Golf war leaves iconic event in disarray

2 years ago 138

The past Presidents Cup was truthful adjacent the International squad walked distant with renewed anticipation that it had capable crippled and capable combat to conquer the mighty Americans.

That present seems truthful agelong ago.

Sure, the COVID-19 pandemic pushed the Presidents Cup backmost a year. Far much disruptive was the Saudi-funded LIV Golf that depleted the acquisition from the International side.

"That's thing that we've been looking guardant to for the past 3 years," said British Open champion Cameron Smith, and past 20 days aboriginal helium was officially announced arsenic defecting to the rival league.

Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Marc Leishman of Australia besides took the currency to motion with LIV Golf conscionable 2 days earlier the 12-man International squad was to beryllium filled out. Louis Oosthuizen, truthful bully successful the Presidents Cup helium had a winning grounds portion ne'er playing connected a winning team, was among the archetypal to spell backmost successful June.

US skipper Davis Love III was asked if helium felt atrocious for Trevor Immelman, who was chosen arsenic International skipper agelong earlier LIV was thing much than a Roman numeral.

"I consciousness atrocious for the crippled of play close present that this is the communicative going in," Love said. "I consciousness atrocious for each of us, really. But Trevor has a occupation to do, and that's to instrumentality 12 guys successful determination acceptable to play, and he's going to beryllium focused connected that."

The 14th variation of the matches betwixt Americans and an International squad composed of players from extracurricular Europe starts connected Friday astatine Quail Hollow Club, and it looks to beryllium arsenic one-sided arsenic the grounds suggests.

The Americans person mislaid lone once, successful 1998 astatine Royal Melbourne successful Australia, matches that ended 12 days earlier Christmas. There was a necktie successful South Africa and past 8 consecutive US celebrations.

The US is not rather a twelvemonth removed from giving Europe its worst beating ever successful the Ryder Cup, 19-9 astatine Whistling Straits, with a young and bare team.

The Americans were not immune to the defections — Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were connected that Ryder Cup squad — though determination was nary certainty they would person made this team. Johnson hasn't won connected US ungraded since the November 2020 Masters, portion the others are trying to instrumentality from injury.

And the authorities of American play is specified that replacements are easy found. All 12 players are among the apical 25 successful the satellite rankings.

The International squad counters with lone 3 players from the apical 25 — erstwhile Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im and Tom Kim, the 20-year-old South Korean who wasn't adjacent a information until helium won the Wyndham Championship six weeks ago.

Immelman brings 8 Presidents Cup rookies to Quail Hollow. Only 3 players connected his squad person won tournaments this year. Only 2 — Matsuyama and Adam Scott — person won majors.

Love's squad has lone 3 players who haven't won this year. That includes two-time large champion Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young, the PGA Tour rookie who has been a runner-up 5 times and doubly came wrong 1 changeable of a accidental to triumph a major.

Now deliberation backmost to Melbourne successful 2019, a Presidents Cup that was going the International team's mode until a US rally connected the last time and a 16-14 victory. Ernie Els was the skipper who gave his broadside a caller logo, a caller individuality and a warring spirit.

Els said of his squad erstwhile it was over, "If you look astatine their grounds and wherever these guys are astatine the moment, they are going places, I tin archer you that."

Going to a rival league for guaranteed riches was not what helium had successful mind.

The Americans person 5 Presidents Cup rookies, though 2 of them (Morikawa and Scottie Scheffler) played successful the Ryder Cup, and 2 others (Sam Burns and Max Homa) person collected 3 PGA Tour victories successful the past 12 months.

It's one-sided connected paper. It's a one-sided history. If determination is unit connected the Americans, it's astir not being the squad that yet loses.

Immelman doesn't fell the disappointment astatine not having Oosthuizen and Smith and Niemann and those who were looked upon arsenic being large contributors.

What helium has is 12 guys who wanted to beryllium astatine Quail Hollow. Players who signed up for Saudi riches astatine LIV Golf knew they faced PGA Tour suspension, which meant not competing successful the Presidents Cup.

"When the players decided to inquire maine to beryllium their skipper aboriginal connected successful 2020 — this was earlier the pandemic, earlier the nonrecreational crippled was fractured and divided — I signed up to a peculiar acceptable of rules, and our squad is simply a squad of loyalty," Immelman said. "Our squad is simply a squad of their word. We'll abide by those rules.

"These are the 12 players that wanted to beryllium eligible. These are the 12 players that wanted to beryllium connected the team. Those are the 12 that I privation astatine the extremity of the day."

For a regular dose of the champion of the breaking quality and exclusive contented from Wide World of Sports, subscribe to our newsletter by clicking here!