By PAT EASTMAN
CLEARWATER, Florida – The Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children’s is set to be held at Feather Sound Country Club, Clearwater, Florida. Sanctioned by the PGA Tour, the event will be held December 4-7, and is set to air on ESPN and ABC. It brings major champions, Hall of Famers, and legends of the game together in team format. The three teams are Team USA, Team International, and Team Europe. The stroke play competition will consist of nine hole groupings
Team USA is ready to defend with newcomer, Stewart Cink, recent winner of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and the Schwab Cup, as part of its six-man squad. Stewart is not a newcomer to team events, having competed in five Ryder Cups and four Presidents Cups. He is fond of the camaraderie and relishes the bonds with teammates.
Cink has fond memories of the Tampa Bay area having played in the Valspar Championship at Innisbrook, one of his favorite PGA TOUR stops. He hasn’t played Feather Sound, a championship course which last year hosted the Team Aramco Series sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour.
Stewart doesn’t think the lack of course knowledge is much of a hindrance in a team event. He thinks USA has a big advantage with less travel, encouraging fans, and his teammates playing at a high level.
Cink has heard the event is fun on and off the course and should include a lot of trash talk especially, from the master of barbs, Darren Clarke. He said Steve Stricker will be the USA ambassador of trash talk.
Should be a fun tournament to attend, and fans can get tickets at www.WorldChampionsCup.com. The field has a combined 217 tournament wins and 43 major championships across the PGA TOUR and PGA TOUR Champions, with a combined 89 Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup appearances.
Team USA: Captain Jim Furyk, Stewart Cink, Jerry Kelly, Justin Leonard, Steve Stricker, Jason Caron with Steve Flesh and Billy Andrade as vice captains
Team International: Captain Mike Weir, Steven Alker, Angel Cabrera, K. J. Choi, Y. E. Yang, Mark Hensby with Ricardo Gonzalez and Charlie Wi as vice captains
Team Europe: Captain Darren Clarke, Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Alex Cejka with Jesper Parnevik and Soren Kjeldsen as vice captains
ESPN will carry coverage Thursday, Dec. 4 and Friday, Dec. 5, and then a break with a pro-am set for Saturday. On Sunday, Dec. 7, ABC picks up the final-round coverage.
Television Coverage
Thursday December 5
8:30-Noon ET ESPN+
Noon -4 ESPN
Friday December 6
8:30-Noon ET ESPN+
Noon -4 ESPN
Sunday December 7
9-12:30 ET ESPN
2 -5 ABC
(Pat Eastman is a photo/journalist. She can be reached at eastmanpat@aol.com)
