Do the underdogs have bite?
The International team has little choice but to embrace the role of underdog as it takes on a formidable United States side at the Presidents Cup starting tomorrow.
The Americans should be far too strong at Liberty National in New Jersey for a global team lacking the depth of their opponents.
The American players have an average world ranking of 15.5, compared to 31.5 for the Internationals.
All 12 Americans are ranked in the top 30 globally, led by world No 1 and 2 Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.
The International team has only two ranked in the top 10, Japanese No 3 Hideki Matsuyama and Australian No 7 Jason Day.
The Americans are 9-1-1 since the event was created in 1994, including a perfect 6-0-0 at home.
Only two of those six competitions were close, the Americans holding a cumulative 31-point advantage – 114 1/2-83 1/2.
So what can the Internationals do?
Captain Nick Price, who returns this year for his third time at the helm, made one step in the right direction when he successfully lobbied the PGA Tour two years ago to reduce the number of matches from 34 to 30 for the event in South Korea.
This allowed the International team to hide its weaker bench, and the move almost worked, with the Americans squeaking home by one point.
Australian and South Africans have traditionally comprised the backbone of the team, and this year will be no exception, with the two countries having three players each in the 12-man line-up, along with one player from Japan, South Korea, India, Canada, Argentina and Venezuela. – Reuters