WORLD CUP:RORY McILROY will make his debut for Ireland with fellow Ulsterman Graeme McDowell as his partner when golf's World Cup takes place in China in November.

McIlroy becomes the second youngest player to represent Ireland in a World Cup, after Ronan Rafferty in 1983 who played in Jakarta with Eamonn Darcy, and has chosen McDowell as his partner for the competition.

“Graeme’s one of my best friends on tour. It’ll be a great week for us and we will give it a good go. I think our style of games will complement each other. He’s short and straight and I’m long and don’t always know where it goes . . . I think we will be really good,” said McIlroy.

Speaking yesterday at the Lough Erne Challenge in Enniskillen, three-time major winner Pádraig Harrington welcomed McIlroy’s choice.

“I think Rory is wise, as I have done for many years, to go with a friend (as his partner). There is more to a World Cup than just sending out two golfers. Graeme’s a good choice, a wise choice.

“ They’ve a great chance of winning . . . the fact they’re friends will give them more of a chance, just like myself and Paul (McGinley) when we won in ’97.”

All 18 exempt nations have now been confirmed and world number five Sergio Garcia of Spain is the highest-ranked player taking part.

He can now select his team-mate to compete over the Mission Hills course designed by his compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal, provided that the player nominated is inside the world’s top 100.

“There are always a lot of good teams at the World Cup. I think that the Swedish team, the defending champions, will be very good,” said Garcia.

Henrik Stenson and Robert Karlsson won the title on the same course last year.

For the third successive year Ian Poulter will represent England and as last year will again be joined by Ross fisher.

Robert Allenby and Stuart Appleby have accepted the opportunity to represent Australia.