Top European and Asian players will face off this week in a new Ryder Cup-style team tournament which has incensed organisers of a rival event and highlighted deep divisions in Asian golf.
Members of Team Asia pose for a photo ahead of the EurAsia Cup, at the Glenamarie Golf and Country Club in Kuala Lumpur, on March 26, 2014
The run-up to the inaugural EurAsia Cup has been overshadowed by a public row between the European Tour and organisers of the Royal Trophy, a similar Europe v Asia competition launched in 2006.
Team captains Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee will lead their regions' representatives in the three-day event at the Glenmarie Golf and Country Club outside Kuala Lumpur from Thursday.
Organisers of the Royal Trophy, which was spearheaded by late Spanish great Seve Ballesteros, have repeatedly cried foul over the new event and sparred with the European Tour, a joint backer along with the Asian Tour.
And Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who is on the European team, admitted he has "mixed feelings" about the clash between the two competing tournaments.
"I've got mixed feelings for sure about the two events, and I'm just keen for one of these two events to establish itself in a non-Ryder Cup year as a team-building event for the European Tour," he said.
"For Europeans it is important we have a great team event out here in the Asia region.
"Seve is obviously an iconic figure when it comes to European golf and he would want to see the two events to remain strong, so hopefully we can put this event this week on the map a little bit and talk about where we go from here."
Thongchai's squad includes his countryman and rising star Kiradech Aphibarnrat, along with Gaganjeet Bhullar and Anirban Lahiri of India, and Japan's Koumei Oda.
Jimenez, meanwhile, will have former Major winner McDowell, Scotland's Stephen Gallacher, and France's Victor Dubuisson among his 10-man squad.
"It's obvious there can only be one tournament going forward and with everyone reading from the same page," said McDowell. "We need the two sides to work it out. Sadly, it's unlikely to happen any time soon."
The tournament has become the latest skirmish in the battle for control of Asian golf between the Asian Tour and OneAsia, which supports the Royal Trophy and has been holding tournaments in the region since 2009.
Another element of the controversy is the fact that Jose Maria Olazabal, who was close to Ballesteros, openly supports the Royal Trophy while fellow Spaniard Jimenez is deeply involved with the EurAsia Cup.
Jimenez said he hoped to see the EurAsia Cup grow to become an event with similar stature to the long-standing Ryder Cup, which pits Europe against the United States.
"The Ryder Cup started in 1927 and probably now is the event in golf and everyone wants to play and I think is the important thing," he said.
"Now we start the EurAsia Cup in 2014 and hopefully with the support of the players and the effort of these two big tours, the EurAsia Cup will become a big event along with the Ryder Cup."
The format will see five four-ball matches played on the first day, five foursomes on day two, and 10 singles matches in Saturday's final round.
Team Europe: Miguel Angel Jimenez (captain, ESP), Thomas Bjorn (DEN), Jamie Donaldson (WAL), Victor Dubuisson (FRA), Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (SPA), Stephen Gallacher (SCO), Pablo Larrazabal (ESP), Joost Luiten (NED), Graeme McDowell (NIR) Thorbjorn Olesen (DEN)
Team Asia: Thongchai Jaidee (captain, THA), Kiradech Aphibarnrat (THA), Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND), Nicholas Fung (MAS), Kim Hyung-Sung (KOR) Anirban Lahiri (IND), Prayad Marksaeng (THA), Koumei Oda (JPN), Siddikur Rahman (BAN), Hideto Tanihara (JPN)