2022 Presidents Cup: Potential for U.S. team domination among nine storylines to watch at Quail Hollow
2022 Presidents Cup: Potential for U.S. team domination among nine storylines to watch at Quail Hollow. Although the buzz around this year’s Presidents Cup isn’t as strong as it was three years ago when the United States narrowly defeated the international team in Australia, team golf at the top level is always exciting.
The United States is a heavy favorite and looks like they’ll easily beat Trevor Immelman’s international team.
However, great things may happen when underdogs are expected to win big. The United States, led by Davis Love III, finds itself in a classic David vs. Goliath matchup this week in Charlotte. Despite the uneven quality of play, this week’s Quail Hollow Golf Club tournament still has several intriguing subplots.
As a bonus, this tournament provides a welcome break from the (sometimes) arduous grind of individual stroke play that we typically experience throughout the year.
The days remained compelling even after a huge win in 2017 at Liberty National Golf Club. There were future stars on display for the United States, a wide range of pairings on both sides, and the jubilant celebrations that are so characteristic of match play in golf.
A few narratives could develop this week at Quail Hollow, so let’s look at them and break down what we’ll be watching for the rest of what should be a fantastic golf week, as Kyle Porter stated.
1. Over by Saturday?
Since the first few days of every Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup are exciting no matter the matchup or score, we can rest assured that the first few days of this tournament will be no exception.
Incredible hole-in-ones, bizarre golf-themed celebrations, and intriguing pairings that may or may not presage either team’s future are staples of these tournaments. In contrast, the United States led 14.5-3.5 after Saturday’s matches in 2017, and the tournament was already decided before singles play began.
That rarely happens, even when teams are as unequal as these. Most team events are decided in the final hours of the week. Hopefully, this one will be; however, unlike recent team events, the possibility of a boat race exists here (precisely the Ryder Cup last year at Whistling Straits).
2. Who’s not there:
At most team events, someone will always bring up the subject of being overlooked by a captain. This year, however, it’s all about who ignored themselves.
Not only will Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, and Dustin Johnson, all of whom have been foundations of Team USA over the last five years, be watching from home, but so will Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, and Louis Oosthuizen.
All of them play in the LIV Golf League. Even though this is not, and should not be, the week’s main topic of conversation, it is just another example of how LIV has seeped into every nook and cranny of the golf world, even one of the few hallowed team weeks that we have annually.
3. Course fit:
One of the major talking points leading up to this week was that even at full strength, the international squad wouldn’t be able to overcome the U.S. edge at a long, bruising course like Quail Hollow.
The golf course at Royal Melbourne worked against the U.S. team’s strength (length) and into the hands of a savvy, determined international squad, nearly ending a 24-year losing skid. Seven U.S. players rank in the top nine all-time at Quail Hollow and compete here.
More than half (eight) of this week’s top ten best-suited competitors for this course from from the United States. It’s hard to see how Love’s squad wouldn’t have an advantage on this course with the way it’s been set up.
4. Rookie ringers (on both sides):
This time around, I’m interested in seeing all the first-timers in action.
On the American side, stars like Sam Burns and Max Homa and future leaders like Billy Horschel and Cameron Young are intriguing (especially in the case of Burns, Homa, and Young). I think Burns, Homa, and Horschel will do well on a team since they are all enthusiastic competitors.
To compete with the United States, the International Team will rely on eight rookies; the most interesting of whom are 20-year-old Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, and Cam Davis. With those four performing at their potential, the foreigners might be able to put up a fight.
5. U.S. leaders:
Do you wish to experience the sensation of advancing age? Regarding U.S. tournament experience, Jordan Spieth is the leader by a margin of three (Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup).
Without D.J., Koepka, and DeChambeau, it’s clear that Spieth and Justin Thomas are the driving forces behind this U.S. team. This was probably the case even when the LIV guys were included.
Phil Mickelson said that Jordan Spieth would be the next big thing for the United States, and he was right. This week will be highly noticeable without Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as co-captains. J.T. and Spieth make a dynamic pairing.
One is a fabulous, collected presence in the press tent and, presumably, the locker room for players not much younger than him; the other is a chest-thumping monster who is 10-2-3 in team sessions at these events. For the next decade of U.S. team golf, they need to be like we thought Mickelson and Woods would be.
6. Top Scheff:
Scheffler’s meteoric rise to the top of the OWGR after a four-win start to the year proved my joke about the best player in the world and Jon Rahm playing the singles match of the Ryder Cup last year to be no laughing matter.
The fact that he went 2-0-1 in his debut U.S. team event last year made him an unexpected hero, but this year he won’t be able to pull off the same feat. As one of the Americans who will be singled out for the most scrutiny, I wonder if he has what it takes to lead from the front.
7. Foursomes advantage:
The international team’s main issue over the past two decades has been its inability to compete in foursomes at this tournament, even though it has three players in the top 25 of the OWGR and the United States has twelve.
There’s a shocking statistic down below. Over the past 15 years, the international team has beaten the U.S. team in singles play and equaled them in four balls, but they have been annihilated in foursomes. You should keep an eye on that as we head into the coming week.
8. U.S. pairings:
Probably this week, we’ll see specific pairings that we’ve seen at the Ryder Cup or will see again next year in Rome, and I worry way too much about the nitty-gritty specifics on the American side.
The first two days of American practice rounds’ pods are listed below.
You can’t go wrong with a duo like Burns and Scheffler. J.T.-Spieth and Cantlay-Schauffele are, too. Finau’s personality is so malleable that he could be swapped out with any of the other three individuals in his pod, and the group would still make sense.
The exciting duo, Kisner and Horschel, aren’t necessarily statistically exceptional at Quail Hollow, but they’d be a nightmare to play against. A ball-striking spectacular, Morikawa-Homa is a must-see. It will be fascinating to observe how things develop.
9. What does U.S. future look like after optimistic Whistling Straits?
A year ago, I reported about the American “Dream Team” invasion of Lake Michigan. For a brief second, the future was bright, and the red, white, and blue appeared unbeatable.
However, almost half of that team has left (either to LIV or to injury), and their replacements raise some doubts. While this year’s Presidents Cup isn’t as indicative of the next five years of U.S. team golf as the Ryder Cup was, it could still be a good indicator of what to expect.
Not expecting a more positive perspective considering the team’s potential and the losses they’ve suffered, they may become a more united unit as they prepare to face off against the world’s finest golfers in future Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups.
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