By Paul Myers
While it doesn’t receive the same fanfare as the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup is still a huge event held every other year which pits many of the best golfers in the world against in each other in team competition. In the Presidents Cup, the team from the United States is placed up against an International Team (excluding European players). The format is similar to the Ryder Cup, as there are three days of match play, culminating with twelve singles matches on Sunday.
United States Has Dominated the Event
Unlike the Ryder Cup, which has been hotly contested between the United States and Europe for many years, the Presidents Cup has been a one-sided affair. There have been ten editions of the Presidents Cup since its introduction in 1994, and the International side has won the cup just once (in 1998). In the other nine editions, there have been eight U.S. victories and one tie. While the International team regularly has an impressive list of top players, they have historically lacked the necessary depth to keep up with the U.S.
Great Rosters for Both Sides
The 2015 version of the Presidents Cup will be help in Incheon, South Korea, at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. An early look at the potential rosters for each side indicates that this version of the event may be one of the most competitive yet. On the U.S. side, the team is expected to be led by Jordan Spieth, currently the #2 ranked golfer in the world and the holder of two major championship titles in 2015. Other notable names poised to make the U.S. squad include Bubba Watson, Zach Johnson, Dustin Johnson, and Rickie Fowler.
While that list of U.S. players is quite impressive, the International team will be more than ready to put up a fight. The top three on the list for the International side – Jason Day, Adam Scott, and Louis Oosthuizen – are all within the top 13 in the Official World Golf Rankings. That trio alone makes the International side a threat to capture their second ever Presidents Cup. Other notables include up-and-coming start Hideki Matsuyama, former Masters champion Charl Schwartzel, and Branden Grace.
Tough Captain’s Picks
The top ten players for each side on the points list will automatically qualify for the team, with two additional spots available per team as captain’s selections. The captains for the 2015 Presidents Cup are Jay Haas for the U.S. and Nick Price for the International team. Each captain will have plenty of qualified players to choose from when they make their picks on September 8th. Haas will have some major names to consider, as both Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson are currently outside of the top ten in points. For Price, there will also be big names available, such as Ernie Els, Angel Cabrera, and Tim Clark.
It seems likely that the U.S. side will once again be favored when the Presidents Cup gets underway in South Korea. However, with a strong International side hoping to break a long drought, a U.S. victory is far from a foregone conclusion.