MELBOURNE, Australia -- On current form and on a very familiar golf course, the two top-ranked players at the World Cup -- Adam Scott and Matt Kuchar -- are heavy favourites for individual honours when play begins Thursday at Royal Melbourne. Sean Taylor Jersey . No. 2-ranked Scott has won two tournaments in a row -- the Australian PGA and the Australian Masters, which was held last week at Royal Melbourne. Seventh-ranked Kuchar led by two strokes late in the final round of the Masters before a double-bogey on 18 enabled Scott to successfully defend his title. Kuchar finished second. "He has been in such good form," Kuchar said of Scott on Wednesday. "To at least give him a run it was awfully good. I stood five back going into Sunday. Unfortunately I got a bad break on 18 and thats part of golf." The Australians, with Scotts teammate Jason Day at No. 18, are the highest-ranked team this week and will have the benefit of local crowds. "Its an interesting week," Scott said Wednesday. "Were playing together as a team but we still want to beat each other." Added Day: "I dont know whether to love him or not if he beats me." Kuchar and his teammate, Kevin Streelman, will attempt to successfully defend for the Americans the title that Kuchar and Gary Woodland won in 2011. The differences between the tournament, format-wise, that Kuchar and Woodland won in 2011 is about as far as the distance between Royal Melbourne and Haiku, China, where the Americans won. Then, it was a team event in keeping with the near 60-year history of the tournament. Two days of four-ball competition, two days of foursomes. This time, to prepare for golfs return to the Olympics and the format that will be used in Rio, its basically an individual stroke-play event. The financial emphasis is on the individual portion of the tournament -- $7 million in prize money to be divided among the 60-man field, including $1.2 to the winner. And just $1 million allocated for the teams event, with money only going to the top three teams. Kuchar said the change doesnt bother him. "I know the format is different but the golf is the same," Kuchar said. "Its much more of an individual event ... but there is a team component and I think we have got as good a shot as anybody." Earlier, U.S. PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem defended the move away from the team-only concept at a media conference Wednesday at Royal Melbourne. "I think it is way too soon to conclude that the team portion of the Cup is lost," Finchem said. "We havent played yet so lets see how that plays out and then we will see. We feel like the tournament is more marketable. We think that it has a better chance of fulfilling its mission which is to create more interest in the game in unique ways." "But we will see. If we go down this road and it doesnt work, we will adjust, but we are going to give this every chance to work." The system being used to determine the entries at the Word Cup -- rankings and number of players eligible from each country based on those rankings, will be used at Rio in 2016. The other differences are that there will be no team competition at the Olympics, and there, golfers from England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland who are playing as separate countries at the World Cup, will play as Britain. Also, at the World Cup, Ireland and Northern Ireland play as one team. So this week, Northern Irelands Graeme McDowell and Irelands Shane Lowry will play together. McDowell says Scott is unquestionably the favourite this week. "From Scottys point of view, he is just one of those guys you play with and you think to yourself Why does this guy not win every week?" McDowell said Wednesday. "Hes that impressive." There are 26 teams taking part and eight individual golfers, including Fijis Vijay Singh, who finished third at the Australian Masters. Cheap Football Redskins Jerseys . -- David Freese is starting to pick up his run production, which is something the Los Angeles Angels have been waiting half a season to see. Charles Mann Jersey .Y. - OK, it is done. http://www.cheapredskinsjerseysonline.com/?tag=trent-williams-jersey-online . Vinci also beat Dulgheru last week in Bucharest en route to her first WTA final in a year. Vinci next faces sixth-seeded Kurumi Nara of Japan, who beat Czech qualifier Katerina Siniakova 7-6 (5), 6-7 (3), 6-2. No. ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- Chris Archer didnt need much run support for the struggling Tampa Bay hitters. Archer allowed three hits in 6 2/3 innings, Kevin Kiermaier and Evan Longoria homered on consecutive pitches, and the Rays beat the Houston Astros 5-0 on Thursday night. "Tonight he was dominant," Tampa Bay catcher Ryan Hanigan said of Archer. Archer (4-4) struck out eight and walked two to help the Rays win for the sixth time in the last 23 games. "It makes a huge difference when youre pitching ahead," Archer said. "Just getting strike one is key and thats what tonight was proof of." Three Tampa Bay relievers completed a three-hitter, sending Houston to its fourth straight loss. Kiermaier hit a two-run homer before Longoria had a solo drive off Paul Clemens in the seventh. Collin McHugh (4-5) gave up two unearned runs and four hits over six innings on his 27th birthday. "Hes got weapons," Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. "Hes got know-how too." The Rays took a 2-0 lead in the fourth on Yunel Escobars run-scoring single and a bunt by Hanigan. Tampa Bay got a break when shortstop Jonathan Villar dropped a throw on Brandon Guyers potential double-play grounder after a leadoff single by James Loney. "You look at the quality of pitches he was throwing at that point, he pretty much was in control of the game," Astros manager Bo Porter said. "It was a groundball, double-play ball that we end up not recording a single out. Now it turns it into a pretty stressful inning. Josh Norman Jersey. " Jose Altuve opened the Houston fourth with an infield single and swiped second, but was left stranded. The Astros also failed to score during the sixth when Altuve singled and stole his AL-high 26th base. One day after loading the bases with no outs in the first inning and not scoring in a 2-0 loss to Baltimore, the Rays failed to capitalize during the opening frame Thursday despite having runners on first and third and no outs. McHugh struck out Kiermaier and Longoria before getting a comebacker from Loney. Ben Zobrist, 1 for his last 37 with runners in scoring position, popped out, Kiermaier struck out and Longoria hit a liner to third after the first two Rays drew walks in the third. "We had plenty of opportunities early," Maddon said. "It finally kicked in late." NOTES: The Rays placed OF David DeJesus on the 15-day DL with a broken left hand. DeJesus expects his hand will be in a splint for three weeks. ... Guyer (broken left thumb) was activated from the 15-day DL. ... Tampa Bay RHP Jeremy Hellickson (elbow) will need at least one more minor league start. Hellickson has made three rehab starts, including the last two at Triple-A where he has allowed 11 runs and 18 hits over a combined five innings. ... Houston RHP Brad Peacock, (food poisoning), Saturdays scheduled starter, rejoined the team. ... Rays LHP David Price (5-6) and Astros RHP Jarred Cosart (6-5) are Friday nights starters. Cosart beat Price, the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, in his big league debut last July 12. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Cheap Adidas Hockey Jerseys Wholesale Nike Baseball Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys From China Wholesale Jerseys China Wholesale NFL Jerseys China Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys Free Shipping Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys Authentic Cheap NHL Jerseys Canada Cheap Nike MLB Jerseys Cheap Soccer Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys Cheap Nike NHL Jerseys China Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys Store Cheap Football Jerseys Store Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Jerseys NCAA China Jerseys NFL Cheap Cheap Nike NBA Jerseys ' ' '