World Cup (men's golf)

The ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf is a men's golf tournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of the Official World Golf Ranking, although not all of the first choice players choose to compete. The equivalent event for women was the Women's World Cup of Golf, played from 2005 to 2008.

History

The tournament was founded by Canadian industrialist John Jay Hopkins, who hoped it would promote international goodwill through golf. It began in 1953 as the Canada Cup and changed its named to the World Cup in 1967.^[1] With Fred Corcoran as the Tournament Director and the International Golf Association behind it (1955–77), the World Cup traveled the globe and grew to be one of golf's most prestigious tournaments throughout the 1960s and 1970s, but interest in the event faded to the point that the event was not held in 1981 or 1986.

The tournament was incorporated into the World Golf Championships series from 2000 to 2006. In 2007 it ceased to be a World Golf Championships event, but continued to be sanctioned by the International Federation of PGA Tours.

From 2007 through 2009 the tournament was held at the Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China, receiving the name Mission Hills World Cup. There was no tournament in 2010, it having been announced that the event would change from annual to biennial, held in odd-numbered years, to accommodate the 2016 inclusion of golf at the Olympics.^[2] The 2011 tournament was at a new venue — Mission Hills Haikou in the Chinese island province of Hainan.^[3]

The United States has a clear lead in wins, with 24 as of 2013.^[4]

Format

In 1953, the format was 36 holes of stroke play with the combined score of the two-man team determining the winner. From 1954 to 1999, the format was 72 holes of stroke play. Beginning in 2000, the format became alternating stroke play rounds of bestball (fourball) and alternate shot (foursomes).

The 2013 tournament was primarily an individual event with a team component. The 60-player field was selected based on the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) with up to two players per country allowed to qualify (four per country if they are with in the top 15 of the OWGR). The format returned to 72 holes of stroke play, with the individuals competing for US$7 million of the $8 million total purse. OWGR points were awarded for the first time. The top two-ranked players from each country competed for the team portion, using combined stroke play scores.^[5] The individual portion was similar to what will be used at the 2016 Summer Olympics, except that England, Scotland, and Wales had teams instead of a single Great Britain team in the Olympics.^[6][7]

From 1955 to 1999, there was also a separate award, the International Trophy, for the individual with the best 72-hole score.

Winners

Year	Country	Team	Individual	Location	Runners-up
ISPS Handa World Cup of Golf
2016			None	Melbourne, Australia
2013	Australia	Jason Day & Adam Scott	Jason Day	Melbourne, Australia	Matt Kuchar & Kevin Streelman
Omega Mission Hills World Cup[8]
2011	United States	Matt Kuchar & Gary Woodland	None	Haikou, Hainan Island, China	Ian Poulter & Justin Rose Martin Kaymer & Alex Čejka
2009	Italy	Edoardo Molinari & Francesco Molinari		Shenzhen, China	Henrik Stenson & Robert Karlsson Rory McIlroy & Graeme McDowell
2008	Sweden	Robert Karlsson & Henrik Stenson		Shenzhen, China	Miguel Ángel Jiménez & Pablo Larrazábal
2007	Scotland	Colin Montgomerie & Marc Warren		Shenzhen, China	Heath Slocum & Boo Weekley
WGC-World Cup
2006	Germany	Bernhard Langer & Marcel Siem	None	Sandy Lane Resort, Barbados	Colin Montgomerie & Marc Warren
2005	Wales	Stephen Dodd & Bradley Dredge		Algarve, Portugal	Luke Donald & David Howell Niclas Fasth & Henrik Stenson
2004	England	Paul Casey & Luke Donald		Seville, Spain	Sergio García & Miguel Ángel Jiménez
2003	South Africa	Trevor Immelman & Rory Sabbatini		Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA	Paul Casey & Justin Rose
2002	Japan	Toshimitsu Izawa & Shigeki Maruyama		Puerto Vallarta, Mexico	Phil Mickelson & David Toms
2001	South Africa	Ernie Els & Retief Goosen		Gotemba, Japan	Thomas Bjørn & Søren Hansen Michael Campbell & David Smail David Duval & Tiger Woods
2000	United States	David Duval & Tiger Woods		Buenos Aires, Argentina	Eduardo Romero and Ángel Cabrera
World Cup of Golf
1999	United States	Mark O'Meara & Tiger Woods	Tiger Woods	Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia	Santiago Luna & Miguel Ángel Martín
1998	England	David Carter & Nick Faldo	Scott Verplank	Auckland, New Zealand	Massimo Florioli & Costantino Rocca
1997	Ireland	Pádraig Harrington & Paul McGinley	Colin Montgomerie	Kiawah Island, South Carolina, USA	Colin Montgomerie & Raymond Russell
1996	South Africa	Ernie Els & Wayne Westner	Ernie Els	Cape Town, South Africa	Steve Jones & Tom Lehman
1995	United States	Fred Couples & Davis Love III	Davis Love III	Shenzhen, China	Robert Allenby & Steve Elkington
1994	United States	Fred Couples & Davis Love III	Fred Couples	Dorado, Puerto Rico	Tony Johnstone & Mark McNulty
1993	United States	Fred Couples & Davis Love III	Bernhard Langer	Orlando, Florida, USA	Mark McNulty & Nick Price
World Cup
1992	United States	Fred Couples & Davis Love III	Brett Ogle	Madrid, Spain	Anders Forsbrand & Per-Ulrik Johansson
1991	Sweden	Anders Forsbrand & Per-Ulrik Johansson	Ian Woosnam	Rome, Italy	Phillip Price & Ian Woosnam
1990	Germany	Torsten Giedeon & Bernhard Langer	Payne Stewart	Orlando, Florida, USA	Richard Boxall & Mark James David Feherty & Ronan Rafferty
1989	Australia	Peter Fowler & Wayne Grady	Peter Fowler	Marbella, Spain	José Maria Cañizares & José María Olazábal
1988	United States	Ben Crenshaw & Mark McCumber	Ben Crenshaw	Melbourne, Australia	Masashi Ozaki & Tateo Ozaki
1987	Wales	David Llewellyn & Ian Woosnam	Ian Woosnam	Maui, Hawaii, USA	Sandy Lyle & Sam Torrance
1986	No tournament
1985	Canada	Dave Barr & Dan Halldorson	Howard Clark	La Quinta, California, USA	Howard Clark & Paul Way
1984	Spain	José Maria Cañizares & José Rivero	José Maria Cañizares	Rome, Italy	Gordon Brand, Jnr & Sam Torrance Hsieh Min-Nan & Chen Tze-Chung
1983	United States	Rex Caldwell & John Cook	Dave Barr	Jakarta, Indonesia	Terry Gale & Wayne Grady Jerry Anderson & Dave Barr
1982	Spain	José Maria Cañizares & Manuel Piñero	Manuel Piñero	Acapulco, Mexico	Bobby Clampett & Bob Gilder
1981	No tournament
1980	Canada	Dan Halldorson & Jim Nelford	Sandy Lyle	Bogotá, Colombia	Sandy Lyle & Steve Martin
1979	United States	Hale Irwin & John Mahaffey	Hale Irwin	Athens, Greece	Sandy Lyle & Ken Brown
1978	United States	John Mahaffey & Andy North	John Mahaffey	Hanalei, Hawaii, USA	Wayne Grady & Greg Norman
1977	Spain	Seve Ballesteros & Antonio Garrido	Gary Player	Manila, Philippines	Ben Arda & Rudy Lavares
1976	Spain	Seve Ballesteros & Manuel Piñero	Ernesto Perez Acosta	Palm Springs, California, USA	Jerry Pate & Dave Stockton
1975	United States	Lou Graham & Johnny Miller	Johnny Miller	Bangkok, Thailand	Hsieh Min-Nan & Kuo Chie-Hsiung
1974	South Africa	Bobby Cole & Dale Hayes	Bobby Cole	Caracas, Venezuela	Isao Aoki & Masashi Ozaki
1973	United States	Johnny Miller & Jack Nicklaus	Johnny Miller	Marbella, Spain	Hugh Baiocchi & Gary Player
1972	Taiwan	Hsieh Min-Nan & Lu Liang-Huan	Hsieh Min-Nan	Melbourne, Australia	Takaaki Kono & Takashi Murakami
1971	United States	Jack Nicklaus & Lee Trevino	Jack Nicklaus	Palm Beach, Florida, USA	Harold Henning & Gary Player
1970	Australia	Bruce Devlin & David Graham	Roberto De Vicenzo	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Roberto De Vicenzo & Vicente Fernández
1969	United States	Orville Moody & Lee Trevino	Lee Trevino	Singapore	Takaaki Kono & Haruo Yasuda
1968	Canada	Al Balding & George Knudson	Al Balding	Rome, Italy	Julius Boros & Lee Trevino
1967	United States	Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer	Arnold Palmer	Mexico City, Mexico	Bob Charles & Walter Godfrey
Canada Cup
1966	United States	Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer	George Knudson	Tokyo, Japan	Harold Henning & Gary Player
1965	South Africa	Harold Henning & Gary Player	Gary Player	Madrid, Spain	Ángel Miguel & Ramón Sota
1964	United States	Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer	Jack Nicklaus	Maui, Hawaii, USA	Roberto De Vicenzo & Leopoldo Ruiz
1963	United States	Jack Nicklaus & Arnold Palmer	Jack Nicklaus	Paris, France	Sebastián Miguel & Ramón Sota
1962	United States	Arnold Palmer & Sam Snead	Roberto De Vicenzo	Buenos Aires, Argentina	Fidel de Luca & Roberto De Vicenzo
1961	United States	Jimmy Demaret & Sam Snead	Sam Snead	Dorado, Puerto Rico	Kel Nagle & Peter Thomson
1960	United States	Arnold Palmer & Sam Snead	Flory Van Donck	Portmarnock, Dublin, Ireland	Bernard Hunt & Harry Weetman
1959	Australia	Kel Nagle & Peter Thomson	Stan Leonard	Melbourne, Australia	Cary Middlecoff & Sam Snead
1958	Ireland	Harry Bradshaw & Christy O'Connor	Ángel Miguel	Mexico City, Mexico	Ángel Miguel & Sebastián Miguel
1957	Japan	Torakichi Nakamura & Koichi Ono	Torakichi Nakamura	Tokyo, Japan	Jimmy Demaret & Sam Snead
1956	United States	Ben Hogan & Sam Snead	Ben Hogan	Wentworth, Surrey, England	Bobby Locke & Gary Player
1955	United States	Ed Furgol & Chick Harbert	Ed Furgol	Washington, DC, USA	Kel Nagle & Peter Thomson
1954	Australia	Kel Nagle & Peter Thomson	No award	Montreal, Canada	Antonio Cerdá & Roberto de Vicenzo
1953	Argentina	Antonio Cerdá & Roberto De Vicenzo	No award	Montreal, Canada	Bill Kerr & Stan Leonard

Performance by nation

Team	Champions	Runners-up
United States	24	10
Australia	5	5
South Africa	5	4
Spain	4	7
Canada	3	2
England	2	6
Japan	2	4
Sweden	2	3
Ireland	2	2
Wales	2	1
Germany	2	1
Scotland	1	6
Argentina	1	5
Taiwan	1	2
Italy	1	1
New Zealand	0	2
Zimbabwe	0	2
Denmark	0	1
Philippines	0	1

Multiple winners

Seve Ballesteros won the title twice as part of the Spanish team.

Teammates

• 4 times: Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer, Fred Couples and Davis Love III
• 2 times: Kel Nagle and Peter Thomson, Arnold Palmer and Sam Snead

As part of team

• 6 times: Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer
• 4 times: Fred Couples, Davis Love III, Sam Snead
• 2 times: Seve Ballesteros, José Maria Cañizares, Ernie Els, Dan Halldorson, Bernhard Langer, John Mahaffey, Johnny Miller, Kel Nagle, Manuel Piñero, Peter Thomson, Lee Trevino, Tiger Woods, Ian Woosnam

As individual (International Trophy)

• 3 times: Jack Nicklaus
• 2 times: Roberto De Vicenzo, Johnny Miller, Gary Player, Ian Woosnam

References

1. "Slow Greens Worry World Cup Golfers". The Age. 9 November 1967. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
2. Jimenez, Tony (15 March 2010). "Golf-Record purse of $7.5 million for new biennial World Cup". Reuters. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
3. "Omega Mission Hills World Cup to Become Biennial Event" (Press release). Asian Tour. 15 March 2010. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
4. "US wins golf World Cup". ABC News. 27 November 2011. Retrieved 28 November 2012.
5. "World Cup of Golf Moves to Australia". PGA Tour. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
6. "McIlroy might play for Northern Ireland in World Cup". PGA Tour. 14 May 2013. Retrieved 16 May 2013.
7. "N. Ireland, Ireland will team in WCup". ESPN. Associated Press. 17 May 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2013.
8. "Omega Title Sponsor of the Mission Hills World Cup". Asian Tour. 30 January 2007.

External links

• Official website