Els and Bubba confirmed for WGC-HSBC Champions

Open winner Ernie Els and Masters champion Bubba Watson will compete in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions tournament at Mission Hills in China from November 1-4

Two more former major champions, Bubba Watson and Ernie Els, have confirmed they will take part in the World Golf Championships-HSBC Champions in China next month.

They join defending champion Martin Kaymer, Phil Mickelson, Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and a host of other star names in the field for the final WGC of the year.

The event will be staged from November 1-4 on the Olazabal Course at Mission Hills, located in China's Guangdong province.

Watson, the 2012 Masters champion, will be making his first start in the WGC-HSBC Champions, and is relishing the prospect of his first ever trip to China.

"Winning my first major at the Masters in April has made this an amazing year but I haven't won since, so I'd love to end my year with my first World Golf Championship win," said the left hander.

"Asian golf is definitely on the up and I am excited to go there, see it and experience it for myself."

Els, who won his second Open and fourth major championship at Royal Lytham and St Annes this summer, is also looking forward to the event.

"Winning my second Open at Lytham was obviously a very special moment in my career, and I guess you could say I've had a spring in my step ever since," he said.

"I'm definitely enjoying my golf and, as always, I'm excited about the prospect of returning to Mission Hills for the WGC-HSBC Champions. It's always a fantastic week."

World numbers three and four, Luke Donald and Lee Westwood, will also take part in the $7m event, staged for the first time at Mission Hills after seven editions at Shanghai's Sheshan International Golf Club.

Nick Bonfield
Features Editor

Nick Bonfield joined Golf Monthly in 2012 after graduating from Exeter University and earning an NCTJ-accredited journalism diploma from News Associates in Wimbledon. He is responsible for managing production of the magazine, sub-editing, writing, commissioning and coordinating all features across print and online. Most of his online work is opinion-based and typically centres around the Majors and significant events in the global golfing calendar. Nick has been an avid golf fan since the age of ten and became obsessed with the professional game after watching Mike Weir and Shaun Micheel win The Masters and PGA Championship respectively in 2003. In his time with Golf Monthly, he's interviewed the likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Jose Maria Olazabal, Henrik Stenson, Padraig Harrington, Lee Westwood and Billy Horschel and has ghost-written columns for Westwood, Wayne Riley, Matthew Southgate, Chris Wood and Eddie Pepperell. Nick is a 12-handicap golfer and his favourite courses include Old Head, Sunningdale New, Penha Longha, Valderrama and Bearwood Lakes. If you have a feature pitch for Nick, please email nick.bonfield@futurenet.com with 'Pitch' in the subject line. Nick is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade M1 Fairway wood: TaylorMade RBZ Stage 2 Hybrid: Ping Crossover Irons (4-9): Nike Vapor Speed Wedges: Cleveland CBX Full Face, 56˚, Titleist Vokey SM4, 60˚ Putter: testing in progress! Ball: TaylorMade TP5x