2011 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup: U.S. Wins In Comeback Fashion

The team of Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland won the first OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup for the United States since Tiger Woods and David Duval captured the trophy in 2000, storming back from fourth place after three rounds to capture the title over Ireland and England by two strokes.

Kuchar and Woodland, alternating shots per the tournament’s format, fired a 67 with six birdies in the final round as the Irish team of Rory McIlroy and Graeme Macdowell faltered, shooting a 72 to fall from their perch atop the leaderboard heading into the final round. Though the English team shot a 63 to charge back from eight shots off the lead, it wasn’t enough to overtake the Americans, who played largely mistake free golf to take home the trophy.

A third round score of 63 moved the United States back within two shots of the Irish at the 2011 OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup in Haikou, China on Friday. The U.S. is tied with South Africa and Germany, both shooting 61 for the round, in second place heading into the tournament’s final round of play Saturday.

The American team of Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland bounced back from a rough Thursday outing. The pair shot 70 during the second round with bogeys on the 4th and 11th pins to put themselves in fourth place heading into the third round. On Friday, they overcame a second hole bogey to birdie the next five consecutive holes.

Thanksgiving, Black Friday and all of that other jazz doesn’t typically make one think of golf being played, but the OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup is currently taking place in Haikou, China. The United States team of Matt Kuchar and Gary Woodland started out solid with a 64 in the opening round, but the pair shot a 70 in the second round to place them in a tie for fourth heading into Friday.

Woodland and Kuchar’s team trail Australia and Ireland, in a tie for first place, and Scotland -- the third-place team entering the third round. Team USA is tied with Spain and New Zealand.

One week after the 2011 Presidents Cup, some of the world’s best golfers will head to another team competition. The OMEGA Mission Hills World Cup, like the Presidents Cup, is biennial, but that wrinkle is only beginning this year, and its set-up is a bit different from the United States vs. International format of the Presidents Cup. At golf’s World Cup, 28 teams of two players from the same nation pair up to take on the world in a 72-hole that begins with two rounds of best ball stroke play and finishes with two rounds of alternate shot stroke play.

Italy is the defending champion nation, after Edoardo Molinari and Francesco Molinari teamed to win in 2009, but the team of brothers will have some work to do to beat a deep World Cup field this year. Ireland’s Rory McIlory and Graeme McDowell should be the favorites, and the major champions will be looking to win their country’s first World Cup since 1997. South Africa’s strong twosome pairs Charl Schwartzel with Louis Oosthuizen for another duo with majors under their belts. England’s pairing of Ian Poulter and Ross Fisher is strong, too, but not as good as the potential Luke Donald-Lee Westwood one would have been: the latter two golfers are both part of the Official World Golf Ranking’s top three.