WORLD CUP: The lowdown

The World Cup of Golf tees off at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath tomorrow. Brendan James looks at the event’s history, format and the leading teams vying for the coveted trophy.

The inaugural World Cup of Golf took place in 1953 and was known as the Canada Cup. It was a relatively low-key affair with just seven countries competing.

In the 63 years since, the event has grown to include two-man teams from 28 countries who will compete this week at Kingston Heath for the trophy and a share of the US$8 million purse attached.

The biggest names of golf’s modern era have competed, and usually won, the World Cup. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer won the Cup four times between 1963 and 1967, which followed on from Palmer’s two wins with the legendary Sam Snead. Gary Player was a victor in 1965 alongside Harold Henning, while Australia’s Peter Thomson and Kel Nagle claimed the Cup twice in 1954 and 1959.

Davis Love and Fred Couples with one of their four World Cups in 1994. PHOTO: Rusty Garrett/Getty Images.

Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Fred Couples, Davis Love and Tiger Woods have all experienced the joy of hoisting the heaviest trophy in golf. In 2013, under a 72-hole individual strokeplay format, Jason Day and Adam Scott won the World Cup. It was Australia’s fifth victory in the event.

Scott returns this year, with the foursomes/fourball format being reinstated. After the late withdrawal of World No.1 Jason Day through injury, Scott will team with Victorian Marc Leishman, who has extensive experience playing the Kingston Heath course.

THE TEAMS TO WATCH

BELGIUM (Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Pieters (pictured right)

The big-hitting duo has the power game that could go either way at Kingston Heath. If they maintain their composure and don’t get too aggressive in the foursomes, they could easily figure in the leading contenders on Sunday afternoon. They will certainly be the team to watch in the fourball when aggressive play comes to the fore.

IRELAND (Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry)

G-Mac and Lowry represented Ireland here in 2013 and are back together for this revised format. There’s probably no closer team, in terms of knowing each other’s game, than the Irish.

“Shane and I, we practice a lot together, we spend a lot of time together during the season and we know a lot about each other's game, so very excited to be here,” McDowell said.

“I had an opportunity to play this event three or four times in the past in this format and it's fantastic. I think some of the best experiences that I've had in the game of golf have been in the team format, Ryder Cups and Seve Trophies and the World Cup of Golf.

“So here representing Ireland and playing alongside a great mate in a team format is very exciting and I think both of us are very up for it this week and very motivated and would love to be there come Sunday afternoon.”

JAPAN (Hideki Matsuyama and Ryo Ishikawa)

Matsuyama arrives at Kingston Heath as the hottest player on the planet having won three times in the past four weeks, including the WGC HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

“Hideki is definitely one of the hottest players right now and I feel like he's definitely the best right now,” said teammate Ishikawa. “I'm just coming in here trying to do my best and be able to compete with him because it's a definitely a great, great opportunity here this week.”

Matsuyama is certainly taking this event seriously, having arrived in Melbourne last Thursday to play the course and work on his putting.

Hideki Matsuyama has been at Kingston Heath for a week preparing for this World Cup. PHOTO: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

In contrast, the English pairing of Chris Wood and Andy Sullivan saw the course for the first time in the Pro-Am.

“I came here last Thursday and I spent a lot of time on the putting green because I felt like my putting game was a little off, so I wanted to put in a little more time,” Matsuyama said.

“I played about two rounds. I think the course, you have to hit in the fairways. I think if you don't do that, you're going to have some tough second shots going into the green.

“And, obviously when it's going to be this windy, it's going to be even more important to get it in the fairways.”

Ishikawa has also been in great form too since coming back from injury mid-year. He won in Japan and also finished top-10 in the PGA Tour event in Malaysia last month.

FIRST ROUND TEE TIMES

SWEDEN (Alex Noren and David Lingmerth)

Alex Noren’s rapid rise into the World Top-10 has come on the back of four victories on the European Tour since July. No player brings a run of form into this week better than Noren.

And partner David Lingmerth knows it.

No pressure, yeah. Everybody's been telling me just to put the ball in play this week and then Alex will take care of the rest,” Lingmerth laughed. “No, it's going to be a lot of fun. Alex is a great guy.

“We're just getting to know each other better and playing a team tournament, something that we don't do a lot. It's something I really enjoy.

“I played a lot of ice hockey growing up and I know Alex (pictured above) played some team sports also growing up. I've always loved that team aspect of things, so that's a fun change of things from the regular Tour tournaments.

“But then again, it's not really like any other team sport. We're still going to go about things kind of normal with our own caddies, but just a good change of pace.”

Noren humbly deflects the accolade of being one of the game’s hottest players at the moment.

“Well, it's good that they think so because I don't really think so,” said Noren of the accolades he has been receiving.

“You know, golf is a tough game and as everybody else, we just play golf and you appreciate the ups. But it's a new week and it's not like my game is perfect every week, it just happened to be a good stretch.

“I'm still feeling a little bit nervous before this week as I am every week. But obviously it's nice to come up with some good tournaments and your confidence builds.

“A little bit straighter than the last few years so I'm looking forward to it. But I don't see myself as the hottest player.”

UNITED STATES (Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker)

Rickie Fowler has had a quiet year since winning in Abu Dhabi back in February, but he is partnered with Jimmy Walker, who broke through for his first major at the PGA in August.

Fowler says Walker was an easy choice to join him at the World Cup.

“We love hanging out, we spend a lot of time on the golf course but also off,” Fowler said of his teammate. “Made a trip to his place to hang out for a few days last year and we try and plan trips to see Butch (Harmon, their coach) in Vegas together.

“I feel like our games are fairly similar or enough that it doesn't feel like we're playing alternate shot in a way when we do. (We hit) Similar distances, easy to club off each other, and we see kind of the same shots and stuff like that, so it's fun.

“We're both pretty easygoing out there on the golf course, so he's not going to get too upset at me, I'm not going to get upset at him. Go hit it and find it and we'll move forward.”

Rickie Fowler loves what he has seen of the Kingston Heath layout. PHOTO: Scott Barbour/Getty Images

The Americans received a motivating text from Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III urging them to bring the Cup back to the United States.

“I think it would be cool,” Walker said of the prospect of winning the Cup. “Davis sent both of us a text the other day, ‘Go do what Freddie and I did back in the day, bring it home.’ So that kind of resonated with me. I can remember watching that when that happened. Four straight wins.

“When he sent that out the other day, that was cool, the captain wishing you luck. He knows what's going on. He knows two of his guys are going down here to play and have a chance to bring it home. I know both of us enjoyed that.”

AUSTRALIA (Adam Scott and Marc Leishman)

The Aussies are favourites for good reason.

Scott lists Kingston Heath among his favourite courses and the last time he played the Dan Soutar design he won the Australian Masters. He’s also a member of the club.

Leishman grew up playing rounds at ‘The Heath’ and knows its nuances and how to play the course in the various winds that will blow this week.

“Hopefully we've got a little local knowledge over most of the field,” Scott smiled. “I know a few of the European guys have been here before. We're talking about world-class players so I'm sure they'll figure it out pretty quick.

“Marc would have played here a fair bit growing up as well, and having won the Aussie Masters here a few years ago, I certainly feel pretty comfortable around here.

Adam Scott and Marc Leishman have plenty of experience at Kingston Heath. PHOTO: Quinn Rooney/Getty Images.

“Yeah, maybe get a few members' bounces this week, wouldn't go astray. But I think we're in for a good week. As long as the wind kind of calms down a little bit, I think we'll see some good golf out there.

“Obviously tomorrow and Saturday are the most challenging of the days being alternate shot. If we can kind of hold our own in that, then I think we'll be in with a good shot.”

THE FORMAT

The tournament is a 72-hole stroke play team event with each team comprised of two players. The first and third days are foursomes (alternate shot) play and the second and final days are four-ball (best ball) play.

THE FULL TEAM LIST (world ranking in brackets)

Australia Adam Scott (7) Marc Leishman (53)

Austria Bernd Wiesberger (46) Martin Wiegele (1315)

Belgium Thomas Pieters (44) Nicolas Colsaerts (136)

Canada David Hearn (142) Adam Hadwin (181)

China Wu Ashun (171) Haotong Li (131)

Chinese Taipei C.T. Pan Chan (215) Shih-chang (189)

Denmark Soren Kjeldsen(50) Thorbjorn Olesen (70)

England Chris Wood (37) Andy Sullivan (40)

France Victor Dubuisson (93) Romain Langasque (188)

Germany Alex Cejka (139) Stephan Jaeger (466)

India SSP Chawrasia (220) Chikkarangappa S (321)