Adam Scott says the World Cup’s change from purely a teams event to include significant individual incentives has added to its appeal.
Scott, fresh from following up his Australian PGA win with a second straight Australian Masters title, has already predicted he and Australian teammate Jason Day will win the World Cup.
It starts on Thursday at Royal Melbourne, the site of Scott’s Masters win on Sunday.
For each nation that has a pair competing in the teams component, the two players’ scores will be combined to decide who wins the cup.
But while teams will split $1 million in prizemoney, the individuals will share $7 million and, for the first time, the tournament also attracts rankings points.
That adds to the appeal for US Masters champion Scott, who inched his way a little closer to Tiger Woods and the No.1 ranking with his Australian Masters win.
“It’s an important tournament, it’s a World Golf Championship event and now it’s got that individual focus. I think it’s going to take a step up from where it was,” Scott said.
“Certainly you can see that a lot of guys are coming a long way to play for a huge purse and world ranking points.
“I’d like to win a World Golf Championship event next week as well, individually and as a team with Jase.”
American world No.8 Matt Kuchar, runner-up to Scott on Sunday, was part of the US team that won the most recent World Cup with Gary Woodland.
This time he’s paired with Kevin Streelman.
Other notable teams include Italians Francesco Molinari and Matteo Manassero, both ranked inside the world top 40, and Irish duo Graeme McDowell, the world No.11, and Shane Lowry (No.75).
Fiji’s former world No.1 Vijay Singh, third in the Australian Masters, will compete but doesn’t have a teammate.