Roar Guru
The Presidents Cup might not be as legendary or prestigious as the Ryder Cup but given the dominance of Australian and South African golfers in past couple of years the 2015 edition promises to one of the most closely contested since the inaugural event in 1994.
Join The Roar as we follow the Day 1 action live from 12:00pm (AEDT).
The Internationals have only managed to defeat the US team once in the history of the Presidents Cup, back in 1998. Since then the best they have managed is a tie – the Americans have claimed victory in the past five.
The last Cup a couple of years ago finished with the US team winning by three points 18.5 to 15.5.
Teams
US Team – Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Jimmy Walker, Zach Johnson, Ricke Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Patrick reed, Matt Kuchar, Chris Kirk, JB Holmes, Billy Haas, Phil Mickelson
The US team has a distinct advantage having five players currently ranked in the top ten players in the World (Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson).
Add to that the experience of Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar (both played over ten Presidents Cups) and you are looking at a truly formidable team.
International Team – Jason Day, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Branden Grace, Marc Leishman, Anirban Lahiri, Charl Schwartzel, Thongchai Jaidee, Danny Lee, Steven Bowditch, An Byeong-hun
Jason Day is the only golfer for the Internationals that currently sits in the top ten, but the likes of Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama (Ranked 12, 13 and 14) are on the cusp.
Adding to this, the likes of Brendan Grace, Marc Leishman and Anirban Lahiri were all amongst the top ten finishers in Majors this year. They have shown they can compete with the top crop.
Tournament Format:
Day 1 and 2
5 Matches – Fourballs
5 Matches – Foursomes
Day 3
4 Matches – Fourballs
4 Matches – Foursomes
Day 4
12 Singles Matches
In total 30 matches will be played with 1 point for the win after 18 holes. If the match is square after 18 holes half points will be awarded.
The US team will be declared winners if it’s tie since they are the current holders of the President Cup.
The Dream Finish:
The whole world wants to see Jason Day and Jordan Spieth go head to head in match play on the last day. It would be one of the greatest finish if both of them were the last to tee off against each other with the Presidents Cup still undecided.
Prediction: US team should win by at least 3 matches.