World No. 1 Luke Donald, heads the field of international winners at this year's World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions at Sheshan International Golf Club, to be held Nov. 3-6.
All four major winners in 2011 are in the field: Keegan Bradley (PGA Championship), Charl Schwartzel (The Masters), Rory McIlroy (U.S. Open) and Darren Clarke (The Open Championship). America's Nick Watney and Australia's Adam Scott complete the lineup of the four reigning World Golf Championships winners with the defending HSBC Champion, Francesco Molinari, and Luke Donald.
There are still a few opportunities to qualify but already the confirmed field boasts over 500 international titles between them. Early entrants to this year's HSBC Champions include Justin Rose, winner of the BMW Championship, Webb Simpson, who finished in second place on the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedexCup, Lucas Glover, victor at the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA TOUR, David Toms, winner at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial and the popular K.J. Choi, winner of THE PLAYERS Championship.
Donald, whose remarkably consistent season has included three wins and 15 top-10 finishes, said: "I've had a fantastic year reaching the pinnacle of the world rankings and now I am looking to end my season at the top. The WGC-HSBC Champions will be pivotal as always with so many of the world's best players gathering in Asia to try and win one of the biggest tournaments of the year. It falls very close to the due date of my second child so I will be keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes to plan family-wise so that I can be in Shanghai challenging for this prestigious title."
Thomas Bjorn, whose three wins this year takes his career tally to 19 titles, added, "I have really noticed a changing of the guard this year with so many great young players coming through so I feel very proud to have won three times this season to ensure my qualification. This is the only World Golf Championships played outside of the US and has the most international field so, in many ways, it is the most deserving of the WGC badge. The unique qualification criteria of this tournament also ensures it features the world's most in-form players so it is a very special title to win."