KEY POINTS:
Mark Brown is looking forward to making his debut in New Zealand colours for the first time in his professional career when he teams with David Smail for the World Cup of golf later this year in China.
New Zealand scraped into the World Cup after three players
from two countries ahead them on the world rankings - Fiji and Canada - have indicated they will not be competing at Mission Hills, 30 minutes north of Hong Kong.
Countries qualify for the US$5.5m event off the world rankings with the leading 18 nations becoming automatic entries.
The decision by world No 5 Vijay Singh not to play means that Fiji does not have another player among the leading 18 nations.
Canadians Stephen Ames, ranked 27th and Mike Weir, ranked 34th have also pulled out, allowing New Zealand to move up to 16th in the rankings from 18th.
Brown is currently ranked 77th in the world and Smail 122nd.
"I've spoken to David and he's keen to play so it will be myself and David representing New Zealand at this stage, unless someone like Michael (Campbell) goes and wins a tournament and goes ahead of us in the rankings," Brown said.
Brown, who lines up for the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles starting tomorrow (NZtime), said he knew Campbell was keen to break into the team for the World Cup.
Brown is returning to competition for the first time since finishing 24th in the US PGA Championship in Detroit earlier this month.
After the Gleneagles tournament, Brown heads to Switzerland next week for the European Masters and then to Cologne, Germany for the Mercedes-Benz Championship.
After that he will compete on the Asian Tour for three weeks in an effort to capture the tour's Order of Merit title.
Brown heads the Asian money list with earnings of US$651,093 ($939,121) from seven events, US$110,399 ahead of India's Jeev Milka Singh.
Becoming the Asian Tour's No 1 player will gain him automatic entry into next year's British Open at Turnberry.
"I'm in for the Champions event in Shanghai in November, the Australian Open and Australian PGA before heading back to China for the World Cup."
Brown also leads the Australasian Order of Merit and is nearly A$300,000 ($371,471) ahead of Perth's Greg Chalmers.
Topping the Australasian Tour money list would also give him a British Open berth.
Campbell, Gareth Paddison and Steve Alker will also be contesting the Johnnie Walker at Gleneagles.
- NZPA