Price’s ‘hodgepodge’ crew to face Uncle Sam’s army
All you need to know about it
just one International victory, in 1998 in Melbourne.
But Price said the one-point defeat two years ago in Incheon, South Korea, was “a shot in the arm” for players like Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, and Jason Day.
“Even though we’re a hodgepodge of a team from all around the world, we are all competitors,” Price said of a team that this year draws from eight nations.
“We like to compete, and we don’t like to get beaten.”
In addition to veterans like Australia’s Scott and Day and South Africa’s Oostuizen, the Internationals have four debutants in Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo, Canadian Adam Hadwin, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas and South Korean Kim Si-Woo.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama is the highest ranked International at number three in the world. At 25, he’s making a third Presidents Cup appearance.
“This team is made up of a lot of young guys who probably have another four or five Presidents Cups in them,” Price said. “I think they have realised how important this event is now, and they want to take it to the next level.”
It will be a daunting task against a US side featuring world number one Dustin Johnson.
World number four Justin Thomas has five wins this season, including his first major at the PGA Championship, and locked up the $10-million (R135-million) FedEx Cup playoff bonus.
World number eight Rickie Fowler boasts a tour win this year, and Brooks Koepka broke through for his first major title at the US Open.
Still, Fowler said, “we’ve got our work cut out for us”.
“We’ve had a lot of success this year top to bottom. But it all comes down to this week,” Fowler said.
Five-time major winner Phil Mickelson, the only player to compete in every Presidents Cup, lends a veteran presence, and said the Americans need to keep the pressure on.
“If you look at the talent on the international team, it is strong and it is deep,” he said. “If we open the door and give them an opportunity, it will bite us.”
Price and his players say it will be crucial to get off to a quick start in today’s five foursomes matches.
They’ll play fourball matches tom and four more matches in each format on Saturday before playing 12 singles matches on Sunday. — AFP A GUIDE to the 12th Presidents Cup golf match between an International team and the United States at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey:
COMPETITION – Biennial team matchplay competition featuring 24 of the world’s top golfers, 12 from the US and 12 from elsewhere around the world, excluding Europe, representing the International team.
The US won 15½-14½ in 2015 in Incheon, South Korea. They hold a 9-1-1 advantage in the event, with the only International victory coming in 1998 in Australia.
VENUE – Liberty National Golf Club, 7 345 yards, par-71. Course architect Tom Kite and Robert Cupp. Opened in 2006 on the shore of the Hudson River with views of the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island and Manhattan Skyline.
SCHEDULE – Today: Opening ceremony; Five foursomes matches – Tomorrow: Five fourball matches – Saturday September 30: Four foursomes matches; Four fourball matches – Sunday: Twelve singles matches.
WINNING THE CUP – Each match is worth one point each for a total of 30 points. A match level after 18 holes is halved.
If the competition is deadlocked at the end of singles play, the competition will be deemed a tie and the teams will share the Presidents Cup. — AFP