GOLF GLANCE

GOLF GLANCE

This week’s events

INTERNATIONAL

Mission Hills World Cup

Site: Shenzhen, China.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Mission Hills Golf Club, Olazabal Course (7,356 yards, par 72).

Purse: $5 million. Winner’s shares: $825,000 per player.

Television: Golf Channel (Today, 11:30 p.m.-3:30 a.m., Thursday-Saturday, 3-6 p.m., 9 p.m.-3:30 a.m.; Sunday, 3-6 p.m., 9-11:30 p.m.).

Format: Two-man teams representing 28 countries. First and third rounds, best ball; Second and fourth, alternate shot.

Teams: Argentina, Ricardo Gonzalez, Andres Romero; Australia, Nathan Green, Nick O’Hern; Austria, Markus Brier, Claude Grenier; Canada, Wes Heffernan, Mike Weir; China, Liang Wen-Chong, Zhang Lian-Wei; Colombia, Jorge Benedetti, Gustavo Mendoza; Denmark, Anders Hansen, Soren Hansen; England, Ian Poulter, Justin Rose; Finland, Mikko Ilonen, Pasi Purhonen; France, Gregory Havret, Raphael Jacquelin; Germany, Alex Cejka, Martin Kaymer; Italy, Edoardo Molinari, Francesco Molinari; India, Gaurav Ghei, Jyoti Randhawa; Ireland, Michael Hoey, Gareth Maybin; Japan, Tetsuji Hiratsuka, Hideto Tanihara; Netherlands, Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber; New Zealand, Richard Lee, Stephen Scahill; Paraguay, Carlos Franco, Fabrizio Zanotti; Philippines, Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales; Puerto Rico, Wilfredo Morales, Miguel Suarez; Scotland, Colin Montgomerie, Marc Warren; South Africa, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman; South Korea, Lee Seung-Ho, Lee Sung; Spain, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Jose Manuel Lara; Sweden, Peter Hanson, Robert Karlsson; Thailand, Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng; United States, Heath Slocum, Boo Weekley; Wales, Stephen Dodd, Bradley Dredge.

Last year: Bernhard Langer and Marcel Siem gave Germany its first victory since 1990, beating Scotland’s Montgomerie and Warren in a playoff at Sandy Lane in Barbados.

Notes: The United States has won 23 times, the last by Tiger Woods and David Duval in 2000 in Argentina. In 1995 in Shenzhen, Fred Couples and Davis Love III won their fourth consecutive title. ... Weekley and Slocum ended up representing the United States after Arron Oberholser withdrew to have hand surgery and the next five players in the rankings declined to play. That left the spot to Weekley, and he selected Slocum, his high school teammate in Milton, Fla., as his partner. Weekley is ranked 43rd in the world. Slocum is 70th. ... Spain’s Jose Maria Olazabal, the course designer, withdrew because of rheumatism in his shoulders and groin. Lara took Olazabal’s place alongside Jimenez, the Hong Kong Open winner Sunday. Lara won the nearby Hong Kong event last year ... Poulter won the Dunlop Phoenix in Japan on Sunday, while English teammate Rose took the Volvo Masters three weeks ago at Valderrama to win the European money title. ... The 216-hole Mission Hills complex has a 12-year deal to host the event with Omega as title sponsor. ... The International Golf Association ran the tournament from its inception in 1953 as the Canada Cup through 1999.

On the Net: www.worldgolfchampionships.com

EXHIBITION

Skins Game

Site: Indian Wells, Calif.

Schedule: Saturday-Sunday.

Course: Indian Wells Golf Resort, Celebrity Course (7,088 yards, par 72).

Purse: $1 million (Nos. 1-6, $25,000 each; Nos. 7-12, $50,000; Nos. 13-17, $70,000; No. 18, $200,000).

Television: ABC (Saturday, 1-3 p.m.; Sunday, 3:30-6 p.m.).

Players: Stephen Ames, Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Brett Wetterich.

Last year: Ames made a 3-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole at Trilogy Golf Club for $270,000 and a winning total of $590,000. Fred Couples finished second with $385,000, John Daly won $25,000 and 2005 winner Fred Funk was shut out.

Notes: The made-for-TV event is in its 25th season. In 1983 at Desert Highlands in Scottsdale, Ariz., Gary Player won seven skins and $170,000 to beat Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson. ... Johnson, the Masters and BellSouth Classic winner this season, is making his first appearance in the event. ... Couples has won a record five times and is the career leader with $3.9 million and 86 skins — 58 on the back nine. ... Ames won the PGA Tour’s season-ending Children’s Miracle Network Classic.

On the Net: www.lgskinsgame.com

PGA Tour site: www.pgatour.com

AUSTRALASIAN PGA TOUR/
PGA EUROPEAN TOUR

Australian Masters

Site: Melbourne, Australia.

Schedule: Thursday-Sunday.

Course: Huntingdale Golf Club (6,980 yards, par 72).

Purse: $1.35 million. Winner’s share: $243,000.

Television: Golf Channel (Thursday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.).

Last year: England’s Justin Rose won for the first time in four years, beating Australia’s Richard Green by a stroke.

Last week: Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez won the Hong Kong Open for the second time in four years, taking advantage of Robert Karlsson’s final-hole bogey for a one-stroke victory. The tournament was sanctioned by the European and Asian tours.

Notes: Rose and Jimenez are skipping the event to play in the World Cup in China. ... In 2005, Robert Allenby won the tournament to complete an unprecedented sweep of the Australian Open, PGA and Masters. Allenby also won in 2004 at Huntingdale. ... Allenby, Stuart Appleby and Aaron Baddeley top the strong Australian contingent along with Nick Flanagan, the 2004 U.S. Amateur champion who won three times this year on the Nationwide Tour to earn a promotion to the PGA Tour.

On the Net: www.mastercardmasters.com

Australasian PGA Tour site: www.pgatour.com.au

PGA European Tour site: www.europeantour.com

Associated Press