'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The DP World Tour on Wednesday announced Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari will captain the sides for next year’s Hero Cup. The two will lead the respective Great Britain, Ireland, and Continental Europe teams in the upcoming tournament.
The Hero Cup is set to be played between the two sides at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club from January 13-15, 2023. Ahead of this, Fleetwood and Molinari have been announced as captains, allowing them to pick nine players each for their teams.
The official announcement regarding the captaincy decision was announced by Guy Kinnings, European Ryder Cup Director and the DP World Tour’s Deputy CEO.
He said:
“I am delighted to confirm Tommy and Fran as Captains for the Hero Cup – they will unquestionably bring so much to the role.”
Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari become Hero Cup captains
Following the announcement from the European Tour, the two captains came forward to express their gratitude. Both Fleetwood and Molinari expressed their friendship and wished each other luck in the competition.
Francesco Molinari in a statement said:
"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.”
He added:
"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."
Tommy Fleetwood also reciprocated the feelings and thanked the officials for the opportunity. The English golfer lauded the event and said:
"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… I look forward to working closely with Fran and Luke, as well as all the players."
Meanwhile, 2023 European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald also paid tribute to Fleetwood and Molinari. The golfer lauded the duo for "supporting this overall concept" and dubbed them ideal leaders for the next generation of European players. He said that he was “grateful” to Fleetwood and Molinari for accepting the roles of playing captains.
Fleetwood and Molinari to face each other
Interestingly, Tommy Fleetwood and Francesco Molinari became a popular pair in the 2018 Ryder Cup. The two golfers joined hands and forged a formidable team for Europe in the event held at the Le Golf National in Paris. Having won all four of their matches together, the duo even earned the nickname ‘Moliwood’ on the pitch.
The two will now go up against each other in the Hero Cup. Fleetwood and Molinari will select their respective teams based on the performances of the golfers in the DP World Tour Rankings. Following the selection, all 20 players will go into the contest. Each member of the winning team will earn $125,000, while the losing team will settle for $75,000.
