World Cup of Golf Field Headlined By Jason Day, Bubba Watson

As the event edges ever closer, the field for the World Cup of Golf has started to take shape.

Jason Day, Bubba Watson, Adam Scott and Danny Willett are among the headliners for the World Cup of Golf which will return to play this year at Kingston Heath Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia on Thanksgiving weekend.

A total of 28 countries will be represented in this playing of the event which began in 1953 with Antonio Cerdá & Roberto De Vicenzo of Argentina winning in Montreal, Canada.

As defending Individual Champion of the 2013 World Cup of Golf, Jason Day automatically qualified as the top-ranked player for Australia. He chose Adam Scott as his partner. The two paired to win the cup in 2013. However, as the invitations are decided from the world golf rankings, Day would have been automatically entered as the No.1 in the world.

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“I am truly looking forward to the new team format with Adam,” Day said at the PGA Tour announcement of the top 28 countries that will compete. “I really can’t imagine a better scenario than to represent Australia in our home country, with one of my good mates at Kingston Heath, one of my all-time favorite courses.”

The current World Cup organizers invited the top 28 available players of different countries from the Official World Golf Ranking as of Monday, August 1, 2016.  They had until August 12 to commit or decline.  Those who committed will choose partners by August 26^th.

Bubba Watson’s partner has not yet been named. However, he is looking forward to the event.

“Anytime I can represent my country, I get excited. It is a great honor to put on the red, white and blue. I’ve been wanting to make the World Cup of Golf team for a while. I love the team format. It is different to other events that we play, and I know it will be a great experience,” Watson said.  “I love going to Australia. The Sandbelt courses are awesome. They normally play super fast and you have to be creative to play well which suits my game.”

Masters champ Danny Willett has also committed, and he has invited Lee Westwood to be his partner.

“It’s always great to represent your country. You don’t get the chance to do it too often so I’m excited about playing the World Cup. I was at Royal Melbourne in 2013, and although I didn’t play as well as I would’ve liked, it was a cracking course,” Willett said in player statements released by the PGA Tour. “It’s a different format this time so I’m really looking forward to playing with Westy (Lee Westwood). He’s played in nine Ryder Cups and has unbelievable experience of foursomes and fourballs, so I couldn’t have picked a better partner.”

“I’ve never played the World Cup before so this will be a first for me,” Westwood said. “I’ve always enjoyed team golf. It’s an exciting format, and it adds to the occasion when you’re playing for your country, so hopefully we can bring the trophy home with us.”

The tournament will be a 72-hole, two-man team event, according to the PGA Tour. Days one and three will be foursomes (alternate shot) format, and days two and four are fourball (best ball) play.

U.S. golfers have a tradition of strong play in the World Cup. Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer won the event four times, 1963-64 and 1966-67, as did Davis Love III and Fred Couples, in 1992-95. No other team has won more.

The U.S. has won The World Cup of Golf 24 times, more than any other country.

In many years, there was also an individual trophy, but that will not be the case in 2016.

The World Cup of Golf is the fifth event co-sanctioned by the International Federation of Tours (including the PGA Tour). The others are the Dell Match Play, the Mexico Championship, the Bridgestone Invitational and HSBC Champions.

Full list of confirmed players so far:

Next: Wyndham Championship Top 10 Power Rankings

The World Cup promises to be a great event, and a further continuation of the team play we’ll see at Hazeltine for the Ryder Cup in late September..