Day heads Australia World Cup defence

SYDNEY: World number one Jason Day will team up with Australia’s only Masters champion Adam Scott to defend their World Cup of Golf crown in November, organisers said on Tuesday.

The pair won the team the title when it was last played in 2013. Day also took out the individual competition.

World number six Bubba Watson will lead the US charge but the two-time Masters champion has yet to pick his partner. England’s Danny Willett, who won his first major at the Masters this year, teams up with Lee Westwood, one of the men he beat by three strokes at Augusta.

In a return to the tournament’s format before 2013, 28 two-man teams will represent their countries at the Melbourne club from November 23-27 for the 58th playing of the World Cup.

Hideki Matsuyama will play for Japan. He has yet to decide a partner.

The highest-ranked players have committed to the World Cup and have until August 26 to choose a playing partner.

Other contenders include Ireland’s Shane Lowry, Korea’s An Byeong-Hun and Thailand’s Thongchai Jaidee. Victor Dubuisson will lead France and Francesco Molinari is in for Italy.

The 2016 tournament reverts to a 72-hole, stroke play, two-man team event. The first and third days will be foursomes (alternate shot) and the second and final days are fourball play.