[JYB]

Think about this:

A world cup of golf.

The Continents Cup.

Each continent gets 5 players, the top 4 from each continent in the world rankings and one wild card pick. Each continent hosts a match. Each continental team plays in all of the 6 matches. Each match, the teams accumulate points and individual points.

The best two teams after the 6 matches play in a final at a neutral site.

NORTH AMERICA
SOUTH AMERICA
EUROPE
AFRICA
ASIA
OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA

This would get everyone in the world involved and people would be able to cheer for people closer to home. Think of the possibilities:

NA - Tiger, Phil, Furyk, Stricker, Perry
SA - Villegas, Cabrera, Romero, Gonzales, Romero
EU - Casey, Stenson, Harrington, Garcia, Kaymer
AF - Goosen, Els, Sabbatini, Clark, Immelman
AS - Yang, Jeev Milkha Singh, Katayama, Imada, Ishikawa
OC - Ogilvy, Vijay Singh, Allenby, Appleby, Scott

Would this not be the most FANTASTIC thing for golf? Each team would get so much press...wouldn't you watch this?

[funkyfedora]

I would watch it...

[AcesAZ]

While its a pretty fun idea it just wouldnt work the way you have it. You'd need to have the competition in one week, just rotate turns hosting every couple years.

[Rollshisrock]

AcesAZ, on Oct 8 2009, 02:02 PM, said:

While its a pretty fun idea it just wouldnt work the way you have it. You'd need to have the competition in one week, just rotate turns hosting every couple years.

Lol!Yep its a good idea but the Americans would ruin it and want it in America every year because they are the centre of the universe!!!!

[chippen]

Hmmm. sounds too close to an event they have every year (the world cup of golf) and we (the US) seem to have trouble sending our top players.

To answer the previous question with a question, when was the last year it was held on US soil???

Don't too agro on the Americans. Those who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones.

[cinnepa]

i know i'm probably in the minority on this but if all these us vs. them "cups" just went away i wouldn't care at all. sort of sick of the usa usa or ole' ole' chants......not fan of this type of team golf. to me the solheim was just unwatchable after a while. if it has to occur at least make it a world event every other year; instead of euros one year and the prez cup in between.

[corky]

cinnepa, on Oct 9 2009, 12:03 PM, said:

i know i'm probably in the minority on this but if all these us vs. them "cups" just went away i wouldn't care at all. sort of sick of the usa usa or ole' ole' chants......not fan of this type of team golf. to me the solheim was just unwatchable after a while. if it has to occur at least make it a world event every other year; instead of euros one year and the prez cup in between.

viewing is optional......

[mat562]

The World Cup has been around since the 1950s. Great on paper, but since it's restricted to a two-man-per-nation team of what usually ends up to be the less-than-best candidates for the job, it's hardly the stuff of legend and hasn't been so for quite a few years if we're honest.

The old Dunhill Cup was a great event though. Three man teams representing all of the preeminent golfing nations, playing medal matchplay at the Home of Golf and, in its day, featuring some of the biggest names in the sport. Fantastic recipe for some great viewing - but another event that went for a burton a few years back along with the World Matchplay Championship that, whilst not being an international or team-based event, was fantastic on paper but eventually became too boring to survive.

As regards top level international competition, I think the Ryder and Presidents Cups are probably about as much as the mens' game can handle, sadly. They generate plenty of interest and a fervent following when they're being held. The World Cup, lets be honest, doesn't. Dress it up how you like; increase the sizes of the teams, make the teams continental, change the venues up a bit - possibly within the bounds of the same competition. Ultimately, the signs are that it won't set the world on fire though, sadly. If people can't be bothered watching teams playing for their countries in the World Cup, I can't see them getting too excited about watching the same players knocking it round for their respective continents in an event that, inevitably, will be seen as a poor man's Ryder or Presidents Cup and probably surplus to requirements.

It's a shame really, but the future seems to be yet more 72 hole strokeplay events, dressed up with a catchy monicker and a huge prize fund and/or a points system that no-one understands.

[primo]

Agreed, isn't this called the WGC? The event already exists. If you recall from an interview Tiger did years ago the press asked him about his record in Ryder Cup. He responded with, anyone know Jack's record from the Ryder Cup? Nobody knows, Anybody know how many Major's Jack won? End of story.

I bet Phil and Tiger would not complain if they turned the president's cup into the qualifier for Ryder cup. As in, let the internationals and EU battle it out to play in Ryder Cup. Last year's Ryder Cup champ doesn't have to play in the President's Cup...