What is the Hero Cup? Where is it being staged? Who is playing?

The 2023 DP World Tour calendar campaign gets underway this week with a new event on the schedule and here is everything you need to know about the exciting team tournament.

A general view of the Abu Dhabi Golf Club clubhouse prior to the Hero Cup, which starts on Friday. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images.

What is the Hero Cup?

It’s a team event between professionals representing Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe and takes place over three days, starting on Friday. It is being run by the DP World Tour, with Hero MotoCorp as the title sponsor.

Where is it being held?

Ewen Ferguson an Bob MacIntyre are both on a Great Britain and Ireland team that is being captained by Tommy Fleetwood at Abu Dhabi Golf Club. Picture: Stuart Franklin/Getty Images.

The event is being staged at Abu Dhabi Golf Club, which hosted the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship 16 years in a row and produced multiple wins for Martin Kaymer, as well as title triumphs for Rickie Fowler, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Lee Westwood.

Why has it been introduced this year?

It’s essentially a re-invention of the Seve Trophy, which was launched in 2000 to help European players, as well as prospective captains, prepare for the Ryder Cup. The event led to a good run of success for Europe in the Ryder Cup and the call for an event like the Hero Cup came from the players following a record defeat in the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits.

What is the format?

The contest takes place over three days, with one session of fourballs on Friday from 11.05am local time, followed by two sessions of foursomes on Saturday, with the morning session getting underway at 7.35am and the afternoon one at 12.20pm. Finally, one session of singles matches will take place on Sunday from 10.35am, with all 20 players taking part in each session.

Who are the captains?

While the whole event is being overlooked by European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, he has appointed Tommy Fleetwood as captain of the Great Britain and Ireland team while Francesco Molinari is at the helm of the Continental Europe side. It’s a great move to have the duo going head-to-head after they earned the nickname ‘Moliwood’ for being the star pairing in the 2018 Ryder Cup in France. Speaking last month, Fleetwood admitted: “When I told my dad that Luke had asked me to be a playing captain for GB&I, he was more proud about that than anything I’ve ever won!”

Who is playing?

Both teams consist of ten players, with nine on each side having been announced initially before the last spots were filled just before Christmas.

Fleetwood and Molinari are both playing captains and have a mixture of youth and experience in their respective teams. Molinari’s line up includes a late change after Rasmus Hojgaard, who is injured, was replaced by his twin brother, Nicolai.

Europe: Francesco Molinari (Italy), Thomas Detry (Belgium), Nicola Hojgaard (Denmark), Adrian Meronk (Poland), Guido Migliozzi (Italy), Alex Noren (Sweden), Victor Perez (France), Thomas Pieters (Belgium), Antoine Rozner (France), Sepp Straka (Austria).

Great Britain and Ireland: Tommy Fleetwood (England), Ewen Ferguson (Scotland), Tyrrell Hatton (England), Shane Lowry (Ireland), Bob MacIntyre (Scotland), Richard Mansell (England), Seamus Power (Ireland), Callum Shinkwin (England), Jordan Smith (England), Matt Wallace (England).

Who are the favourites?

It’s a tough one to call, with both teams looking evenly balanced. Based on the Seve Trophy, Great Britain and Ireland would be the favourites after coming out on top six times in that, though Continental Europe won the most recent match in 2013.