Knox and Stewart arrive in Melbourne for World Cup of Golf

  NEWS RELEASE

Team Scotland and Team Venezuela have arrived in Melbourne, ready for the World Cup of Golf this week at Kingston Heath Golf Club.

The Scottish duo of Russell Knox (pictured right) and best mate Duncan Stewart are excited to be teaming up to represent their country.

"It's an honour to be here to represent your country, and play with your best friend in a tournament is pretty rare," said Knox, born in Inverness but based in Jacksonville, Florida since he and Duncan Stewart spent four years there as college students.

Grantown on Spey-born Stewart added: "When Russell first mentioned it, I kind of though the was a little bit joking and I've been buzzing ever since to get here.

"Any chance you get to represent your country, it's a great honour, and even more in the team format. 

"When you're teaming up with one of your best friends, we're going out there to have a lot of fun and hopefully we can have a good week."

Team Scotland will feel right at home on the link style layout with Melbourne providing summer weather more reminiscent of Scotland than Australia.

"It's a great golf course.  It's very Scottish‑esque, it's linksy. Obviously yesterday was very hot and very windy," added Stewart (pictured left). 

"I think it's going to be a bit cooler this week, with a little bit of wind, which I think we're both going to like. But it's fantastic, a great layout."

Having had more time to adjust to Australian golf was Team Venezuela made up of Jhonattan and Julio Vegas.

The pair played the Emirates Australian Open last week where Jhonattan finished outright 9th.

"Obviously the big thing coming this week was being able to adjust to the different type of golf courses here.  That's kind of why we made an effort to play in Sydney last week," said Jhonattan.

"Julio didn't have quite the same result that I did, but it was good to really getting it out there, hitting shots, hitting chip shot saround firm surfaces and the firm greens, undulated areas around the greens. 

"So it was kind of good starting to feel what Australian golf looks like and we both felt pretty good about it."

The Vegas brothers will tee off on Thursday at 10.50am playing alongside the team from Portugal; Ricardo Gouveia and Jose-Filipe Lima.

Knox and Stewart will be out on course at 12.50pm playing alongside the Irish team of Shane Lowry and Graeme McDowell.

+Former member of the Oldmeldrum Golf Club greenkeeping staff, Gaz Braid is now employed at Kingston Heath Golf Club, the World Cup of Golf venue. He is pictured below (right) with American Rickie Fowler.