TheWorld Cup of Golfis a men'sgolftournament contested by teams of two representing their country. Only one team is allowed from each country. The players are selected on the basis of theOfficial World Golf Ranking,although not all of the first choice players choose to compete. The equivalent event for women was theWomen's World Cup of Golf,played from 2005 to 2008.
The tournament was founded by Canadian industrialistJohn Jay Hopkins,who hoped it would promote international goodwill through golf. It began in 1953 as theCanada Cupand changed its name to the World Cup in 1967.[1]WithFred Corcoranas the Tournament Director and the International Golf Association behind it (1955–1977), 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.
From 2007 through 2009 the tournament was held at theMission Hills Golf ClubinShenzhen,China, receiving the nameMission 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 ofgolf at the Olympics.[2]The 2011 tournament was at a new venue —Mission Hills Haikouin the Chinese island province ofHainan.[3]
The United States has a clear lead in wins, with 24 as of 2018.[4]
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).
The2013 tournamentwas primarily an individual event with a team component. The 60-player field was selected based on theOfficial World Golf Ranking(OWGR) with up to two players per country allowed to qualify (four per country if they are within 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 would be used at the2016 Summer Olympics,except that England, Scotland, and Wales had teams instead of a single Great Britain team as in the Olympics,[6][7]while Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland again played as a single team.[7]
In 2016, the format reverted to that used from 2000 to 2011.
From 1955 to 1999, there was also a separate award, theInternational Trophy,for the individual with the best 72-hole score.
1This was a combined Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland team. They competed under the Republic of Ireland flag although both golfers were from Northern Ireland.
United States
Australia
South Africa
Spain
Canada
England
Japan
Sweden
Ireland
Wales
Germany
Scotland
Argentina
Taiwan
Denmark
Italy
Belgium
New Zealand
Zimbabwe
China
France
Mexico
Philippines
