Ernie Els is hoping for a happy return to Mission Hills

Ernie Els may have designed one of the umpteen golf courses at the sprawling Mission Hills complex, but he still admits this week's HSBC WGC Champions tournament at the resort is something of a trip into the unknown.

Els, the British Open champion, heads an elite field for the US$7 million event, which begins tomorrow, but admits he will have to get to grips quickly with the 7,301-yard Olazabal course, which hosted the World Cup from 2007 to 2009. The fourth and final WGC event of the season is being played at Mission Hills for the first time after spending the last seven years in Shanghai.

"I'm glad to be back in China and heading back to Mission Hills," the South African said at the launch for the event at HSBC's headquarters in Hong Kong. "We did a golf course there 11 years ago and I haven't been back since the opening.

"I've never played the Olazabal course, I'm not familiar with it at all, I never played in the World Cups that were held there. I'm going to have to check it out tomorrow and get a feel for it."

The field also includes Masters champion Bubba Watson, plus Phil Mickelson, a four-times major winner' and five other major winners in Paul Lawrie, Keegan Bradley, Graeme McDowell, Louis Oosthuizen and the defending champion, Martin Kaymer.

Ten of Europe's victorious Ryder Cup team will be in action, and with Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy taking the week off, it is a chance for the closing pack to narrow the gap.