Even as Presidents Cup teammates, a South African golfer formed a rivalry with Australia’s best on the side and can’t wait to renew it for bigger stakes.

While Australian duo Adam Scott and Jason Day are hot favourites for the World Cup at Royal Melbourne, South Africa’s Branden Grace and George Coetzee want to take them down.

Grace played with Scott and Day in the Presidents Cup in the United States in October and said the strong South African-Australian sporting rivalry surfaced.

“We had a practice round together, me and Adam, and even in the practice round there we played for $100 over nine holes,” Grace said.

“So the rivalry is always there, whether it is in golf, rugby or cricket.

“We definitely know we want to beat the Australians.”

Grace admitted the in-form Scott comfortably won their bet in Ohio.

“Adam actually finished things off very quickly. You know, that back nine is one of the toughest nines there is. I think he started birdie 10, birdie 11, eagle 12, birdie 13, birdie 14, birdie 15 … it’s the quickest $100 he’s ever made,” Grace said.

Grace and Coetzee, both World Cup first-timers, have been dreaming of playing in the event for years.

Coetzee agreed beating the Australian pair was a priority.

“It’s not really a team format, but playing together and competing together and trying to beat maybe Australia. For South Africans it’s, you know, great to beat Australia,” he said.

Coetzee, 27, recalls being inspired by watching Ernie Els and Retief Goosen win the cup for South Africa in 2001.

He again thought of Els – who shot an incredible 60 on the Royal Melbourne composite course in the 2004 Heineken Open – as he got a taste of the difficulty of some of the holes in Wednesday’s pro-am.

“I spoke to my caddie today. I was like, ‘How the hell did he shoot those scores?'” Coetzee said.

“Ernie Els, please call me tonight.”