Challengers set to star at World Cup

The World Cup of Golf, taking place in Melbourne at the end of November, will have a distinctly European Challenge Tour feel to it, with six active players and 13 former members Australia-bound following the announcement of the teams last week.

The match play format allowed the leading 28 players to choose their partners, resulting in call ups for Ryan Fox, Romain Langasque, José-Filipe Lima, Duncan Stewart, Martin Wiegele and Darius van Driel.

All of the above could be Challenge Tour graduates by the time the World Cup tees off, coming as it does after the conclusion of the Road to Oman, and they will join other alumni Byeong Hun An, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Alex Cejka, Nicolas Colsaerts, Bradley Dredge, Jamie Donaldson, Ricardo Gouveia, Søren Kjeldsen, Joost Luiten, Alex Noren, Thorbjørn Olesen, Thomas Pieters and Bernd Wiesberger at Kingston Heath Golf Club.

Here, we look at our six current players and hear their thoughts ahead of an exciting week representing their countries.

Ryan Fox – New Zealand

Fox spoke of his pride at representing his country – and in doing so becoming the third generation of his family to do so, in a third different sport – at the Olympic Games, and he will now do so again after Danny Lee chose him as his partner.

The 29 year old has once again shown his class on the Challenge Tour this season, winning the Tayto Northern Ireland Open in partnership with Ulster Bank and collecting four further top ten finishes in just seven appearances.

Romain Langasque – France

The World Cup will conclude an unforgettable maiden year in professional golf for Road to Oman Rankings leader Langasque, who has been chosen by Victor Dubuisson to represent France.

His season will therefore have been bookended by high-profile appearances alongside Dubuisson, following the practice round they played together at Augusta National ahead of the Masters Tournament in April.

Langasque was still an amateur then, making the cut before turning professional the following week, and his rise has been spectacular, with three runner-up finishes and three further top fives taking the 21 year old to the top of the tree this season, and fully deserving of a World Cup call up.

José-Filipe Lima – Portugal

This will be Lima’s third appearance at a World Cup, having also competed in 2005 and 2013, and will mark his second appearance in Portuguese colours this year after he teed it up at the Olympic Games this summer.

The 34 year old was selected by 2015 Road to Oman Rankings winner Ricardo Gouveia on the back of a strong season that has included victory at the Najeti Open, and he cannot wait to take part.

“It’s fantastic,” he said. “I remember playing in the World Cup three years ago with Ricardo Santos and to be picked by Ricardo Gouveia is fantastic, I was not expecting it at all.

“I was not thinking about that tournament, and then he just sent me a WhatsApp saying, ‘do you want to come with me?’ Of course I want to!

“It’s going to be good fun, a good experience, and if I’m in good form, with Ricardo, maybe we can do something – I think we’ve got a good team because I have a little more experience, he’s playing well, so you never know.

“Representing Portugal again is going to be fantastic, and I think this time it will be more fun – the Olympics was fantastic, but this time we will really play for Portugal because we play together, it’s teams not singles, so it’s special.”

Duncan Stewart – Scotland

The winner of the Challenge de Madrid has earned World Cup selection alongside his old college mate Russell Knox, and the 32 year old could hardly believe the news.

“It’s going to be great, it should be a good week,” he said. “Hopefully it will be the icing on the cake of a good season.

“I went out to see Russell for a couple of days at the Irish Open and he jokingly said, ‘if I’m number one I’ll pick you,’ and stuff like that – I thought he was just messing me around really.

“Then he texted me a couple of weeks ago and said, ‘I’m going to pick you,’ so it’s unbelievable but it’s going to be a good week.

“I’ve never been to Australia, we’ve both never been and it’s somewhere we both wanted to go, so it’ll be good to get back together as a team – it’s been nine years since we teamed up together at university.

“Representing Scotland is going to be great. It’s not every day you get to do something like that so it should be a brilliant experience.”

Martin Wiegele – Austria

Wiegele will enjoy his second taste of the World Cup of Golf, having secured a top-five finish for Austria on his maiden outing 12 years ago.

The 38 year old – a three-time winner on the Challenge Tour – was chosen by Bernd Wiesberger – who won twice on his way to graduation in 2010 – and is looking forward to competing on the world’s stage once again.

“I am very honoured to have been selected by Bernd," he said. "Unfortunately none of the Austrians could make it into the top 500 so that is why he had to select one.

“I have played rather steady over the last few weeks. I am really pleased with their decision and looking forward to it.

“It was a long time ago, 12 years now, where I finished 5th alongside Markus Brier in the World Cup, so I am glad to be back and I am going to try my hardest with the best Austrian player.”

Darius van Driel – Netherlands

Van Driel has been in excellent form on the Challenge Tour this summer, tying for second at the Vierumӓki Finnish Challenge and finishing tied sixth at the Rolex Trophy to move into the top 30 of the Rankings.

The 27 year old has also gained enough Official World Golf Ranking points to be the second-highest Dutch player after Joost Luiten – a Challenge Tour graduate in 2007 – who duly selected him as his partner for the World Cup.

“I was very happy to be selected,” he said. “It happened last week when Joost called me and asked if I wanted to play and who wouldn’t? You don’t want to miss out on that one really.

“I was a bit surprised. Not to say I’m playing really well, but as it is now I’m climbing up the World Ranking so I’m second after Joost now – I’m second of the Dutch guys in the Challenge Tour but I guess he knows that I’ve been playing well the last few tournaments so based on that he picked me.

“I know him pretty well. We first met quite a long time ago, maybe 15 or 16 years ago, and while he turned pro I studied, but it’s nice to hear he kept an eye out for me and what I’m doing and the same goes for him – we all look up to Joost and what he’s doing, what he’s accomplished so far.

“Representing Holland is something I don’t get to do much any more – as an amateur yes, but as a pro not. It’s good, and it’s a familiar feeling again.”