ABU DHABI, 9th January, 2025 (WAM)-- Francesco Molinari will lead his side's defence of the Team Cup when his Continental European side take on Great Britain & Ireland this week at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort as the competitions will take place from tomorrow until Sunday in the UAE capital.

The Italian, who famously became his nation's first Major Champion when he triumphed at The Open in 2019, captained his team to a 14 - 10 victory over GB&I, contributing three and a half points to the cause.

He takes on fellow Major Champion and Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, who assumes the role of GB&I Captain, in the event which serves as an important part of Europe's Ryder Cup preparations ahead of this year's contest at Bethpage in New York.

The two ten-man teams comprise of four Ryder Cup players in Molinari, Rose, Tommy Fleetwood and Tyrrell Hatton, and a combined 69 DP World Tour titles competing across three days of match play. Friday will feature one fourballs session, with two foursomes session on Saturday and the final singles session on Sunday, with each player competing in every session.

Rose will play in the first match of the first session alongside five-time DP World Tour winner Matt Wallace against the French pair of Romain Langasque, who won the Amateur Championship in 2015, and Matthieu Pavon, who became the first Frenchman in more than 100 years to win on the PGA TOUR last season.

Five time DP World Tour winner Rasmus Hjgaard, who missed the 2023 edition of this event due to injury, will partner last year's Challenge Tour Road to Mallorca Rankings winner Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen against the English pair of Laurie Canter and Jordan Smith. Smith, who has won twice on the DP World Tour, is also a former Challenge Tour Rankings winner, while Canter claimed his maiden title last season at the European Open.

Julien Guerrier, who has been drafted in as a replacement for Nicolai Hjgaard, who has been forced to withdraw from the Team Cup due to illness, will tee it up alongside his French compatriot Antoine Rozner. Guerrier won his maiden DP World Tour title at last year's Estrella Damm N.A. Andalucia Masters, while Rozner is a three-time DP World Tour winner.

They are pitted against three-time Ryder Cup player Tyrrell Hatton and Northern Irishman Tom McKibbin, who won the Porsche European Open in 2023.
The Danish pair of eight-time DP World Tour winner and 2018 Ryder Cup player Thorbjrn Olesen and last year's Betfred British Masters champion Niklas Nrgaard, will take on Matthew Jordan and Paul Waring. Waring claimed a second DP World Tour victory at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship last season, while Jordan is competing in his first professional match play event, having represented GB&I at the Walker Cup in 2017.

Molinari will tee off in the anchor match alongside compatriot Matteo Manassero against Tommy Fleetwood and Aaron Rai. Molinari and Fleetwood famously won four matches from four together at the 2018 Ryder Cup, earning the nickname 'Moliwood' as they contributed to Europe's victory at Le Golf National. Manassero ended a near 11-year wait between titles as he returned to the winner's circle at the Jonsson Workwear Open last year, while Rai claimed a maiden PGA TOUR title at the Wyndham Championship.