to win Major, and Charlie Wi.

Yang held off World Number One Tiger Woods at Hazeltine National Golf Club to win the PGA and will attempt to create another landmark in China this week. Only one Asian nation since 1972 has won the coveted title – Japan in 2002 – but with his first Major under his belt Yang is well equipped to spearhead Korea’s challenge to usurp Sweden as world champions.

“It is a great honour and also a privilege to join a group of esteemed golfers and compete for my country,” said Yang. “It is also a pleasure to play side by side with my best buddy in the PGA Tour, Charlie Wi. It’s a really fun feeling to debut the World Cup during one of my best golf seasons, and I am looking forward to not just making an impression on the course, but also connecting with the people of China and all the golf fans in Asia as well as the world.

“I hope that together with Charlie, who has been playing some exceptional golf this year, we will try hard to make our fellow Koreans and Asians proud. It will be a fun and exciting for us golfers as well as the fans, since the format is set to be more challenging and nail-biting, and you won't be able to take your eyes off of the play.”

Home advantage could play a huge role for China’s Liang Wen-chong and Zhang Lian-wei, while Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee – Asia’s Number One player of 2009 – and Prayad Marksaeng have an established partnership that will stand them in good stead.

While many of the partnerships at this year’s event are well established, no pair will boast a more intimate knowledge of each other’s game than Italy’s Edoardo and Francesco Molinari.

The brothers Molinari have enjoyed the best seasons of their careers in 2009, with Francesco finishing 14th in the inaugural Race to Dubai and Edoardo dominating the European Challenge Tour to finish the season as Number One with record earnings. Edoardo further underlined his outstanding form in Japan last week, where he won the Dunlop Phoenix title, defeating Karlsson in a sudden-death play-off to take the title.