Race to Dubai leaders Lee Westwood and Rory McIlroy, No. 5 Paul Casey and No. 10 Ian Poulter are among the star attractions at $2.5 million UBS Hong Kong Open, starting Thursday at the par-70, 6,702-yard course at the Hong Kong Golf Club in Fanling.

The Hong Kong tournament, co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, has attracted one of its strongest fields since it was first staged in 1959 _ in part thanks to its timing as the final pre-Dubai tournament and proximity to the HSBC Champions in Shanghai last week.

The top 60 earners on the European Tour after Hong Kong will play in Dubai on Nov. 19 to Nov. 22 for a $7.5 million bonus pool.

The field in Hong Kong also includes former British Open champions Mark O'Meara and Ben Curtis, Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, PGA Championship winner Yang Yong-eun of South Korea _ the first Asian major winner _ as well as two-time Hong Kong champion Miguel Angel Jimenez and defending champion Lin Wen-tang of Taiwan.

Sweden's Robert Karlsson, who won the last Order of Merit title on the European Tour, is still on the comeback after being forced out of the U.S. Open at Bethpage Black because of an eye infection which left him with no depth perception in his left eye.

McIlroy and Westwood are coming off strong showings at the HSBC Champions.

McIlroy finished fourth _ ahead of Tiger Woods _ and Westwood tied for eighth. McIlroy is aiming to go one step further than he did here last year, when he narrowly lost a playoff against Lin.

Other stars in the Hong Kong field are five-time PGA winner Rory Sabbatini, India's Jeev Milkha Singh and Asian Tour Order of Merit leader Thongchai Jaidee from Thailand.