MELBOURNE: Rickie Fowler and Jimmy Walker are targeting a record 25th World Cup for the US and thwarting Australia's search for back-to-back successes in Melbourne this week.
The US pair are making their World Cup debuts at Kingston Heath but Walker said they had their eyes set on the trophy.
"Davis (Love) sent both of us a text the other day," world number 19 Walker said Wednesday.
"(The message said:) 'Go do what Freddie (Couples) and I did back in the day, bring it home.' I can remember watching that when that happened.
"He knows what's going on. He knows two of his guys are going down here to play and have a chance to bring it home. I know both of us enjoyed that."
Couples and Love won four consecutive World Cups in the 1990s.
"I've played well down here," Fowler, ranked 12th, said. "Jimmy's played well down here and this style of golf definitely fits our games and we both like to hit shots."
The World Cup of Golf, to be held at Melbourne's Kingston Heath Golf Club beginning Thursday, features 28 two-man teams playing 72 holes of stroke play. The first and third days will be the foursomes (alternate shot) and the second and final days fourballs (better ball).
The event has attracted many of the world's top 50 with its prize money of US$8 million, including Australia's seventh-ranked Adam Scott, Japan's number six Hideki Matsuyama and Sweden's ninth-ranked Alex Noren.
Scott and Marc Leishman will play the opening round alongside the Americans on Thursday.
World number one Jason Day -- who is a no-show this time due to a back injury -- won the individual title for Australia in 2013, while Day and Adam Scott clinched the team portion for the best aggregate score.
"We're very proud Aussies, we're a very proud sporting country," Scott said.
"There aren't any team events other than this that we play in representing Australia. The Presidents Cup, sure, we represent Australia but the team is the internationals.
"I think this is a unique opportunity for us."
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