The Hero Cup, which will take place from January 13-15 in Abu Dhabi, will be the ideal test of preparation for the Ryder Cup 2023. Continental Europe will face Great Britain and Ireland. Two Frenchmen, Antoine Rozner and Victor Perez are involved in the event. European team captain Luke Donald will be keeping a close eye on each player's form as preparations intensify in Rome…

© Abu Dhabi Golf Club

The Hero Cup is a new team match play tournament making its debut on the DP World Tour. Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood, both multiple winners on the circuit, are the captains of the continental European and Great Britain and Ireland teams respectively. Molinari and Fleetwood worked closely with Luke Donald, who will oversee the event in his capacity as 2023 European Ryder Cup Captain, to select the teams. Last year's performances in the Race to Dubai season rankings in partnership with Rolex were a key factor in the player selection process.

The Hero Cup will be the starting point for two consecutive events in Abu Dhabi and the first of four consecutive events in the United Arab Emirates. After this week's team match play, there will be two back-to-back Rolex Series events with the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship and the Hero Dubai Desert Classic. Then, the Ras Al Khaimah Championship will be the last event in the region, which will take place at the beginning of February.

The Hero Cup takes place over three days, from January 13 to 15.

All 20 players from both teams will be involved in each session. One point is awarded to the winner of each game, with half a point awarded to each team in the event of a tie. A total of 25 points are offered.

© Abu Dhabi Golf Club

The Abu Dhabi Golf Club is no stranger to the DP World Tour, having previously hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship for 16 consecutive years starting in 2006. The clubhouse is remarkable, designed in the shape of a falcon with outstretched wings. The National Course, 7 yards long and par 642, consists of four par 72s, the shortest being the 5, 18 yards long, which is played over water and which constitutes a spectacular end for the matches until the end of the suspense.

Three members of the Great Britain and Ireland team have fond memories of their previous visits to the National Course. Fleetwood won twice on the course after winning the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship in 2017 and 2018, before Lowry triumphed on the first stage since the event was upgraded to the Rolex Series in 2019. Hatton was the latest winner at the venue after a dominating performance that saw him earn a fourth Rolex Series triumph in 2021.

© Abu Dhabi Golf Club

Among the two ten-man squads are two major champions, four different Rolex Series winners and 17 DP World Tour winners.

Great Britain and Ireland captain Fleetwood, who claimed his sixth DP World Tour victory at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in November, will be backed by fellow Ryder Cup players Shane Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton. Alongside them are Irishman Séamus Power, who leads the FedEx Cup PGA Tour rankings, and DP World Tour winners Ewen Ferguson, Robert MacIntyre, Callum Shinkwin, Jordan Smith and Matt Wallace. Richard Mansell completes the picture after a stellar 2022, in which the Englishman recorded six top 10 finishes.

Molinari, the 2018 Open champion, can look forward to having confirmed winners in his continental European squad with Alex Noren and Thomas Pieters, who will defend his title at the HSBC Championship in Abu Dhabi next week.

They are joined by Sepp Straka, already a winner on the PGA TOUR, and Guido Migliozzi, who ended a three-year wait to win his third DP World Tour title at the Cazoo Open de France in September. Continental Europe also has Poland's first DP World Tour winner, Adrian Meronk, and other two-time Tour winners, Victor Perez and Nicolai Højgaard, who was replaced late after twin brother Rasmus withdrew due to injury. . Thomas Detry also makes the list after the Belgian's strong start to the PGA TOUR season, while Antoine Rozner secured the final spot after winning his third title in as many years at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in December.

Francesco Molinari is relishing the opportunity to be part of a team again, as he prepares to captain continental Europe at the inaugural Hero Cup in Abu Dhabi.

The Italian has been a member of the European Ryder Cup squad three times – finishing in the winning side each time and will feature in a ten-man squad as game captain against Great Britain and Italy. Ireland.

Molinari will bring his experience as a major championship winner to continental Europe at this new event at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club, the first tournament of the DP World Tour of 2023 due to begin on Friday.

 “When you play an individual sport, being part of a team is not something you experience very often”, did he declare.

 “It makes things special for us whenever we get the chance to be part of a team environment. »

 “It goes back to Team Europe in the Ryder Cup, there's a certain history and tradition to that. »

  “Anytime you're involved in something Ryder Cup related, it's very easy to get excited. »

  “Some of the players this week will have their first experience [of team play]. It's nice to have this opportunity to bring in some new faces who I'm sure will be Ryder Cup stars in the future. »

During the three-day competition, Molinari's side will be pitted against a team from Great Britain and Ireland captained by Tommy Fleetwood, who forged a formidable partnership with the 2018 Open champion during the Ryder Cup at Le Golf National later that year.

The 20 players from both teams will face off through five four-ball matches on Friday, followed by two sessions of foursomes on Saturday, before a day of singles matches wraps up the event on Sunday.

 "It's going to be interesting and good for me to have a different experience in this role of game captain", did he declare.

 “We have a very talented team, and I'm happy to be here with all the guys. I hope we are going to have a fun week. »

The Hero Cup takes place eight months from the next Ryder Cup at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome. Europe captain Luke Donald oversees this new competition in match play.

 “[Luke] is interested in seeing some of the players, maybe trying out some of the pairs he hasn't seen in the past”,he said.

“It's an important week for everyone to get to know each other better. There are some of us he knows better than others. » 

 “Team Europe is a family, so it will be nice to welcome new, younger faces into the family. We are all looking forward to seeing this. »

For more information on the Hero Cup click here

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Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship: the first star of the DP World Tour