By STEVE KEIPERT & BRENDAN JAMES at Royal Melbourne

It stands to be a tournament with a difference ­– not wholly individual, not quite teams – and is a test drive for what golf will look like at the next Olympic Games.

For the second week running, Royal Melbourne Golf Club's new look Composite course will host a collection of the sport's best players when the ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf begins tomorrow. This time only 60 players will tour Australia's premier layout in a bid to snare as much of the US$8 million purse as possible.

However, an air of curiosity and intrigue hangs over the tournament, which was hastily relocated to Melbourne mid-year after sponsorship arrangements in China fell through. Is this a true teams event or merely another 72-hole individual strokeplay tournament with a team component added as an afterthought? Will players representing their nation be paired together? What about the rules implications of concurrent individual and pairs competitions? Will, for instance, Adam Scott be able to give advice to Jason Day?

Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland hold the World Cup trophy after winning the title in China in 2011. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The breakdown of the prizemoney answers part of the question. Only US$1 million is allocated for the team portion of the World Cup as the other US$7 million will be spread across the individual results. So if Scott were to triumph around the Composite course for a second consecutive week, he'd pocket about five times more cash this time than when he captured a second gold jacket last Sunday afternoon. Players from the same country won't be paired together unless the regular method of seeding the leaders decrees it happen, further highlighting the predominantly individual nature of the tournament. When things near a climax on Sunday, chances are some savvy mathematics will be required for the players to calculate where they stand in a national sense.

"I hope Jason and I get to play together at some point and I think that would be fun for everyone to see us play together," Scott said. "I know there's a big focus on the individual prize. It's a new format this year but there still is a teams event and I think it would be great for the tournament and also Jason and I to win the World Cup down here.”

The individual player eligibility and format resemble those planned for Rio de Janeiro in 2016 when golf makes its return to the Olympics, as there are no plans for a team element to the Olympic golf event. This week, the winning pair will be the country with the lowest combined 72-hole aggregate.

Regardless of which format takes priority, Melbourne golf fans will be treated to a smorgasbord of top-tier golfers in the no-cut event. Joining Scott and Day is the American duo of Matt Kuchar and Kevin Streelman, Irish pair Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry, South Koreans K.J. Choi and Sang-Moon Bae, Danes Thomas Bjorn and Thorbjorn Olesen, Thai golfers Prayad Marksaeng and Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Italians Matteo Manassero and Francesco Molinari, plus big-hitting Belgian Nicolas Colsaerts and Fijian Vijay Singh, fresh off his third-place finish at the Talisker Australian Masters.

Francesco and Edoardo Molinari captured the trophy in 2009. PHOTOS: GETTY IMAGES

Other nations represented by pairs include Brazil, Chile, Germany, Spain, England, South Africa, the Philippines, Scotland, India, France, Canada, New Zealand, Argentina, Sweden, China, Finland, Portugal, Japan and more. It's the most eclectic, cosmopolitan field to assemble at Royal Melbourne since the club last held the World Cup in 1988.

All eyes will be fixed upon the local pair – Australian golf’s ‘Dream Team’, who come into the week in contrasting situations. Scott is eyeing a third straight victory on home soil as he bids to sweep the Australian PGA, Masters, World Cup and Australian Open, while Day arrived in Melbourne with a heavy heart after learning of the tragic loss of eight of his relatives in the Philippines at the hands of devastating Typhoon Haiyan.
Day has vowed to play on and he and Scott will start as favourites to win the team component and lift the John Jay Hopkins Trophy together. Kuchar's performance at the Masters will see he and Streelman among the fancied duos, but the strength of the pairs sent from the European nations could see the trophy return north of the equator.

WHAT THE PLAYERS ARE SAYING ABOUT

THE WORLD CUP OF GOLF & ROYAL MELBOURNE

K.J CHOI (South Korea)

“It’s a very challenging golf course here. Even though I come here to represent Korea, it’s like individual and then team play. So players can be focused more on the individual play but still he is trying to do his best because he has a lot of fans in Melbourne.”

FRANCESCO MOLINARI (Italy)

“It is going to feel a lot different (change of format). It is hard to say now how it is going to be, but I liked obviously, the old format. But, you know, I guess they have to do a kind of a trial for the Olympics. So I am sure it is going to be good fun, the course is one of the best of the world and I am sure the Australian crowds will be really good.”

JASON DAY (Australia)

“I feel honoured to be representing my country in this event alongside Scotty.”

MATT KUCHAR (US)

“2011 was exciting to play in my first World Cup to team up with Gary Woodland to win, to be able to raise the United States flag up at the closing ceremonies was just a really rewarding special week. I think how much fun I have had. It’s kind of one of my prize trophies that I have.”

KEVIN STREELMAN (US)

“I grew up caddying at Chicago Golf Club, which is one of the first Seth Raynor/C.B. MacDonald courses in the United States. So I was 12 years old and I knew what a Redan hole and a Biarritz hole was. I am always a big fan of golf course architecture and I’ve always heard about Royal Melbourne and it definitely is not disappointing.”

SIX TEAMS TO WATCH

While the format of the World Cup of Golf has changed to focus on the individual performance of the field, the players themselves are very passionate to keep the team format alive and see it as perhaps the only time of the year they can represent their country as part of a team.

Here are the teams that will stamp their authority on the event.

AUSTRALIA – Adam Scott & Jason Day

Australia’s golfing ‘Dream Team’ come together for the first time in playing for the World Cup and will be warm favourites to win the coveted trophy. Adam Scott’s confidence is riding high on the back of wins in the Australian PGA and Talisker Australian Masters in consecutive weeks.

The Australian 'Dream Team' of Adam Scott and Jason Day will be favourites to win the World Cup of Golf starting tomorrow at Royal Melbourne. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

“Well, my game is in pretty good shape so my focus is to go and get Jason revved up and make sure he’s in good shape on Thursday,” Scott laughed.

“I think it’s going to be a lot of fun in all seriousness. I hope Jason and I get to play together at some point and I think that would be fun for everyone to see us play together.

“I know there’s a big focus on the individual prize. It’s a new format this year but there still is a teams’ event and I think it would be great for the tournament and also Jason and I to win the World Cup.”

World No.18 Jason Day is making his World Cup debut and hopes to help bring home a win for the Australian Team for the first time since 1989, when the team of Wayne Grady and Peter Fowler were victorious.

It’s been almost two years since Day last played in Australia but his form in 2013 has been good and he’s keen to perform well on home soil this week.

IRELAND – Graeme McDowell & Shane Lowry

Graeme McDowell, a devotee of the Melbourne Sandbelt courses, said his form in 2013 has been inconsistent but he couldn’t be down on having a year, which has produced wins on both sides of the Atlantic as well as the World Matchplay Championship in Bulgaria.

Former US Open champ Graeme McDowell will team with Shane Lowry in pursuit of the team win in the World Cup. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The 2010 US Open champion, who finished fourth in the Race To Dubai, said:

“I think this is my fourth World Cup, and I’m very excited to be here with Shane, back down in an amazing part of the world, one of the greatest golf courses in the world.”

Shane Lowry posted his career-best finish on the PGA Tour with his run to the finals of the Accenture World Matchplay. The World Cup debutante has also had good recent form with the best result being a tied 3rd in September at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.

“Obviously it is a different element this year, it is not the same team element as it was, but we’ll try and bounce off each other and hopefully if we can see each other's name up on that leaderboard out on the course it will give us the edge maybe.”

DENMARK – Thomas Bjorn & Thorbjorn Olesen

Thomas Bjorn is making his fifth World Cup appearance and was a winner of the European Tour this year, claiming his 20th international victory at the European Masters in Switzerland.

While Thorbjorn Olesen has not had a win in 2013 he has impressed with his performances, especially his tied 6th placing at the Masters in April. The 23-year-old is an outstanding talent who many believe he can be Denmark’s first major champion.

ITALY – Francesco Molinari & Matteo Manassero

Francesco Molinari has tasted success in the World Cup, having won the event alongside his brother, Edoardo, in 2009. The 31-year-old is in solid form having finished in the top-25 of each of his past six tournaments, including a tie for 2nd in the BMW Masters last month.

Matteo Manassero is the youngest player competing in this week's World Cup of Golf. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

Matteo Manassero has already had four European Tour wins, including the prestigious BMW PGA Championship in May this year. 'Manny' is not a long-hitter and his straight-hitting on a course like Royal Melbourne will see him in the mix for individual honours and will go a long way boosting Italy's chances.

FRANCE – Victor Dubuisson & Gregory Bourdy

Victor Dubuisson is in career best form having won the rich Turkish Airlines Open two weeks ago and a third placing at the World Tour Championship last weekend. These finishes add to the other five top-10s he’s had on the European Tour this year.

“I play very well now because I've been practicing a lot, and I have the benefit of the way I did practice these last few months, and after the win, of course,” he said.

Gregory Bourdy has also been a winner in Europe this year, having won the ISPS Handa Wales Open in September.

UNITED STATES – Matt Kuchar & Kevin Streelman

Matt Kuchar, runner-up in the Talisker Australian Masters last weekend, won the World Cup in 2011 alongside Gary Woodland. Since that win he’s added three big PGA Tour titles to the resume – the 2012 Players Championship, 2013 WGC Accenture Matchplay and the Memorial Tournament.

Kevin Streelman makes his World Cup debut here in a year that saw him breakthrough for his first win on the PGA Tour.

“This is my first trip to Australia. It has been wonderful,” Streelman said. “Obviously the golf course is incredible and it’s all I thought it would be and it’s just exciting to get the call to represent your country and hopefully Matt and I will be able to make a move this week.”