EMC World Cup of Golf preview
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2002 World Cup | Preview | 10 Dec 2002
The World Cup of Golf has a long and proud history in the game although under its new format it has been in existence only three years.
It joined the realms of World Golf Championship events after the win by Tiger Woods and Mark O’Meara in Malaysia in 1999 and since that time, under its new title and format, it has been played in Argentina, where Woods and Duval won again for the USA and last year in Japan, where Els and Goosen won for South Africa.
Under this new format the event has developed into more of a teams combination, with the previous combined strokeplay being replaced with two rounds each of fourball and foursomes. The sponsor, EMC, is an information storage company and has gained much exposure from their involvement with the sport of golf.
The venue is the Jack Nicklaus designed course in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, part of a 36 hole complex there. The course is just eighteen months old and owned and managed by Club Corp.
Leading teams will be the US, which includes Phil Mickelson and David Toms who are the number one seeds. Fiji with Vijay Singh, are the number two seeds, that team’s number two player being Dinesh Chand who plays the Japan Tour. Singh has come off a recent win at the Tour Championship and Chand a winner just a few months ago in Japan.
Padraig Harrington, perhaps the world’s hottest player right now, will partner his long time friend and team mate Paul McGinley. Harrington comes off a win at the BMW event in Taiwan and his great win over Tiger Woods last week in California. McGinley’s form has not been great this year but he did perform well at the Ryder Cup, which will be of assistance to him as he and Harrington try to win the Cup for the second time. They won it previously under the old format in 1997 at Kiawah Island.
New Zealand are the fourth seeds with Craig Perks and Michael Campbell Campbell is playing well, perhaps not at the heights that he was earlier in the season, but still ok. Perks however is sadly out of form since his brilliant win in Florida earlier this year. He missed the cut at this last start at the Australian Open but the teams format may help recover some of that form he leaned on earlier in 2002. New Zealand, with Campbell and Smail, tied for second last year.
Craig Parry and Adam Scott will represent Australia their seeding based on the position of their leading world ranked player available that of course being Parry, currently at 37th. Given current form they must be considered a great chance. Parry is coming off some every good late season form and Scott lost a playoff last weekend in Melbourne.
The event gets under way on Thursday with the opening fourball matches.
