Commitments from a selection of golf’s biggest international stars have begun with American Matt Kuchar, Italian Matteo Manassero and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee announcing their intentions to represent their respective countries at the World Cup of Golf, held at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club from November 21-24.
Tournament officials also announced that tickets are officially on sale from Ticketmaster for the 57th staging of this historic event.
Manassero will take to bring the trophy back to Italy after the Molinari brothers won the event in 2009.
The 20 year old, currently fifth in The Race to Dubai and 28thin the Official World Golf Ranking, is one of the game’s rising stars with four European Tour victories to his name.
Manassero’s victory in May at the BMW PGA Championship made him the youngest winner of The European Tour’s flagship event. Manassero posted an impressive 69 in the final round to tie with Simon Khan, before winning on the fourth play-off hole. In 2010, he became the youngest winner in European Tour history thanks to his victory in the 2010 Castelló Masters, aged 17 years and 188 days.
“I’m genuinely excited about playing in the World Cup, and can’t wait to make my debut at Royal Melbourne. It’s not often that you get the chance to play for your country as well as yourself, so I really want to play well and help make it a great week for Italy,” Manassero said. “When Edoardo and Francesco won in 2009 it was huge news in Italy, so hopefully I can help bring the trophy back home again.”
Thongchai, the only man to win three Asian Tour Order of Merit titles, represents the global nature of the World Cup of Golf, having played in tournaments across the world. With 13 victories on the Asian Tour, which include three co-sanctioned tournaments with The European Tour and another victory at the ISPS Handa Wales Open in 2012, Thongchai has shown he can compete at the highest level of the game. His best finish in 2013 came at The European Tour’s Volvo World Match Play Championship, where he finished runner-up to Graeme McDowell.
“I always enjoy playing in the World Cup, it’s a great tournament and obviously a little bit different from the events we usually play,” Thongchai said. “You want to do well when you are playing for your country, so I will give it my best shot.”
Along with Gary Woodland, Matt Kuchar was part of the team which won the World Cup when it was last held in 2011 at the Mission Hills Resort, in Hainan Island, China.
Kuchar, who won the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship as well as The Memorial Tournament this year on the US PGA Tour, was also part of the victorious 2011 US Presidents Cup team when it was held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Since the start of the 2010 campaign, Kuchar has recorded 36 top ten finishes on the US PGA Tour, which is more than any other player during those four seasons. The World Number Six has six career victories and is one four players with multiple wins on the US PGA Tour in 2013, joining Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Brandt Snedeker.
He said: “Representing my country is a real honour, whether in The Ryder Cup, The Presidents Cup or the World Cup. It was a great experience to win the World Cup in 2011 with Gary Woodland and I’m looking forward to ‘defending’ at Royal Melbourne.”
Minister for Tourism Louise Asher welcomed the commitments, saying: “I am sure that this will be a great showcase for golf in this state, and I am delighted that three champions of the sport will be playing in the World Cup. It is exciting that once again Royal Melbourne will be showcased to a global audience through this top international competition.
“The 2013 World Cup of Golf is estimated to create between $25 million to $30 million in economic benefit to Victoria, and will attract up to 9,000 interstate and international visitors.
“I would invite fans from around the country and overseas to visit Melbourne to experience the World Cup and everything Melbourne has to offer."
Vice President-Director of Golf, IMG Australia, David Rollo, said: “The World Cup of Golf crowns an exciting two week festival of golf at Royal Melbourne which will showcase Victoria to over 800 million homes in over 200 countries. Fans will get to see an array of the best players in the world from over 30 countries, and tickets are limited so we would encourage fans to secure their tickets now fromwww.ticketmaster.com.au.”
Tickets for the World Cup of golf will be priced as follows:
2013 World Cup of Golf General Admission Ticket Information:
Wednesday Pro-Am: $20
Thursday, Friday or Saturday: $54
Sunday: $59
Weekend Tickets*: $90
Season Tickets**: $175
Bunker Season Ticket: $299
Bunker Daily Ticket: $90
*Allows entry to the course only on Saturday November 23 and Sunday November 24.
**Allows entry to the course from Wednesday November 20 to Sunday November 24.
2013 World Cup of Golf Concession Tickets Information
The following card holders will be admitted at concession rates, with a valid photo ID. ID must be carried at all times, and produced upon request: Victorian Seniors Card, Interstate Seniors Card, Australian Pensioner Concession Card, Health Care Card and a Victorian Transport Association Concession Card.
Children aged from 14 -18 years are eligible to purchase concession tickets.
Wednesday Pro-Am: $15
Thursday, Friday or Saturday: $44
Sunday: $49
Weekend Concession Tickets*: $80
Season Concession Tickets**: $150
*Allows entry to the course only on Saturday 23 November and Sunday 24 November.
**Allows entry to the course from Wednesday, November 20 to Sunday, November 24.
Youth Policy
Juniors under the age of 16 will be granted free general admission access when accompanied by a paying adult, with a general admission ticket. Please note, only one child will be permitted per one adult. Please be aware that there are no child care facilities at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
First played in 1953, the World Cup is one of the oldest and most prestigious global golf team events in the world inviting two man teams from approximately 28 nations represent their country. The 2013 World Cup will be the 57th staging of this event, which has seen all of the greats of the game lift the prestigious trophy. The list of champions from the World Cup reads like a who’s who of golf. Great names such as Snead, Hogan, Nicklaus, Palmer, Trevino, Faldo, Ballesteros, Langer, Woods, Els and Montgomerie have all been able to call themselves World Champions.
The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, which hosted The Presidents Cup 2011, will host back-to-back events in November. The World Cup has been played three previous times in Australia, each at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The event was last played in Australia in 1988 as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebrations when the U.S. team of Ben Crenshaw and Mark McCumber defeated the Japanese team of Masashi (Jumbo) and Tateo Ozaki to win the tournament.
As part of the move, the event boasts an $8 million total purse and returns to an individual, stroke-play competition for $7 million, with a team component (adding the total scores of two-man teams) for $1 million. The qualification system for the event is similar to that which will be used in the Olympic Games, when golf returns to the program in 2016. The field will include 60 players (no cut), with eligibility taken from the Official World Golf Ranking. OWGR points will be awarded for the individual portion of the competition.
Do not miss the opportunity to witness a world class event; tickets are on sale nowhere.
For more information regarding the World Cup of Golf premium hospitality options please click on the followinglink. Travel packages are also available via the Event Travel Officehere, or on 1300 300 756 from within Australia.
