Initiated in the mid-eighties, this event features teams of three players from sixteen countries, whereas the World Cup is composed of teams of two players from all over the world. The most dramatic example of the twist of fate which can occur in this format was the triumph of the Irish over the Australians in 1988. Going into the seventeenth hole, the Australian player was one stroke ahead. He sliced his next drive out of bounds, however, and took a seven on that hole. The Irish player then got a par, went two strokes up, and thereby won the match on the eighteenth.
Upsets are also possible.
In 1993, the formidable Scottish team was upset by an unknown threesome from Paraguay. And the American team was once beaten by France. So the different kind of format can certainly lead to a different type of outcome. And the outcome for Mark McCormack has been notably different from that of the World Cup. The prize fund has been set at well over one million dollars and the commercial opportunities have been substantial.