Power Rankings: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

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If there was ever such a thing as a player summit inside the ropes, the seventh edition of the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club in Shanghai, China just might be it.

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Consider that the field is limited to a tidy 78 and three-quarters of it arrives having played in one of five events around the globe on Sunday. Nearly half the field at the CIMB Asia Pacific Classic Malaysia made the trip north.

Exactly half the participants at last week's Shanghai Masters are staying in town another week. Fifteen traveled from the Andalucia Masters in Spain. Five from Japan crossed the East China Sea to play. And Alistair Presnell endured the longest trek after sharing eighth place at the Nationwide Tour Championship in Charleston, S.C.

A year ago, Francesco Molinari turned Sheshan into his personal playground in going wire-to-wire for his first PGA TOUR victory. Lee Westwood kept the heat on the Italian but came up a stroke short, but the Englishman finished nine strokes clear of a twosome in third place. (Earnings are unofficial on the PGA TOUR this week, but the winner is exempt into the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in January. Also, if a PGA TOUR member emerges victorious, he will be awarded with a three-year exemption.)

When the turf is wet, conventional wisdom suggests that long hitters will fare best on the par-72 track that can play 7,266 yards from the tips.

Rain expected throughout the tournament will lengthen the course. Moreover, with rough maturing another year since its overseed (with Rye) in 2009, penalties for wayward drives may be stiffer.

The high temperatures will creep into the 70s. Winds could add to the challenge through at least Friday.

WORLD GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS-HSBC CHAMPIONS: Field | Course | Bradley's Sheshan debut | Coverage

Power Rankings: World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions

Rank Player   Comment Rory MCILROY The man to beat arrives in red-hot form. Prior to his playoff win at the Shanghai Masters, he strung together four consecutive top-three finishes. Posted a solo fifth here last year, closing out with a 67 that featured seven birdies. K.J. CHOI Including last week's share of seventh place in Shanghai, he's rattled off five consecutive top-10s worldwide since a T10 at the BMW Championship. He finished T3 at East Lake and later won his own tournament on the Asian Tour. Lee WESTWOOD En route to last year's runner-up here, played his final 43 holes in bogey-free 12-under. He had a field-low two bogeys all week. Has 10 top 10s in his last 14 starts worldwide, including a solo fifth last week at the Shanghai Masters. Peter HANSON Has played four of the last five weeks on the European Tour, finishing no worse than T11 in Portugal. Currently 11th on his circuit in greens hit and 13th in stroke average. Co-led field here last year in birdies en route to a T6 on the leaderboard. Ian POULTER Dangerous in a limited-field, international event with no cut. Posted a solo sixth at last week's Shanghai Masters, his first start since missing the cut at the Deutsche Bank Championship. Won in Hong Kong two weeks after last year's WGC-HSBC. Thomas BJORN A three-time winner on the European Tour in 2011, he's coming off a T8 at the Portugal Masters and T15 at Valderrama last week. His splits in both distance and accuracy off the tee, greens hit, putting and stroke average are among his best in years. Keegan BRADLEY Since sharing 11th at THE TOUR Championship, he's won the PGA Grand Slam of Golf and tied for 11th at the Shanghai Masters. The first-timer at Sheshan ranked 36th on the PGA TOUR in ball-striking this year. Also 20th in distance off the tee. Francesco MOLINARI The defending champ hasn't won anywhere since, but he's knocked on a few doors. Coming off a T10 at the Andalucia Masters. At Sheshan last year, he co-led the field in birdies, finished second in putting and suffered only four bogeys all week. Hunter MAHAN In his first start anywhere since getting clipped by Bill Haas in a playoff at East Lake, he shared third place at the Shanghai Masters. Finished 22nd on the PGA TOUR in greens hit, 13th in Strokes Gained-Putting and fourth in the all-around. Bo VAN PELT Making his debut in Shanghai, but he's coming off a six-stroke victory in Malaysia where he led the field with 25 birdies and played his final 34 holes in bogey-free 13-under. Ranked 38th on the PGA TOUR in distance off the tee and 34th in GIR.