Added to the schedule last year, the Hero Cup is a team matchplay event featuring 10 players from Great Britain and Ireland and 10 from continental Europe.

It’s not quite a tryout for the team but there are elements of that about it. While none of the biggest stars of the game are taking part, several who have a chance to qualify or receive a Captain’s pick in September are in the field.

The team playing captains are Tommy Fleetwood for GB&I and Francesco Molinari for continental Europe.

DEFENDING CHAMPION: This is the inaugural staging of the event though it does bear striking similarities to the Seve Trophy, which was played every second year from 2000 to 2013. That event was won six of those eight times by the GB&I team.

COURSE: Abu Dhabi Golf Club will be familiar territory for the field who will all have teed up at some point in the annual Abu Dhabi Golf Championship on the DP World Tour.

That event is historically the first of the new year on the Tour and that is the case again in 2023 with the tournament to be played next week.

Expansive bunkering and greens are hallmarks of the Abu Dhabi course. PHOTO: Getty Images.

However, this week’s event isn’t about lowest score wins but most holes won and that may well change how the field attacks the course.

A relative newcomer to international golf, the Abu Dhabi course was laid out in 1998 by Peter Harradine with the tournament very much front of mind. With plenty of length (just shy of 7,000 metres) and lots of water in play it should make for an interesting matchplay spectacle.

While not considered to be of great architectural merit, the course has met with good reviews from the pros each year.

Scoring from the tournament history suggests there are lots of birdies to be made with the winning total usually in the mid to high teens under-par for the four rounds.

That sets up well for the matchplay format and will likely encourage some bold play and entertaining golf.

PRIZEMONEY: US$2,000,000 though earnings will not count towards official money. Members of the winning team will receive US$125,000 each and the losing side US$75,000.

PLAYERS TO WATCH: With just 20 players making up the two teams the answer to this question is ‘all of them’.

Played over three days with one session of foursomes, one of fourball and one of singles, every player will take part in every session.

The two teams are:

Great Britain & Ireland

Tommy Fleetwood (Captain)

Ewen Ferguson

Tyrrell Hatton

Shane Lowry

Robert MacIntyre

Seamus Power

Callum Shinkwin

Jordan Smith

Matt Wallace

Richard Mansell

Tommy Fleetwood will lead the Great Britain & Ireland team. PHOTO: Getty Images.

Continental Europe

Francesco Molinari (Captain)

Thomas Detry

Nicolas Hojgaard (replacing Razmus)

Adrian Meronk

Guido Migliozzi

Alex Noren

Victor Perez

Thomas Pieters

Sepp Straka

Antoine Rozner

While the individual and overall results are important the event is more a test run for possible Ryder Cup pairings and an opportunity to see how players behave in a team environment.

Ryder Cup Captain Luke Donald has been heavily involved in the lead up to this week and will be on hand keeping a close eye on all 20 players.

That will bring its own pressure for those on the fringes of selection and may prove the difference between a player receiving a Captain’s pick or not come September.

The two playing captains will also be in the spotlight, Fleetwood and Molinari the undisputed stars of the 2018 Ryder Cup in France.

Fleetwood is all but assured of a spot in Italy but Molinari’s form has been less than stellar since those heady days at Le Golf National and, while he will be desperate to be a part of the Cup in his home country, that is far from a foregone conclusion.

Countryman Guido Migliozzi will carry the same burden but is an exciting prospect and this week will be a great test for him.

Having an Italian player on the team would certainly be a boost for home fans and while no single week will be the deciding factor this one will be an important one for the 25-year-old.

Both Richard Mansell and Antoine Rozner will have been given a boost of confidence after being the last two players named to take part this week by Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald.

Donald clearly believes both potentially have something to offer in September and while it is a lot of pressure it is also a significant opportunity for both.

TV TIMES*
Round 1: Friday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 6pm – 12am)
Round 2: Saturday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 2:30pm – 12am)
Final round: Sunday (Fox Sports 505 LIVE 5:30pm – 11pm)
*AEDT, check local guides