The 2008 Women's World Cup of Golf tees off at Sun City in South Africa's North West province Thursday today, with Sweden the bookmakers' favourite to win the title and the US and Korea expected to provide tough challenges.
Twenty countries are contesting the event, with Paraguay's pair of Julieta Granada and Celeste Troche back to defend the title they won so handsomely in January 2007, finishing seven shots clear of the second placed Americans, reports SouthAfrica.info.
Granada played her best golf of 2007 early in the year, finishing second at the SBS Open in February and second again at the Corona Championship in April, but her form in the latter part of the year has been patchy.
Ms Troche, meanwhile, spent most of her year playing the Duramed Futures Tour; she contested just one LPGA Tour event and missed the cut. Like Granada, her form has been inconsistent, including many missed cuts.
Ashleigh Simon and Laurette Maritz will team up for South Africa for the fourth time.
After a record-breaking amateur career, Simon turned professional in 2007 and recorded her first professional victory in the Catalonia Ladies Masters.
Since that win in June, however, she has lacked the consistency required to challenge for more titles.
Ms Maritz produced a fifth place finish in the Open de Espana Femenino and third in the Northern Ireland Ladies Open but, like her playing partner, she has struggled to find consistency.
The following teams are competing:
* Australia: Lindsey Wright, Nikki Garrett
* Brazil: Angela Park, Candy Hannemann
* Canada: Alena Sharp, Lorie Kane
* China: Zhang Na, Wang Chun
* England: Trish Johnson, Kirsty Taylor
* France: Gwladys Nocera, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement
* Germany: Bettina Hauert, Martina Eberl
* India: Simi Mehra, Irina Brar
* Italy: Sylvia Cavalleri, Diana Luna
* Japan: Shinobu Moromizato, Miki Saiki
* Korea: Ji-Yai Shin, Eun-Hee Ji
* Paraguay: Julieta Granada, Celeste Troche
* Philippines: Jennifer Rosales, Dorothy Delasin
* Scotland: Catriona Matthew, Mhairi McKay
* South Africa: Laurette Maritz, Ashleigh Simon
* Spain: Paula Marti, Tania Elosegui
* Sweden: Sophie Gustafson, Maria Hjorth
* Taiwan: Amy Hung, Yun-Jye Wei
* USA: Juli Inkster, Pat Hurst and
* Wales: Becky Brewerton, Becky Morgan
Despite the big names that some of the teams boast, the Women's World Cup of Golf will also rely on teamwork and players clicking as a combination.
Using Tiger Woods as an example, teaming up for one's country is not just about putting two good individuals out on the course.Mr Woods has a less than impressive record in the Ryder Cup, losing more often that he has won; there is no doubt that he is the best player in the world, but that status has often not been seen when he has played for his country.
It's that unknown that makes team competition interesting and it is the reason why predicting a winner is a lottery.
The only reasonable expectation is one of some good to great golf on an excellent course at the Gary Player Country Club.
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