McIlroy set for World Cup debut

Rory McIlroy will make his debut for Ireland and Sergio Garcia will represent Spain for only the fourth time when golf’s World Cup takes place in China in November.

All 18 exempt nations have now been confirmed and world number five Garcia is the highest-ranked player taking part.

He can now select his team-mate to compete over the Mission Hills course designed by his compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, provided that the player nominated is inside the world’s top 100.

“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,” said Garcia.

“The next time I see Jose Maria I’ll probably ask him about the course. I’m just hoping that my partner and I can do well.”

Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson – currently out of action with an eye problem – won the title on the same course last year.

McIlroy has already selected Ryder Cup player and fellow Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell to be his partner and for the third successive year Ian Poulter will represent England.

He was fourth with Justin Rose in 2007 and sixth with Ross Fisher last year. Fisher will again be his partner this time.

Rory Sabbatini will fly the flag for South Africa alongside Richard Sterne, Nick Watney is confirmed as one half of the American side and Martin Kaymer spearheads the German challenge.

Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby have accepted the opportunity to represent Australia, while the other confirmed nations are Denmark (Soren Kjeldsen), India (Jeev Milkha Singh), Thailand (Thongchai Jaidee), Argentina (Andres Romero), Italy (Francesco Molinari), Japan (Ryuji Imada), France (Thomas Levet), Chinese Taipei (Lin Wen-tang), New Zealand (David Smail) and Korea (Charlie Wi).

China qualify automatically as host nations of the World Cup, but Scotland and Wales both have to go through the qualifying event in Estonia in September.