Rose ready for England chance

Justin Rose will represent England at this year’s World Cup, ensuring the tournament has at least one world top-20 player.

Despite a $5m purse, few leading players have expressed interest in the event to be held at Mission Hills in China from November 22-25.

The World Cup features 28 two-man teams, and Rose received a chance to play for England when Luke Donald who at the time was the highest-ranked Englishman in the world, declined to play. Rose is two places above Donald in the latest world rankings in any case.

Under the format, the highest-ranked player chooses his team-mate, and Rose is likely to go for his good friend Ian Poulter.

As recently as six years ago, the world’s top players flocked to the World Cup in Japan.

It is worth recalling that the American team that year was Tiger Woods and David Duval, while other high-powered teams included South Africa (Ernie Els and Retief Goosen), Spain (Sergio Garcia and Miguel Angel Jimenez) and Australia (Adam Scott and Aaron Baddeley), while Vijay Singh played for Fiji.

Good luck getting a line-up like that this year.

Rose’s decision to contest the World Cup means he will not defend his Australian Masters title, because the two events clash.

“I feel torn,” he said.

“My first win in four years came in Australia, but I’ve always enjoyed representing my country through my amateur and professional days.”

Rose also has received an invitation to play in the rich 12-man Nedbank Challenge in Sun City, South Africa, the week after the World Cup.

“It’s been a huge goal of mine to play there,” said Rose, who was born in South Africa.

“It’s an event my mother and father went to watch 20 years ago.”