CHARLOTTE N.C. – The U.S. Presidents Cup team comprisesFive of the top ten players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Nine of them are in the top 15, which is the highest ranking ever for a single team in the history.
After Australias, the International team has no. Cameron SmithThe Open winner and third-ranked player worldwide, Jeremy, has moved to the LIV Golf circuit. in late August.
History is on the side of America, too. They have won 11 out of the 13 Presidents Cup competitions they have participated in, losing only once and tied once. Many of the same U.S. players were part of the Ryder Cup team that beat the Europeans 19-9 at Whistling Strits last year. They became the first team to score 19 points and win the historic event by 10 points.
Add to that the Presidents Cup will be played on American soil at Quail Hollow Club in front of thousands U.S. fans, and its easy for Americans to win again.
I think its quite obvious that were underdogs, International team captain Trevor Immelman said. Weve been in this competition all these years so its a tag were used too.
Caesars Sports Book predicts that the U.S. team will win the Presidents Cup at a odds of -750. Although anything can happen in four days of golf it is possible for an International team to win the Presidents Cup. Knocking outMike Tyson or No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County taking down No. No.
U.S. team star: Just because you are the favorite, they dont give any extra shots. Scottie Scheffler said. We dont start 1-up. The PGA Tour has a lot talented players. Its a deep tour and the internationals have a lot talent.
The outcome is still expected to be so lopsided, that the U.S. captain will be required Davis Love IIIOn Tuesday, a reporter asked him if he was concerned about becoming Dennis Conner. This is a reference to Dennis Conner, the yacht captain who famously lost to an Australian yacht in the 1983 Americas Cup. It was the first failure defense of the New York Yacht Clubs 132-year-old race. Or, as the reporter put, the guy who might loose the unlosable .
Love stated, I have compared Ryder Cup to Americas Cup. Like nobody really cared for the Americas Cup until it started losing. Ted Turner used to live right next door to us in Atlanta. Nobody really cared about it until we lost. We said, How could we lose the boat race, you know? We are the United States.
American golf fans may feel similar about the Presidents Cup if Love’s team is on the wrong end of the scoreboard.
Love, who was a captain on two Ryder Cup teams, said, Were used t being called the favourite. Even though we lose three Ryder Cups in succession, they tell us that they are the favorite. The captain of the other team or [the media]Remind us that we are the favorite. Were used to it. Its a good idea on paper. However, many great coaches will tell players that the game isnt played on paper. Theyre played on the golf course.
Its not that the International players haven’t achieved anything. Japans Hideki MatsuyamaAustralias Adam ScottThey have been awarded the Masters. South Koreas Si Woo Kim Sungjae ImThey have won multiple events at the PGA Tour. Canadas Corey ConnersSouth Koreas Tom KimColombias Sebastian MunozEach of them have been crowned the winner once.
Immelman stated that they are all elite athletes and reached elite level playing on PGA Tour. You dont get to this place by chance, man, thats what I can assure you. You dont come by chance. You put in a lot of effort. It is something you dedicate your entire life to. To reach this level, you make sacrifices after sacrifice. You dont just wake-up one morning and go on the PGA Tour. These 24 players are all legit.
However, some are more legitimate than others. Scheffler, the highest-ranked American player, is included in the lineup, along with three former major champions. Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa Jordan Spieth. Xander SchauffeleAwarded a gold medal at Tokyo Olympics. Patrick CantlayThe 2021 FedEx Cup champion.
Scheffler was the only four time winner on the PGA Tour last year. Sam BurnsThree times. Tony FinauDoubled the award. Max HomaHe won twice and successfully defended the title at the Fortinet Championship last week, the first event of the wrap-around schedule 2022-23. Cameron YoungHe is expected to be named PGA Tour rookie-of-the-year.
Homa stated, I cant imagine being too confident. The International team, which is great, is being talked about a lot, being the favorite, or whatever. But golf doesnt allow for that. Everything about the golf course is important. They have a great group. We have a great team. It will be a great golf tournament.
For starters, there have been larger individual upsets in golf. Francis Ouimet, a 20-year-old amateur, won the 1913 U.S. Open at Brooklines Country Club. Surprise major championship winners include Larry Mize taking down Greg Norman Seve BallesterosIn a playoff, 1987 Masters; South Korea Y.E. YangTo take down, you must come from behind Tiger WoodsIn the final round at Hazeltine of the 2009 PGA Championship.
The International team can also look up to Immelman as a captain. He won the 2008 Masters beating Woods by three strokes only months after he had surgery to remove a small, golf-ball-sized tumor pressing on his diaphragm.
Immelman believes that having eight rookies in his 12-man roster could be a benefit. They dont have scarring from eight consecutive defeats in the Presidents Cup. They werent on the 2017 team that trailed 14½ to 3½ after Saturday matches at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Immelman stated, I do believe that it frees you up because we have absolutely nothing to lose. If you take a look at our record in this tournament, and compare it to their world rankings, you will see that we have absolutely nothing left to lose.
His advice to his team was Have a great time and lets rip.
