The World Cup of Golf returns to the schedule later this year with the event to be stage at the famed Royal Melbourne Club from the 21st to 24th November, 2013.
The tournament was not played in 2012 after being last staged in 2011 at the Mission Hills Resort on China’s Hainan Island when the American pair of Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland reigned supreme.
The International Federation of PGA Tours said the event would feature the individual, stroke-play format and a team component similar to that in place for golf’s return to the Rio Olympics in 2016.
Mission Hill’s Chu brother with victorious Americans Gary Woodland and Matt Kuchar along with Omega’s Stephen Urqhardt at the 2011 World Cup of Golf. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
The field will include 60 players with eligibility taken from the Official World Golf Ranking, with up to four players qualifying per country depending on ranking.
If two or more players from a country qualify, then the country is eligible for team competition, with the top-two players comprising the qualified team.
One difference between World Cup qualification and 2016 Olympic competition is that England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will each be considered separate countries. At the Olympics, those four countries compete as Britain.
In April, Royal & Ancient chief executive Peter Dawson said he was looking into regulations that could keep Rory McIlroy from choosing which team he represents at Rio. McIlroy is from Northern Ireland, and he has been caught in a difficult situation politically whether to play for Ireland or Britain when golf returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.
The Olympic Games will not have a team competition.
“This is a great day for golf and a great day for Australia,” Brian Thorburn, CEO of the PGA of Australia, said.
“The addition of the World Cup will complement an already strong swing of tournaments including the Australian PGA, Open and Masters and will significantly boost the international player prospects for these events.”
The World Cup has been played three previous times in Australia, all at Royal Melbourne. It was last played in Australia in 1988 as part of the country’s Bicentennial celebrations when the U.S. team of Ben Crenshaw and Mark McCumber defeated the Japanese team of Jumbo and Tateo Ozaki to win the tournament.
Australia holds four World Cup titles, the last coming in 1989 with Wayne Grady and Peter Fowler.
The November event will follow the Australian Masters on the same course, and where reigning Masters champion Adam Scott has already confirmed he will defend his Australian Masters title.
Victorian Premier Denis Napthine said World Cup was expected to be beamed to 800 million homes across 200 countries.
The Victorian government expects the event will draw up to 9000 interstate and international visitors and generate $25-$30 million for the state’s economy.
Dr Napthine said hosting the event was a win for the state and cemented Melbourne’s place as the event capital of Australia, if not the world.
“These events deliver millions of dollars into the local economy, create local jobs and put Melbourne and Victoria’s name on the world stage,” he told reporters.
FOOTNOTE …..
The Mission Hills Group indicated the decision not to host the 57th edition of the World Cup of Golf has been made in conjunction with the Federation of PGA Tours.
The Group has cited the need to keep the World Cup a truly global event as the reason behind the decision, as Vice Chairman of Mission Hills Group, Tenniel Chu explained, “We’re happy that the 2013 edition of the World Cup of Golf will be staged at Australia’s Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Mission Hills recognizes the need to maintain the tournament’s prestigious global status, and as such we feel that both the tournament and the international golfing community will benefit from the 2013 edition being staged outside China. We do, however, remain supportive of the tournament and are committed to hosting the event again when the tournament returns to China.
“Following the recent success of Australian players in international tournaments and the country’s status as a leading international golf destination, Australia will be proud to host this tournament once again and we wish the Royal Melbourne Golf Club every success with this year’s event,” continued Chu.
Mission Hills has hosted the tournament a record five times in China since its establishment, more than any other venue in the world in the tournament’s history. The Group has always been committed to the promotion and development of golf in China. With the game returning to the Olympic Games in 2016, the Group also seeks to foster junior golf development through hosting of various international competitions such as the Jack Nicklaus Junior Championship, Faldo Series Asia, Annika Invitational and Mission Hills Junior Series.
Mission Hills has always remained committed to taking golf to new audiences in China. The Group’s new initiatives to popularize golf in the country include the World Celebrity Pro-Am, which welcomed international celebrities from the arenas of sport and entertainment to play in China’s leading Pro-Am tournament; the World Ladies Championship; and the Mission Hills Golfathon, which sees male, female, professional, amateur and junior competitors card a combined score over all the resorts’ multiple courses over a six month period.
