The top 28 countries featured in the men's world rankings will compete at the 2018 World Cup of Golf in Melbourne.
Confirming the player eligibility criteria today, the International Federation of PGA Tours said all teams would be known by September 20 in the build-up to the November 22-25 tournament at The Metropolitan Golf Club.
The 59th World Cup will feature two players from the top 28 nations on the world golf rankings at the deadline of September 3.
From there:
• The top-ranked player of each country can pick any compatriot within the top 500 on the OWGR, or if there are less than five players within the top 500, may extend the range of choices to be at least 5 players outside 500.
• The deadline for the exempt players to commit is 5pm (USA eastern time) on 13 September.
• The deadline for the exempt player to select his partner is 5pm (USA eastern time) on 20 September.
The format will again be 72-hole aggregate stroke play with each team comprising two players. The first and third rounds will be fourball (best ball) and the second and final rounds will be foursomes (alternate shot).
The 2018 event will mark the third consecutive World Cup in Melbourne's famous Sandbelt.
In 2016, Danes Soren Kjeldsen and Thorbjorn Olesen shot a final-round 66 at Kingston Heath to win Denmark’s first World Cup by four strokes from the United States, China and France.
Aussies Adam Scott and Jason Day were victorious at Royal Melbourne in 2013.
The 2018 Melbourne World Cup of Golf will mark the sixth time in the tournament’s history that it will be played in Australia, which is the second most behind the United States (11).
Widely regarded as one of the finest championship courses in Australia, The Metropolitan Golf Club shares a common origin with The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 1891, and consistently enjoys a reputation as one of the best conditioned and most beautiful courses in the country.
Metro's rich tournament history includes the World Golf Championships Match Play (2001), men’s Australian Open, (1930, 1936, 1951, 1979, 1986, 1993, 1997), Australian PGA Championship (1930, 1936, 1951, 1966, 1968), Women’s Australian Open (2009) and the Australian Masters (2014).
Several hospitality options are now on sale for both the 2018 World Cup of Golf and the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne for fans interested in an upgraded tournament experience.
Please visit WorldCupofGolf.com for more information about the 2018 World Cup of Golf.