Golf’s World Cup has earned its top ranking at last

With my nephew Stephen teeing up in this week’s World Cup of Golf, it brings back my own memories of the event.

The idea behind it was to develop the game of golf and take it to new countries around the world.

Players competed who had no chance of winning, but that wasn’t the point. The duty was to promote our sport.

There was no real money on offer, but you had the honour of playing for your country, and I jumped at the chance.

I played five times and had excellent partners in guys like Ken Brown and Sam Torrance, but we never really contended.

Back then, the actual season had long finished, so I was almost having to dig the clubs out of the garage and start practising!

You hadn’t played much and then you flew off somewhere hot to play, so we were at a disadvantage.

I may have struggled, but look at the list of champions and you see what being a World Cup winner meant.

Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer took great delight in playing together as the top two in the world and won it four times in the 1960s.

Seve Ballesteros wanted to be a trailblazer and became the first Spaniard to win it with Manuel Pinero in 1976.

And back in 1956, Ben Hogan and Sam Snead came to play when it was held at Wentworth. They answered the call to represent their country and won it comfortably.

Throw in Gary Player, Johnny Miller, Lee Trevino, Peter Thomson, and Tiger Woods twice, and the winners are like a Who’s Who of golf.

Sadly, the World Cup has come under pressure in recent years just to find its own place on the schedule.

But changing to a biennial event in non-Ryder Cup years is a good thing. Hopefully it will mean less is more and greater prestige will be attached to winning it.

I’m rather disappointed the format has reverted back to an individual 72-hole strokeplay, though.

The team element of two rounds of foursomes and two of fourballs made it different and fun to watch.

There’s a big prize for the winner and World Ranking points on offer. But the best thing this year is the decision to play at Royal Melbourne, widely regarded as one of the world’s best courses.

Stephen enjoyed his time two years ago with Martin Laird. They finished joint fourth in China, and feel they have a chance of winning it this year.

However, the Australian pair of Adam Scott and Jason Day will be hard to beat.

They’re big-occasion players, who are on home soil, and Masters Champion Scott would love to have the World Cup next to his Green Jacket at home.