Golf: New Ryder Cup-style competition for seniors launched

A new Ryder Cup-style competiton for senior players and those between the ags of 40 and 49 has been announced.

Details of the international event were unveiled today at Royal County Down where the British Seniors' Championship will tee-off tomorrow.

Making the annoncement was Andy Studds, the managing director of the European Seniors' Tour and in attendance were Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Gary Player, three of the world's legendary golfers.

Called the UBS Warburg Cup, the competition will be for 12-man teams from America and the Rest of the World with the inaugural event being staged on The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island on November 12 to 18 with $3m on offer.

The winning team will collect $150,000 per man and the losers $100,000 each.

The US team will be have Arnold Palmer as playing captain with Gary Player in the same role with the Rest of Europe side.

The American team will include players from the US Senior PGA Tour all-time money list, plus players from this year’s list following the Senior PGA Championship.

However, also included will be three leading players in the 40 to 49 age bracket from the World Rankings at the end of last month and three invited players.

Apart from Gary Player, the Rest of the World combination will include the top two international players from the European Seniors’ Tour Order of Merit after the championship, top three international players between 40 and 49 years from the career European Tour money list next October, three invitations to players over 50 and three invitations to players between 40 and 49.

“This is going to be one of golf’s premier team events for years to come,” enthused Player.

“To lead a team of international players against a team led by Arnold Palmer will be very special. The matches will be fun but, I’m sure, they will also be very intense because of the competition and the venue.”

There will be two days of pro-am golf leading up to the big event.

Six matches of foursomes will begin the top event on November 16 followed by six matches of fourballs next day.

The competition will conclude with 12 singles matches.

Each match will be worth one point and the first team to reach 12-and--a-half points will be the winner.

No decision yet has been made as to where the second venue for this bi-annual event will be played apart from the fact that it will be this side of the Atlantic.