World Cup stat pack

A preview and stats for this week's Mission Hills World Cup at Hainan Island in China.

Twenty-eight nations travel to China this week for the 56th staging of the World Cup of Golf. This two-man team event is back on the international calendar after a two-year break, with Italian brothers Francesco and Edoardo Molinari defending the title they won at Mission Hills in 2009. Since then, golf has become an Olympic sport which subsequently led to the World Cup being re-scheduled as a biennial event. And this week's field is typically wide-ranging when it comes to experience and ability, with world No.2 Rory McIlroy taking part alongside a number of players not even ranked inside the top 1,000. The Molinaris will be joined by two other sets of brothers, with Camilo and Manuel Villegas representing Colombia while Ricardo and Hugo Santos are teaming up for Portugal. The format is unchanged with two series of foursomes and two sets of fourballs. The prize fund remains a huge incentive for those taking part, with members of the winning team collecting $1.2m each. The par-73 Blackstone course, on Hainan Island, is more than 7,800 yards in length and will be hosting the event for the first time. Blackstone takes over from the Olazabal layout which staged the World Cup three years in a row from 2007 and was located at another Mission Hills site - at Shenzen on mainland China. So who are the key pairings teeing-up? ENGLAND: Good mates Ian Poulter and Justin Rose will rate their chances this week - England have been among the leading six nations in eight of the last nine events. IRELAND: Friends Graeme McDowell and Rory McIlroy are arguably the best pair teeing it up among the 28 teams this week. ITALY: Brothers Edoardo and Francesco have not enjoyed the best of seasons, compared to 2010, but with blood being thicker than water their total will probably be much greater than the current sum of the parts - as was the case two years ago when they won the tournament by one shot. SOUTH AFRICA: Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel make up a powerful partnership and have skipped their own national Open in order to play in China. USA: The consistent Matt Kuchar and big-hitting Gary Woodland can not be ruled out. The Americans last won the tournament 11 years ago. WORLD CUP FORM (since 2000) Year: '00 / '01 / '02 / '03 / '04 / '05 / '06 / '07 / '08 / '09 Australia: T12 / T14 / T6 / T15 / T10 / T17 / T8 / 21 / T3 / 6
Austria: - / - / - / - / T5 / - / - / T17 / - / -
Belgium: - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / -
Brazil: - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / 26
China: - / T17 / - / - / - / - / - / T11 / T17 / T22
Colombia: 22 / - / T23 / - / 21 / 23 / 14 / 26 / - / -
Denmark: - / T2 / 11 / 19 / 14 / 5 / 18 / 10 / T13 / T14
England: 16 / 5 / T3 / 2 / Won / T2 / T15 / 4 / 6 / 4
France: 20 / T8 / T17 / 3 / T15 / 4 / 20 / 3 / T10 / T20
Germany: T7 / - / 21 / 4 / T7 / 8 / Won / T6 / 5 / T7
Guatemala: - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / T22 / -
Ireland: T10 / T14 / T8 / T5 / 3 / T12 / T12 / 24 / 16 / T2
Italy: - / - / - / - / 17 / - / T8 / T17 / T19 / Won
Japan: 4 / T11 / Won / T7 / T10 / T15 / 23 / 25 / T3 / 5
Mexico: - / T17 / T23 / 18 / 24 / T17 / T8 / - / 27 / -
Netherlands: - / 22 / - / - / T5 / T6 / - / T6 / - / -
New Zealand: 6 / T2 / T17 / T15 / T15 / - / - / 27 / T22 / T20
Portugal: - / - / - / - / - / T20 / - / - / T13 / -
Scotland: 5 / T11 / T12 / T9 / 18 / T20 / 2 / Won / T19 / 28
Singapore: - / - / T17 / - / - / T20 / 17 / - / - / T16
South Africa: T12 / Won / 5 / Won / 4 / - / 4 / 5 / T7 / T7
South Korea: T17 / - / T3 / T9 / T10 / T12 / 19 / T11 / 26 / T7
Spain: T7 / T6 / - / 14 / 2 / T10 / T5 / T13 / 2 / 27
Sweden: T7 / 16 / T14 / T7 / T7 / T2 / 3 / T6 / Won / T2
Thailand: T17 / - / - / 23 / - / - / - / T15 / T7 / T16
United States: Won / T2 / 2 / T5 / T7 / T17 / T5 / 2 / 9 / T7
Wales: 15 / T11 / T12 / 12 / T10 / Won / T8 / T22 / 25 / T7
Zimbabwe: T12 / 20 / - / - / - / - / - / - / - / - Competing Nations: 24 / 24 / 24 / 24 / 24 / 24 / 24 / 28 / 28 / 28 WORLD CUP WINNERS There have been 15 different winners of the World Cup since the competition began in 1953. Here is an alphabetical breakdown of the champion nations: Wins (Most Recent) 1: Argentina (1953)
4: Australia (1989)
3: Canada (1985)
2: England (2004)
2: Germany (2006)
2: Japan (2002)
2: Ireland (1997)
1: Italy (2009)
1: Scotland (2007)
5: South Africa (2003)
4: Spain (1984)
2: Sweden (2008)
1: Taiwan (1972)
23: United States (2000)
2: Wales (2005) WORLD CUP AVERAGE POSITIONS For Nations Taking Part in SIX or MORE Tournaments Since 2000 Average (Events) 5.11: South Africa (9)
5.70: United States (10)
5.80: England (10)
6.50: Sweden (10)
7.33: Germany (9)
9.56: Spain (9)
10.40: Japan (10)
10.60: Ireland (10)
11.20: Australia (10)
11.77: Denmark (9)
12.00: France (10)
12.40: Wales (10)
12.50: Scotland (10)
12.67: South Korea (9)
15.50: New Zealand (8)
19.14: Mexico (7)
21.50: Colombia (6)