Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler were taking inspiration from United States greats of the past as they prepared to launch their campaign at the ISPS HANDA World Cup of Golf.
Walker and Fowler arrived at Kingston Heath Golf Club with big boots to fill, looking to carry on an American run of success that has seen them lift the trophy 24 times, 19 more than any other nation.
Davis Love III and Fred Couples were winners four years in a row from 1992 and both Fowler and Walker were part of the victorious American Ryder Cup team captained by Love at Hazeltine National.
And Walker revealed that Love had sent him a message of good luck ahead of the event which will involve two rounds of fourballs and two rounds of foursomes.
"Davis sent both of us a text the other day," he said. "'Go do what Freddie and I did back in the day, bring it home'.
"So that kind of resonated with me. I can remember watching when that happened. Four straight wins. When he sent that out the other day, that was cool, the captain wishing you luck.
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 - Jimmy Walker
"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."
"We've seen the trophy yesterday and kind of jokingly we looked over it and said that it's going to take two to hoist it. It's a pretty big trophy," added Fowler.
"And it's going to take two guys playing well together this week to win, so that's what we came down here to do. We're going to give it our all and hopefully that puts us in the right spot come Sunday. But we've got a lot of work to do. There are a lot of great teams down here this year."
Ryo Ishikawa and Hideki Matsuyama tee it up for Japan this week with inspiration of their own from previous winning teams.
Neither man was born when Japan won their first World Cup of Golf in 1957 but the 2002 victory by Toshimitsu Izawa and Shigeki Maruyama remains fresh in the mind of Matsuyama.
"When they won, that was the period when we really started getting into the game of golf and putting a lot of hours in," he said. "So obviously watching that and seeing that, someday maybe I could be at that position and compete at that level. They're definitely an inspiration to me."
It's a definitely a great, great opportunity here this week - Ryo Isikawa
Matsuyama's form of late has been inspired with two victories on the Japan Golf Tour going with his maiden WGC victory at the HSBC Champions.
Ishikawa is now hopeful that form can continue in Melbourne.
"Obviously Hideki is definitely one of the hottest players right now and I feel like he's definitely the best right now," he said. "I'm just coming in here trying to do my best and be able to compete with him because it's a definitely a great, great opportunity here this week."
