The Presidents Cup only comes around once every four years, but it’s back this weekend with four quality days of golfing action. It’s Team USA vs. Team International which pits some of the world’s best golfers against each other in a team format. Held at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, the 13th President Cup is sure to be a hotly-contested tournament, but the Internationals are going to need something special to erase its history.
They have won on only one occasion in 1998, but since then it has been one-way traffic in the way of the United States. The two teams did battle for a draw in 2003 where team captains agreed to share the Cup, but the States have won it convincingly since.
Team USA form
Team USA has named a red-hot team and it’s a formidable one on paper. They are the reigning and defending champions for a reason and this is arguably the strongest team they have put up in the last 12 years.
Team USA:
- Jordan Spieth
- Justin Thomas
- Dustin Johnson
- Rickie Fowler
- Patrick Reed
- Brooks Koepka
- Matt Kuchar
- Phil Mickleson
- Kevin Chappell
- Daniel Berger
- Kevin Kisner
- Charley Hoffman
Included in the team is 2017 Fed-Ex Cup champion Justin Thomas, who came of age this season in what was a dominant golfing year. Multiple major winner Jordan Spieth and Dustin Johnson make up a tough top three and we haven’t mentioned Rickie Fowler. If there is a question about the strength of Team USA it would be with the likes of Daniel Berger and Kevin Chappell. They played well in the early part of the season, but not so much heading into this tournament. Their lack of experience playing match play could count against the team, but senior players Patrick Reed and Phil Mickleson live for this type of golf and their guidance could see them through.
Team International form
The Internationals certainly have nothing to lose and everything to gain this week. Having won only one Presidents Cup over the course of history will not make the players or the captains happy, considering the strength of some teams that has lost. This year’s team features three Australians which are all capable of beating the best in the world and also three players from South Africa. The problem is with the bottom five players who all lack quality on the world stage and that could leave them in trouble in the early stages of the tournament.
Team International:
- Jason Day
- Adam Scott
- Marc Leishman
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Charl Schwartzel
- Braden Grace
- Si Woo Kim
- Jhonattan Vegas
- Emiliano Grillo
- Adam Hadwin
- Anirban Lahiri
We can’t see many points coming from the likes of Grillo, Hadwin and especially Lahiri, which was a strange captains pick. They might have to risk playing those players with the best from their team and hope the likes of Scott, Day and Matsuyama can carry them.
Presidents Cup tips
The USA is currently 2/7 to win the Presidents Cup outright which is a little short to suggest backing, despite a strong likelihood that it comes in.
There is better value in the Day 3 Foursomes winner and Day 4 Foursomes winner. The USA is paying 5/6 on both days to beat the Internationals and that’s good odds on our books. The USA should have too much strength combined for the Internationals in that format and we can see the U.S. pulling away from their opposition on the second and third day.
There is also value with Brooks Koepka in the Top Debutante market. The U.S. Open winner is currently 4/1 to score more points than the likes of Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger and a host of other players, but he’s got the best match play game of the lot and he should give bettors a great sight over the course of the week.