Belfast's Michael Hoey (28) and Gareth Maybin (27) from Ballyclare were selected for the prestigious tournament in China after big name players like Paul McGinley, Padraig Harrington, Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell declined to take part.

But the duo defied all the odds and have qualified for the finals later this month where they will line up against famous names such as Colin Montgomerie, Justin Rose and Ian Poulter.

However, the day before the tournament starts they are due to play in the vital European Tour qualifying school in Spain - leaving less than 18 hours to travel thousands of miles across two continents to reach Shenzen.

Tournament organisers had originally told the pair they would be eliminated from the lucrative World Cup if they didn't reach Mission Hills in Shenzen, China, before 6pm on Wednesday, November 21, the eve of the tournament.

Yesterday, however, a Tour spokesman revealed that the pair will be allowed to sign in after the usual registration deadline - provided they check in at Mission Hills that evening in recognition of the "exceptional circumstance of their case".

So the Irish duo now have a fighting chance of making it to China, even if either or both win their European Tour in Spain the previous evening.

They will have to travel from San Roque in the Costa Del Sol to Madrid, to Paris, then to Hong Kong and on to Shenzen.

The earliest flight they can get is scheduled to arrive in Hong Kong just before six on that Wednesday and it is thought they will be hard pushed to make it.

Connection times through Madrid are so tight that chartering a private jet for €10,000 from the Costa to the French capital was one consideration

"This is great news," Conor Ridge, the agent for both players at Horizon Sports Management, said.

"After all the two guys have gone through to make sure Ireland is at the World Cup, it would have been a tragedy if they were denied a chance to play."

The Ulster pair will join nine other qualifiers to make 28 competing nations in total in China. The format of the competition is straightforward knockout with the leading nations having a first round bye.

Ireland last won the tournament in 1997 at Kiawah Island in South Carolina in the United States when it was represented by McGinley and Harrington.

As a World Golf Championship event, there is plenty of prize-money on offer - they are guaranteed US$$25,000 apiece just for turning up.