INQUIRER Sports

KUALA LUMPUR—Seventeen nations will tee off this month in the quest for the three remaining berths at golf's lucrative World Cup in China, with Malaysia, Taiwan and Singapore leading the hunt.

The four-day qualifying competition gets underway at Kota Permai Golf and Country Club on September 18 with the lure of a share in the $5.5 million on offer at the World Cup in November at stake.

Danny Chia and Iain Steel will reunite for the Fortis International Challenge with the aim of driving Malaysia into their first World Cup in seven years.

Other top contenders include Angelo Que and Mars Pucay of the Philippines, Singapore's Mardan Mamat and Lam Chih Bing, Taiwan's Lin Wen-tang and Wang Ter-chang, and South Korea's Bae Sang-moon and Kim Hyung-tae.

Italy's Francesco Molinari, a winner on the European Tour, and Edoardo Molinari, a former US Amateur champion, are also tipped to mount a strong challenge.

Local attention will be on Chia and Steel.

They have teamed up twice previously in 2005 and 2006, finishing fourth and fifth respectively to miss the boat to the World Cup. Last year, Steel partnered Airil Rizman where they finished tied seventh.

"Playing with Danny will be great. I hope he brings in a carefree attitude as when he plays for himself, everything will fall into place," said Steel.

He added that the team needs to improve in the foursomes format (alternate shot) to give themselves a better chance of qualifying.

"I've noticed that we often struggled in one of the rounds in the alternate shot format. There will be one round which pulls us down. We need to produce two solid rounds in the foursomes to have a chance of qualifying."

The format will be the same as the World Cup, with fourball (better ball) being played in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) used in the second and final rounds.

Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee and Prayad Marksaeng won last year but are expected to qualify directly for the World Cup through Prayad's world ranking.

The teams

Ghana (Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah), Kenya (Dismas Indiza, Ajay Anil Shah), South Korea (Bae Sang-Moon, Kim Hyung-Tae), Mauritius (Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen), Nigeria (Oyebanji Gboyega, Odoh Andrew Oche), Singapore (Mardan Mamat, Lam Chih Bing), Sri Lanka (Anura Rohana, Lalith Kumara), Pakistan (Muhammad Shabbir, Muhammad Munir), Myanmar (Soe Kyaw Naing, Zaw Zaw Latt), Hong Kong (Derek Fung, David Freeman), Nepal (Deepak Thapa Magar, Deepak Neupane), Italy (Francesco Molinari, Edoardo Molinari), Indonesia (Junaedi Ibrahim, Maan Nasim), Taiwan (Lin Wen-tang, Wang Ter-chang), Malaysia (Iain Steel, Danny Chia), Philippines (Angelo Que, Marciano Pucay), Uganda (Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande).