Matt Kuchar is confident the excitement USA displayed last week in retaining the Presidents Cup will be a ‘springboard’ into winning this week’s Omega Mission Hills World Cup and then also next year regaining the Ryder Cup at Medinah.

Kuchar picked-up one-and-a-half points for the USA team on Royal Melbourne in his first appearance in the Presidents Cup and just over a year since making his Ryder Cup debut in Wales.

But while the USA have won all but two of the seven Presidents Cup they’ve to capture just  two (1999 and 2008) one in a similar number of Ryder Cups.

Americans Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland making their World Cup debut. (Photo www.golfbytourmiss.com)

“There was a lot of excitement on last week’s team and while we knew it would be a tall task for us, given the Internationals had won at Royal Melbourne in ’98 and many of them knew Royal Melbourne so much better than our side,” said Kuchar.

“But the big difference comparing the Presidents Cup to the Ryder Cup is the format and that’s probably the main reason why the USA team have done so well in the Presidents Cup but then have struggled in recent years in the Ryder Cup.

“Every member of both teams plays in the Presidents Cup whereas some members on the Ryder Cup might not play until the second day and even the last day as we saw a few years back.

“It means with the Ryder Cup a particular captain can hide guys who are really not on their games and you just can’t do that in the Presidents Cup.

“But our win last week in Melbourne will be a great springboard for the USA team going to Medinah next year.

“Everybody gelled pretty well and it all goes well for getting this week’s World Cup and then the Ryder Cup back in the trophy cabinet.”

And now as a management stable mate, Kuchar says he’s delighted Tiger Woods has bounced back to form.

Woods was third in the recent Australian Open and took that form onto Royal Melbourne where he eventually holed the winning putt to deliver Fred Couples side a four point victory.

“It’s good to see Tiger playing well because it did resonate into the team last week,” said Kuchar.

“It’s exciting for golf to see starting to play well again as no one wants to see Tiger playing poorly.

“Tiger is arguably still the best player in the world and you want him on your team and he’s so much of an information centre because there were so many guys wanting to ask him questions on simple matters like how to hit chip shots around the green.

“So we all want to see Tiger playing well and also qualifying automatically for next year’s Ryder Cup side.”