The 18 exempt nations for the 2003 World Golf Championships-World Cup have been announced. The $4,000,000 event featuring two-man teams from 24 nations around the world will be held from November 13-16 at The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island Golf Resort on Kiawah Island, South Carolina.
The United States, represented by Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard, the fifth and 15th-ranked players in the Official World Golf Ranking respectively, is the host country and is looking to win the event for the 23rd time in the
event's 50-year history.
Ireland will be represented by Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, the same pair that won the 1997 World Cup when it was last held at The Ocean Course under the old format prior to the WGC involvement.
Players qualified for this year's World Cup by virtue of their standings in the Official World Golf Ranking. The highest ranked available players representing 18 countries automatically qualified for the event.
The remaining six teams in the field are determined by qualifiers in Singapore and Mexico. Myanmar, India, China and Hong Kong all qualified at the Nations Cup, which was held from September 18-21 at Laguna National G&CC in Singapore. The final two WGC - World Cup teams will be determined at a second Nations Cup qualifier from October 8-11 at Paradise Village, Nueva Vallarta, Mexico.
The following are the 18 exempt nations listed alphabetically.
Argentina (Eduardo Romero/Angel Cabrera) -- The team of Angel Cabrera and Eduardo Romero will again represent Argentina. In 2000, in front of their home fans, they tackled the United States team of Tiger Woods and David Duval down to the wire before finishing second. Romero is ranked 41st in the world and Cabrera 55th. This will be Romero's 14th time representing Argentina and Cabrera's sixth.
Australia (Stuart Appleby/Stephen Leaney) -- Stuart Appleby will be representing Australia in the WGC - World Cup for the first time. He earned his spot on the team as the 37th ranked player in the world. Appleby has won three times on the US PGA Tour and twice in Australia. Stephen Leaney, who will be on the International Presidents Cup team the next week with Appleby, is also playing in his first WGC - World Cup. Leaney, who has won four times on The European Tour and three times on the PGA Tour of Australasia, finished second to Jim Furyk in this year's US Open Championship.
Denmark (Thomas Björn/Søren Kjeldsen) -- Thomas Björn, currently sixth on the Volvo Order of Merit and the 21st-ranked player in the world, will link up with Søren Kjeldsen. Björn is a seven-time winner on The European Tour who will be competing in his fourth WGC - World Cup. Kjeldsen, who is in the midst of his most successful season, earned his first career European Tour title earlier this year at The Diageo Championship at Gleneagles. This will be his third World Cup appearance, having previously represented Denmark in 1998 and 1999.
England (Paul Casey/Justin Rose) -- Paul Casey, a three-time winner on The European Tour, is the 31st ranked player in the world. He has won twice on The European Tour this year with victories in the ANZ Championship in Sydney, Australia and the Benson and Hedges International Open at The De Vere Belfry, England. Casey will pair with his partner from the 2002 WGC - World Cup, Justin Rose. They teamed up to finish tied for third last year at Vista Vallarta. Rose has four career victories and is ranked 43rd in the world.
France (Thomas Levet/Raphaël Jacquelin) -- Thomas Levet, who gained worldwide attention with his tie for second place at last year's Open Golf Championship, will lead the team from France. The 130th-ranked player in the world, Levet has won twice on The European Tour. In addition to competing in the 1998 World Cup of Golf, Levet has participated in each of the World Cups since the event became part of the World Golf Championships series. He will again team up with Raphaël Jacquelin, his partner for the past three years. Jacquelin is having his best season to date, ranking 17th on the Volvo Order of Merit and posting five top ten finishes, including third place in last week's dunhill links championship and ties for third in the BMW International Open and Trophée Lancôme.
Germany (Alex Cejka/Marcel Siem) -- Alex Cejka and Marcel Siem will represent Germany. Cejka, a four-time winner on The European Tour, is the 38th-ranked player in the world and is in the midst of a successful season. His best finish is second in the BMW International Open. In August he finished fourth in the US PGA Championship. Cejka will be representing Germany in his seventh World Cup in its past and present guises. In the 1997 World Cup he set the course record at The Ocean Course with a nine under par 63. Marcus Siem, in his second year as a Member of The European Tour, has earned the right to partner with Cejka. He has a pair of top ten finishes this year to his credit, a tie for eighth at the Algarve Open de Portugal and BMW International Open.
Ireland (Padraig Harrington/Paul McGinley) -- Padraig Harrington, the tenth ranked player in the world, earns the exempt spot for Ireland. The six-time European Tour winner will once again be paired with his good friend, Paul McGinley. This will be the seventh consecutive year that these two have played together, posting a victory in 1997. This has been another successful year for Harrington with victories in the BMW Asian Open and Deutsche Bank-SAP Open TPC of Europe. McGinley, a three-time European Tour winner, holed the winning putt in last year's Ryder Cup. He currently ranks 31st on the Volvo Order of Merit, with his best finishes being second at The Trophée Lancôme and third in the Qatar Masters.
Japan (Shigeki Maruyama/Hidemichi Tanaka) -- Japan, the defending champions of the WGC - World Cup, will be represented by Shigeki Maruyama and Hidemichi Tanaka this year. Maruyama partnered Toshi Izawa to win last year at Vista Vallarta. Maruyama has won twice on the US PGA Tour and ten times in Japan. This will be his fourth time representing Japan. Tanaka will be making his second WGC - World Cup appearance.
Korea (K.J. Choi/S.K. Ho) -- K.J. Choi, the 16th ranked player in the world, will lead the team from Korea. A two-time winner on the US PGA Tour, in September he became the first Korean to win a European Tour event with his victory in the Linde German Masters. Choi will again partner with S.K. Ho, with whom he teamed to finish tied for third in last year's WGC -World Cup. Ho is ranked 115th in the world. Competing primarily on the Japan Golf Tour, he has recorded three top ten finishes in 2003, with his best being second place at the JPGA Championship and the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.
New Zealand (Michael Campbell/David Smail) -- Michael Campbell will again lead the New Zealand team. Two years ago in Japan Campbell and
Smail finished tied for second, losing to South Africa in a four-team play-off. Campbell is again having a solid year in Europe with a victory in the Nissan Irish Open and a runner-up finish in the Omega European Masters. Campbell is ranked 18th on the Volvo Order of
Merit and 42nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. Smail is ranked 97th in the world, competing primarily on the Japan Golf Tour. His two biggest victories came in 2002 when he won the Japan Open and the Casio World Open.
His best finish this year is second place at the PGA Match Play Championship and tied for second at the JGT Championship Shishido Hills Cup.
Paraguay (Carlos Franco/Marco Ruiz) -- Carlos Franco, a three-time winner on the US PGA Tour, will lead Paraguay back into the WGC - World Cup after a
one year absence. In 2000, he teamed with Esteban Isasi to finish in third place and partnered his brother Angel to finish 21st in 2001. Marco Ruiz will be Franco's partner this year. He primarily plays on the Tour de Las
Americas where he ranks 29th on the money list. Ruiz finished second on the money list in 2002 after winning the Abierto del Litoral and finishing in the top-three in two other events.
Scotland (Paul Lawrie/Alastair Forsyth) -- The 1999 Open Champion, Paul Lawrie, will again team with countryman Alastair Forsyth. Lawrie is a five-time winner on The European Tour. He ranks 50th on this year's Volvo Order of Merit. Forsyth, who broke through for his first victory in last year's Carlsberg Malaysian Open, ranks 19th on the Volvo Order of Merit. He has posted four top ten finishes with his best being second place at the Diageo Championship at Gleneagles and tied for second at the Smurfit European Open. The team finished tied for 12th last year.
South Africa (Trevor Immelman/Rory Sabbatini) -- Trevor Immelman and Rory Sabbatini will represent South Africa. Both players are in the midst of
their best years. Immelman won the South African Airways Open, an event jointly sanctioned by The European Tour and the Sunshine Tour. He is ranked 13th on the Volvo Order of Merit and is 52nd on the Official World Golf Ranking. Sabbatini earned his second career US PGA Tour title with his victory this Summer at the FBR Capitol Open. He currently ranks 35th on the US PGA Tour money list and is ranked 67th in the world.
Spain (Ignacio Garrido/Miguel Angel Jiménez) -- Ignacio Garrido will be making his fourth World Cup appearance. He is currently ranked 20th on the Volvo Order of Merit after earning his second career European Tour victory at the Volvo PGA Championship. Miguel Angel Jiménez, winner of six European Tour titles, will be playing in the WGC - World Cup for the seventh time.
Sweden (Fredrik Jacobson/Niclas Fasth) -- Fredrik Jacobson has emerged as a world-class player in 2003 earning his first two professional victories at the Omega Hong Kong Open and Algarve Open de Portugal. His stellar play has elevated him to 35th in the Official World Golf Ranking. Niclas Fasth, who finished second to David Duval in the 2001 Open Championship and
has one career European Tour title. He ranks 23rd on the current Volvo Order of Merit with four top ten finishes. He finished tied for third in the Linde German Masters.
Trinidad & Tobago (Stephen Ames/Robert Ames) -- Brothers Stephen and Robert Ames will represent Trinidad & Tobago for the third time. Stephen, a member
of the US PGA Tour since 1998 with career earnings of more than $4 million, posted a career-best finish when he tied for second in the 2002 Players Championship. Robert plays primarily on the Tour de Las Americas. They finished tied for 17th last year and 19th in 2000.
United States (Jim Furyk/Justin Leonard) -- The United States will be represented by Jim Furyk and Justin Leonard. Both are serious candidates for US PGA Tour Player of the Year honours this season. Furyk has won two times, including a victory in the US Open Championship. Leonard, the 1997 Open Champion, has won eight times on the US PGA Tour including this year’s Honda Classic. This will be Leonard’s second appearance in the event having played at The Ocean Course in 1997. Furyk will be competing in his first WGC – World Cup.
Wales (Phillip Price/Bradley Dredge) -- Phillip Price and Bradley Dredge will represent Wales. Price is in the midst of his best season with seven top ten finishes and a seventh-place ranking on the Volvo Order of Merit. He earned his third career European Tour victory at the Smurfit European Open and followed that the next week with a tie for second in The Barclays Scottish Open. Dredge is currently 41st on the Volvo Order of Merit and 72nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. He teamed up with Ian Woosnam to finish tied for 12th in his first appearance in last year's WGC - World Cup.
Price will be representing Wales for the ninth time.
