World Cup returns to Kiawah Island

The EMC World Cup will return to The Ocean Course on Kiawah Island next year.

The annual two-man event is the last of the four World Golf Championship tournaments. This year's event is scheduled for December in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.

South Africans Ernie Els and Retief Goosen won a four-team playoff during the 2001 World Cup in Japan. Two years ago, Tiger Woods and David Duval won in Argentina.

Next year's World Cup, with a $1 million prize, will be played Nov. 13-16. Kiawah Island Resorts managing director Prem Devadas said Tuesday that the dates were moved up so as not to conflict with the college football game between South Carolina and Clemson.

The course also played host to the competition in 1997.

There will be 24 teams competing in foursomes and fourball matches.

Architect Pete Dye, who first built his seaside layout for the famous ``War at the Shore'' Ryder Cup matches in 1991, has been supervising changes on some holes.

The most dramatic difference is the 18th green, which is being moved about 60 yards closer to the Atlantic Ocean.

``People always told me they wanted to see the ocean,'' Dye said of the par-4 closing hole. ``Well, now you can stand there, shoot 6 and see the ocean.''

Dye and his crew expect to be finished soon and the course, closed since April, will reopen in mid-September.

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