Seasonal rain made for muggy conditions as teams gathered here at the luxurious Mines Resort yesterday for probably the last staging of the World Cup as we have come to know it. It has not been included in next year's schedule, and its only hope of ultimate survival would appear to be as a World Golf Championship event.
If this is to be the end, then it will be an appropriate swansong, given the presence of world number one Tiger Woods as Mark O'Meara's partner in the US line-up. And Colin Montgomerie, Europe's Order of Merit leader for a seventh successive year, will be attempting, with the help of Dean Robertson, to bring the trophy to Scotland for the first time.
Ireland are represented for a third successive year by Padraig Harrington and Paul McGinley, who emerged victorious at Kiawah Island in 1997 and were sixth behind England's Nick Faldo and David Carter in Auckland 12 months ago. Harrington got to the club yesterday morning, fit and well after a week's break at home in Dublin.
He was to have joined McGinley in the Johnnie Walker Classic in Taipei, but withdrew because of a nagging back-ache which had troubled him during the American Express Championship at Valderrama. His colleague has been here since Saturday, having missed the cut in Taiwan.
Other players in action over the weekend were Phillip Price of Wales, New Zealand's Frank Nobilo and Argentinian Angel Cabrera, who were in the top-12 in Taiwan. And O'Meara was tied 12th in the $1.2 million Taiheiyo Masters in Japan, where Darren Clarke lost in a play-off.
The big excitement in the draw, from a local standpoint, is that Malaysia will be partnering the US in the opening round on Thursday morning. Two groups later, Ireland will team up with Puerto Rico.
Woods finished sixth behind New Zealand's Michael Campbell in Taipei, and though the American arrived in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, he was not at the course. His presence cannot be explained simply by a reported appearance fee of $1 million: it is clear Woods has a genuine desire to promote the game in Asia.
Either way, he is generating enormous interest in a country relatively new to golf, despite its 200 courses. More than 12,000 four-day tickets for the tournament have already been sold, which suggests that attendances could rival the record crowds at Erinvale, Cape Town, for South Africa's victory in 1996. And Malaysian officials seem to be well prepared, with 250 experienced volunteers lined-up for stewarding duties.
As local official Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Ismail put it: "Golf may have been started by the men at the top (aristocracy), but the charm of the game has definitely resulted in it spreading downwards and outwards."
The Mines Resort, situated about 20 kilometres from downtown Kuala Lumpur, was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jnr, who was responsible for Gulf Harbour GC where the tournament was staged last year. It has been built on a wasteland from what was once the world's largest open-cast tin mine and is characterised by lush fairways, undulating Bermuda greens and a lake which borders seven holes on the back nine.
"It's definitely the most difficult course I've played in Malaysia," said McGinley of the 6,846-yard, par-71 stretch. "The greens are small, the rough is high and the weather is hot. That's a fairly testing combination.
"But I think the choice of venue should give Padraig and myself a good chance. I've played in the Malaysian Open since 1993 and I like it here. And Padraig has been in great form over the last few months."
Ironically, Sunday's winner in Taiwan, Campbell, was not nominated in the New Zealand line-up in which Frank Nobilo will be joined by Stephen Scahill. And there has been a late change in Germany's duo, with Heinz-Peter Thul coming in as a replacement for Alexander Cjeka, whose wife is expecting a baby.
Which means yet another partner for Sven Struver, who was paired with Thomas Gogele 12 months ago. But Struver had other matters on his mind on arriving here. It seems that he looks to the possibilities of natural disasters before planning a golf trip.
"I don't like the idea of playing in countries that are frequently hit by earthquakes," said the German. "I certainly wouldn't want to be caught playing in Taiwan or Turkey, especially right now."
Thul echoed the feelings of most northern Europeans when he added: "I like the hot weather, compared to the cold back home." Other early arrivals were South Africa's David Frost and Richard Kaplan.
But the first overseas team to get here were the Canadians, who arrived last Friday. Ray Stewart, a member of their victorious Alfred Dunhill Cup side of 1994, is joined by Arden Knoll, as a replacement for Richard Zokol. Either way, it is disappointing to note the absence of left-hander Mike Weir, who has had a remarkable season on the USPGA Tour.
Meanwhile, Clarke remains in Japan this week for the Dunlop Phoenix tournament. And his performance in the Taiheiyo Masters augurs well for his further activities over the coming weeks, including the Million Dollar Challenge at Sun City.
