South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Australia’s Min Woo Lee had been born in 1998, the identical yr the Worldwide crew captured its solely Presidents Cup victory with a 20½-11½ win at Royal Melbourne Golf Membership.
South Korea’s Tom Kim wasn’t born for one more three-plus years.
The U.S. crew gained 10 of the following 11 Presidents Cup; the groups tied 17-17 in 2003.
The Individuals have a 12-1-1 file within the occasion and carry a nine-match profitable streak into the Presidents Cup that tees off Thursday at Royal Montreal Golf Membership in Canada.
With world No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler, two-time main champion Xander Schauffele and different PGA Tour stars main the U.S. squad, it would not determine to get any simpler for his or her counterparts this week.
“I feel it is only a reality, simply coping with actuality,” Worldwide crew captain Mike Weir mentioned. “I feel that is the factor for me, whilst a participant myself, attempting to cope with actuality and what’s in entrance of you. Little doubt, that is what’s in entrance of us. So we have a tall problem, however the guys are up for it, they’re prepared for it and so they’re embracing that.”
Listed below are a number of the largest storylines on the Presidents Cup:
Leap forward:
Worldwide
Staff U.S.
Our prediction
Worldwide
Why it is going to win
Upsets occur in sports activities, they only do not happen fairly often on the Presidents Cup. The Worldwide squad has dropped 9 straight Presidents Cup to the U.S., together with a 17½-12½ defeat at Quail Hole Membership in Charlotte, North Carolina, in 2022.
The Worldwide crew has fared higher in competitions outdoors the U.S. In 2019, the U.S. gained 16-14 at Royal Melbourne Golf Membership in Australia. The Internationals led 10-8 after 4 periods, however the Individuals rallied and went 8-4 in singles. Taking part in captain Tiger Woods went 3-0 within the occasion.
4 years earlier than that, the U.S. gained 15½-14½ at Jack Nicklaus Golf Membership in South Korea, matching its most slim victory. That one got here all the way down to the ultimate gap of the final singles match between Invoice Haas and Sang-Moon Bae, the native favourite. Bae flubbed a chip on the par-5 18th gap, giving Haas a 2-up victory for the profitable level. Haas made the crew when captain Jay Haas, his father, used certainly one of his two captain’s picks on his son.
The one tie in Presidents Cup historical past was a 17-17 stalemate in South Africa in 2003. The Worldwide crew’s lone victory was a 20½-11½ rout at Royal Melbourne in 1998. That U.S. crew had the highest 4 golfers on the earth — Woods, Mark O’Meara, David Duval and Davis Love III — however was no match for the Internationals that week.
This Worldwide crew options three Canadians who made the crew with captain’s picks by Canadian Mike Weir. If Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith are taking part in properly, perhaps the followers can pull them to a monumental upset. It could additionally take sturdy play from the Worldwide crew’s greatest golfers — Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, Australia’s Adam Scott and South Korea’s Sungjae Im and Tom Kim.
“It is a large a part of this competitors, I consider, and a giant a part of crew golf the place you possibly can trip some momentum and the gang will get behind you, and you may actually feed off that,” mentioned Weir, who upset Woods 1 up in Sunday singles within the U.S. crew’s 19½-14½ victory at Royal Montreal Golf Membership in 2007.
“[It] definitely did right here in 2007, not solely with my match taking part in Tiger, however simply the opposite matches. You get the gang’s power, and you may increase your stage just a little bit, so it may be an enormous issue. We’re definitely hoping the followers come out onerous and cheer lots for our guys. Hopefully, it’s a issue.”
Weaknesses
Together with historical past being on the U.S. crew’s facet, the Individuals are additionally extra proficient, at the very least on paper. Every of the 12 golfers on the U.S. roster are ranked within the Prime 25 of the Official World Golf Rating, led by Scheffler (No. 1), Schauffele (No. 2), Collin Morikawa (No. 4), Wyndham Clark (No. 6) and Patrick Cantlay (No. 9). Max Homa, who has scuffled all through a lot of the season, is the bottom ranked golfer at twenty fifth.
4 of the golfers on the Worldwide crew — Matsuyama (No. 7), Scott (No. 18), Im (No. 21) and Kim (No. 24) are ranked within the Prime 25. Hughes is the bottom ranked golfer at 61st.
The common OWGR rating for the U.S. crew is 12.4; it is 34.4 for the Worldwide squad.
Expertise is not the one cause the Worldwide crew faces an uphill climb. Whereas the U.S. crew is taking part in for the crimson, white and blue, the Internationals struggled up to now to discover a widespread thread. Language obstacles and cultural variations have additionally been a difficulty.
In 2019, then-captain Ernie Els launched a black-and-gold protect to attempt to unite the Worldwide crew.
“It is one thing that is been a problem for our groups through the years,” Weir mentioned. “What we already created with 2019 with the protect, and numerous issues we have carried out teamwise, simply crew dinners, guys taking part in follow rounds collectively, getting along with each other much more, that hole has shrunk fairly a bit. The fellows actually work together with one another much more.”
The Worldwide crew consists of 4 golfers from South Korea, three every from Australia and Canada and one from Japan.
“It is totally different [from] the U.S. crew, it simply is,” Weir mentioned. “We now have, clearly, all these cultural variations. Not that they do not have variations too, however ours is just a few cultural issues. It is gotten lots higher, and our guys have a fantastic vibe going. I like the place our crew is at proper now.”
Rookie evaluation
There are solely two rookies on the Worldwide crew: Hughes and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Hughes, 33, was a little bit of a stunning captain’s selection for Weir. The 2-time PGA Tour winner hadn’t finished a lot earlier than tying for fourth finally week’s ProCore Championship in Napa, California. He had 4 prime 10s in 23 begins on tour; he tied for seventh on the RBC Canadian Open in early June.
Lee, the youthful brother of LPGA star Minjee Lee, is a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, most not too long ago on the Fortinet Australian PGA Championship in 2023. He had a very good run within the first three majors this season, tying for twenty second on the Masters, twenty sixth on the PGA Championship and twenty first on the U.S. Open. He missed the reduce at The Open.
The 26-year-old was twice a runner-up on tour, on the Cognizant Traditional within the Palm Seashores on March 3 and the Rocket Mortgage Traditional on June 30. Lee is powerful off the tee however struggled together with his irons (134th in strokes gained: strategy) and on the greens (113th in strokes gained: placing).
Lee’s persona will make him a crowd favourite in Montreal.
Golfers who ought to play all 5 matches
Worldwide crew captain Trevor Immelman relied closely on his prime golfers at Quail Hole, and it would not be a shock to see Weir do the identical in Montreal.
Matsuyama (1-3-1), Im (2-2-1), Scott (2-3) and Tom Kim (2-3) performed 5 matches in 2022. Conners (0-4) and Si Woo Kim (3-1) competed in 4.
Matsuyama is inarguably the Worldwide crew’s most proficient participant. He picked up two extra PGA Tour victories this previous season on the Genesis Invitational and FedEx St. Jude Championship. A again harm compelled him to withdraw from the BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs. He returned and tied for ninth on the Tour Championship.
Hero decide
Scott is making his eleventh look on the Presidents Cup, which is second most within the occasion’s historical past; Phil Mickelson performed in 12. Scott has by no means been on the profitable facet — he was a 23-year-old rookie when the groups tied in South Africa in 2003.
Ending the Worldwide crew’s drought very a lot issues to the 2013 Masters champion.
“You’ll be able to hear how a lot he desires to win one,” Australia’s Jason Day mentioned. “I feel it will solely take one. If we are able to get one, I feel that’ll change the tide just a little bit.”
Scott, 44, was additionally in nice kind on the finish of the FedEx Cup schedule, ending second on the Scottish Open and tying for tenth at The Open. He tied for second on the BMW Championship and for fourth on the Tour Championship.
Dangerous decide
It wasn’t a shock that Weir picked greater than a pair Canadians together with his captain’s decisions. He most likely would have chosen one or two extra if Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor had performed higher down the stretch.
Hughes is a little bit of a threat. He struggled with a driver and irons in his fingers this season — he was 142nd in strokes gained: off the tee (-.286) and 137th on strategy (-.275).
Hughes made the crew due to his quick recreation, the place he ranked third in strokes gained: across the inexperienced (.444) and fifth in placing (.651).
Weir is relying on him to make some large putts this week.
United States
Why it is going to win
As a result of that is what the American crew does on the Presidents Cup. Given the U.S. dominance, it has turn out to be one of the vital one-sided worldwide crew competitions on the earth.
Whereas the U.S. crew has struggled in dropping eight of the previous 11 Ryder Cups and hasn’t gained in Europe since 1993, that hasn’t been the case on this occasion.
“I feel numerous it’s [that] our crew room seems totally different in each occasions,” U.S. captain Jim Furyk mentioned. “I feel the fellows put numerous strain on themselves. They fight just a little too onerous. They push within the Ryder Cup. They need to show everybody fallacious, and generally perhaps if you strive too onerous, you form of get in your individual manner, if that is smart.”
Furyk, 54, performed in 9 Ryder Cups, profitable simply twice. He was on the fallacious finish of a 17½-10½ loss at Le Golf Nationwide in Paris because the U.S. captain in 2018.
“It was simple to say we simply did not care,” Furyk mentioned. “I noticed grown males crying within the locker room after a few of these occasions. That all the time pissed off me, however there’s not a lot you are able to do about it. I feel on this occasion we play just a little bit extra free, we play just a little extra free.”
Weaknesses
If the U.S. crew has had a shortcoming in current Presidents Cups, it got here in four-ball (greatest ball) matches on away programs. The truth is, the Worldwide crew has a 12-6 benefit in that format up to now two occasions performed outdoors the U.S.
The Worldwide crew grabbed an early 4-1 lead in four-ball matches on the opening day at Royal Melbourne, placing the Individuals in an early gap that they almost did not climb out of.
At Quail Hole, the U.S. had a 10-4 lead after three periods, then went 1-3 in four-ball matches to present the Worldwide squad a sliver of hope.
“We have been comfy utilizing our analytics guys, I feel, since 2019,” Weir mentioned. “Ernie introduced them on board, and so they’re aware of me now and our different assistants. Identical factor, I lean on my assistants as properly, lean on my intestine on sure issues once we’re perhaps on the fence, but it surely’s crucial.”
Rookie evaluation
There are 4 Presidents Cup rookies on the U.S. crew, however they’re hardly newbies relating to skilled golf. They embody 2023 U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark and 2023 Open Championship winner Brian Harman, together with Sahith Theegala and Russell Henley, who’re ranked Nos. 11 and 14 within the OWGR, respectively.
Harman was one of many vibrant spots for the U.S. crew in final yr’s Ryder Cup, going 2-2 at Marco Simone Golf & Nation Membership. Clark went 1-1-1 in that occasion.
Theegala and Henley, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour, are making their first appearances in a world crew competitors as execs.
“I most likely deliver a unique fashion of recreation,” Theegala mentioned. “Loads of these guys are simply, I imply, robots, for lack of a greater phrase. They hit it so good, and level A to level B just about each time. I really feel like I deliver a unique flare for match play. I are inclined to hit it in all places at instances.”
“I am not going to match myself to [Jordan] Spieth, not even shut. However strive Spieth-like at instances with simply attempting to get artistic and escapes. No one goes to have the ability to match that man, however just a bit extra artistic methods to the inexperienced. I am a scrambler. I am form of a scorer.”
Golfers who ought to play all 5 matches
There have been solely three U.S. golfers who competed in all 5 matches at Quail Hole, and Sam Burns is the one one who’s in Montreal.
Spieth went 5-0 within the final Presidents Cup, however struggled together with his kind whereas battling a wrist harm this season. He had season-ending surgical procedure in late August. Justin Thomas, who did not get a captain’s decide, went 4-1 two years in the past, however as soon as once more struggled on tour.
Scheffler, Schauffele, Cantlay, Finau and Homa competed in 4 matches at Quail Hole. Scheffler and Schauffele had been the 2 greatest golfers on the PGA Tour this season, so it might be a shock if Furyk would not roll them out for all 5 periods, until they’re struggling in Montreal.
Hero decide
Nearly as good as Scheffler has been the previous two-plus seasons, profitable 13 instances on the PGA Tour since February 2022, capturing two inexperienced jackets on the Masters and claiming a gold medal on the Olympics in Paris, his efficiency up to now two worldwide crew occasions has been stunning.
Scheffler went 0-3-1 on the 2022 Presidents Cup. He and Kevin Kisner had been the one U.S. golfers that did not earn a full level.
On the 2023 Ryder Cup, Scheffler went 0-2-2. Scheffler, Spieth and Rickie Fowler had been the one U.S. golfers that did not win a match in Rome.
“After the Ryder Cup final yr, it was clearly fairly disappointing, however I do not know find out how to evaluate that to anything,” Scheffler mentioned. “That was per week through which I hoped to play properly and I wasn’t in a position to get it finished. It form of felt like lacking the reduce at a serious championship can be a very good comp for that, however I actually do not know. I deal with every certainly one of them individually.”
Scheffler was essentially the most dominant golfer on the planet. He is too good to not flip it round in crew occasions.
Dangerous decide
Virtually all people loves Max Homa. He is one of many extra pleasant golfers on tour and is by far the funniest on social media. Homa’s monitor file in his previous two worldwide crew occasions would make him a no brainer selection for a captain’s decide.
At Quail Hole, Homa went 4-0 in his Presidents Cup debut. Then he was the highest U.S. factors earner on the Ryder Cup in Rome, securing 3½ factors with a 3-1-1 file.
Homa struggled mightily on tour since mid-Could, nevertheless, and did not have a top-10 end since tying for eighth on the Wells Fargo Championship. After lacking the reduce within the U.S. Open, Homa’s subsequent six finishes went like this: T61, T70, T43, 70, T33, missed reduce. Ouch.
Prediction
Sadly for the Worldwide crew, it may be a lot of the identical within the Presidents Cup. The U.S. squad is simply too proficient and deep. The U.S. runs away with a 17-13 victory, operating its profitable streak to 10 in a row.
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