Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari have been named as captains for the two teams competing in the new DP World Tour team event, the Hero Cup.
The heroes of the 2018 Ryder Cup will captain the respective Great Britain and Ireland and Continental Europe teams in the event slated to be played Jan. 13-15, 2023, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club in the United Arab Emirates.
Fleetwood and Molinari -- dubbed Moliwood at Paris in 2018 -- will hand-pick nine of the 10 players on the team, and they'll work alongside 2023 European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, who will oversee the event. Selectiosn will be based on a variety of factors, including DP World Tour rankings.
“The Hero Cup is a great idea and will be a very good way for European players to get some more experience of playing in team match play. I definitely felt like it benefited me when I played in similar events in the past," said Molinari, whose home country will host the Ryder Cup next fall in Rome.
“Hopefully as captains, Tommy and I can bring some of our own experience of team golf to help the other players and we are looking forward to working with Luke on this exciting new concept ahead of a big year for European golf with the Ryder Cup taking place in my home country.”
Fleetwood is looking forward to the opportunity as well, even if it's awkward at first.
“Fran and I obviously get on very well so I am sure it will feel a little strange at first being opposing captains, but I think the Hero Cup is a fantastic way for players to compete in team match play, which is something both of us have always relished," he said.
The format for the Hero Cup will consist of one session of foursomes, one session of fourballs and one session of singles matches, with all 20 players taking part in each session. Members of the winning team will each earn $125,000, with those on the losing team each receiving $75,000.
