The Skechers World Champions Cup supporting Shriners Children’s returns today as one of the most unique international team events in golf. For the first time, Feather Sound Country Club in Clearwater, Florida, will host the three-day competition featuring Team USA, Team Europe and Team International.
Jim Furyk’s Team USA enters as the defending champion following a narrow two-point victory over Team International at The Concession in 2023. The event resumes its three-team format with 24 nine-hole sessions across Six Ball, Scotch Sixsomes and Singles play.
The International side are skippered by Mike Weir while 2011 Open champion Darren Clarke will look to lead Team Europe to victory.
Clarke, a 2016 Ryder Cup captain and five times a player, says it is a huge honour to captain Europe this week and feels it’s an easy team to lead as there are no egos amongst the legends of Thomas Bjorn, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Collin Montgomerie, Alex Cejka and Bernhard Langer.
“Yeah, when Thursday comes along, we are here to try to win this week, make no mistake. We laid it out the first day at Concession and didn’t have the best couple of days. We want to do ourselves probably a little better than we did last time and get ourselves right in the mix.
“With this team I firmly believe we can do that. We have a mixture of we’re all experienced, as you know. We’re playing on the Champions Tour. But we have a mixture of guys that have been there, done it all before, seen it all before, and we’re planning on competing with each other nearly every other week.
“It’s not too difficult to get a really good European team bond. That’s what comes to us. Whenever we used to go play Ryder Cups, one of our mantras on the European side was you park your ego outside on the Monday morning and pick it up on the Monday after the Ryder Cup.
“This team, we have no egos here. We’re all just trying to help each other and do the best we can do this week.”
Europe finished in third place last time out and will be looking to at least get themselves into the mix heading into the final day.
“Obviously it’s wonderful to be here representing Team Europe again. I think Monty phrased this perfectly last time two years ago when we had a great event at the Concession,” said Clarke.
“Our day is off representing Europe and Ryder Cups and stuff were all past us and now we have the opportunity to do it again.
“To be here captaining this team is a wonderful honour for me. I’m delighted to do so. I just hope we can improve on our third place finish last time. We have an exciting few days ahead.”
