The rosters for Presidents Cup 14th These are the setThe Americans, who have won 11 times before, appear to be overwhelming favorites again.
The U.S. team boasts five of 10 top players worldwide and 11 of the top 20. This means that the International team faces a steep climb when play begins at Quail Hole Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, Sept. 22.
I dont think anyone gets too caught up being the favorites, said Kevin KisnerHe was one of six U.S. team captains choices for captain. Davis Love IIIWednesday The motivation is to win for your nation, your team, and keep your eyes on the task at hand.
The Americans have won eight consecutive Presidents Cup matches, including a victory in Melbourne, Australia in 2019, with 16-14.
[It]We were a little closer than expected last time in Australia but we proved that our team can play and can go on a long-road game. Now, we have to take this home match seriously and get the momentum, Love stated. But our guys know that anyone can win any match, and if theyre not ready by Thursday lunchtime, somebody will jump them.
Here are some things to keep an eye on for the Presidents Cup in two weeks.
What could the U.S. pairings look?
When Love fills out his roster, there seem to be two things that are certain: Jordan SpiethIs it playing with Justin ThomasAnd Patrick CantlayWith Xander Schauffele. Spieth and Thomas have been a winning duo at the Ryder Cup. Schauffele and Cantlay were paired up four times at 2019s Presidents Cup. They also won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.
No. 1 golfer in the world 1 golfer Scottie SchefflerAnd Sam BurnsThey are good friends and it makes sense to put them together. They went on vacation in Greece with their wives after The Open in June. Kisner Max HomaThey played together in December at the QBE Shootout, Naples, Florida, tying for fifth. Kisner could also play alongside rookies Cameron YoungWho doesnt have a lot to say? Kisner speaks a lot.
The mild-mannered Tony FinauHe can play with almost anyone — he has played with Matt KucharAnd Bryson deChambeauAt the 2019 Presidents Cup Harris Englishat the Ryder Cup. Finau might be a good match with Billy Horschel, whose demeanor is a bit warmer. Collin MorikawaA two-time major winner, and a Presidents Cup rookie himself, he could play with almost anyone.
What about the International teams lineup of players?
Trevor Immelman, the international team captain, had no choice but to scramble after Australias loss. Cameron SmithChiles Joaquin NiemannThey were unable to compete in the Presidents Cup sanctioned under the PGA Tour because they had defected from the LIV Golf circuit. South Africas Louis OosthuizenAnd Abraham AncerThey were also certain they would make the team and are now playing on the LIV Golf tour.
Immelman could make nationalities the common thread in his pairings. Or maybe not. Canadas Corey ConnersAnd Taylor PendrithThe two were college roommates who played a lot together in golf. They are probably one team. The same is likely to apply to Australias. Adam ScottAnd he will be playing in the 10th Presidents Cup. Cameron Davis, a rookie.
However, Immelman stated that the International team has evolved to the stage where he can match players from different countries.
Over the last three to four years, one of our teams biggest hurdles has been that we don’t have to match people with the same nationality to get best out of them, Immelman explained. We have the squad atmosphere of the last four or five year. Players are very comfortable with one another, and enjoy being around each other. In certain cases, we have found ways to bridge communication gaps.
Really, I have all options. I don’t have to match two Canadians with Koreans. It is an option, but I wouldnt recommend it.
Mito PereiraAnd Sebastian MunozThey are great friends. After Pereiras meltdown on the 72nd green of the PGA Championship at Southern Hills, Munoz was waiting for Pereira in the parking lot. There are four South Koreans on this team — Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim, Sungjae ImAnd K.H. Lee.
Hideki MatsuyamaAnother veteran could be a steadying force Christiaan BezuidenhoutA rookie. Immelmans team has long odds of winning, so he could retool the lineup if things go wrong early.
Who was the greatest U.S. snub
Love made a safe choice in picking Kisner. He is currently ranked 26th in the World and is a veteran player who was part of the youngest U.S. Presidents Cup team history. Kisner is also a match play specialist, having won WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play 2019 and finished runner-up twice. He is one of the most skilled putters on Tour.
Kisner stated that she loves representing her country and playing in a team sport. I cant believe Im going to play with these young boys and see their potential.
When Will ZalatorisA back injury forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship and Presidents Cup. This opened up a spot for Kisner.
Kevin brings some veteran leadership to the team room, and is a guy that everyone loves having around. [and]Love stated that it is very, very easy to pair. We have veterans on our team who know the guys that make it easy to play with. We have statisticians, analytics, who can tell us who is easy for us to pair and who suits the golf course. Kevin is a veteran.
Love might have been better with someone else Tom HogeOr J.T. Poston, who were ranked just ahead Kisner in Presidents Cup standings. Sahith Theegala, who was ranked in the top 25 and advanced on to the Tour Championship.
Hoge was most likely the biggest snub. He picked up his first PGA Tour victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in February and had six top-10s. However, he missed six cuts in a row this summer. He finished 10th at Tour Championship. Young was right behind him, so it would have made sense to follow him.
Love stated, I always say that our first 12 is good and then our next 12 are really good. Thats why my picks are so difficult. Just start at the top of the list of automatic qualifiers. Its unfortunate that Will was hurt. Our 12th anniversary [were]They are incredibly strong. We could have easily jumped straight to the top-12. You cant go wrong with starting at 13 and working your way down. Every one of those players is a great player, had a great season, and has a case to play.
Who will be Team USAs emotional leader?
Patrick ReedHaving left the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf, he was given the title Captain America for his strong play and emotion at Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup.
Horschel will make his international debut at Quail hollow, having first competed in the PGA Tour in 2010. Other than Rory McIlroyFew players have been louder in their support of the PGA Tour this Season than Horschel. Horschel is the one who wears his emotions on his sleeves.
Can you control Billy? Love said. I dont understand. Ive been around Billy many times over the years, but I havent figured out how to rein him back in. You ride his wave a little. He can be quite erratic at times. We want that. We want Billy Horschel to be on the first Quail Hollow tee. They are going be amazing and he will be unbelievable, and I think thats fantastic.
Love stated that it was important to find someone who can handle Horschel’s energy.
Love said, I would love for Billy to play because I need that energy. I need someone to keep me going. [Tom]Kite was always trying my best to get me excited and fired up. Payne Stewart was trying make me more passionate. The right guy with Billy can carry the energy.
How distracting will LIV Golf be in Charlotte
The PGA Tour LIV Golf Battle for the Best Players in the World has dominated the sport for years. The PGA Tour hopes the defections have stopped after the FedEx Cup Playoffs saw the departure of the most recent wave. ESPN previously reported that Pereira plans to join the LIV Golf circuit in the near future.
There is no doubt that LIV golf took a few of Internationals most skilled and experienced players and hindered their chances in Quail Hollow.
Love said, I feel bad about the game of Golf right now that this story is going in, and there are how many ever day until we actually tee up. They are playing a great tournament this week [on the DP World Tour]The story is that Billy Horschel was the main character. Jon RahmWishing guys werent here. Thats sad. I feel terrible for all of you.
But Trevor has a job, and thats for 12 guys to be ready to play. Hes focused on that. Its something we have talked about a lot. I need to get the 12 men who are eager to play for Team USA prepared to play. It will be a great show once it starts on Thursday.[Former PGA Tour]Commissioner Tim Finchem used the phrase, Its a distraction. This is a huge distraction from the real topic we should be discussing.