A closer look at the teams at this week’s Presidents Cup, which begins Thursday at the 7,137-yard, par-71 Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco:
SQUADS
UNITED STATES
Captain Fred Couples and vice captains Jay Haas and Michael Jordan
PlayerWorld ranking
Tiger Woods1
Phil Mickelson2
Steve Stricker3
Kenny Perry6
Jim Furyk9
Stewart Cink13
Sean O’Hair14
Lucas Glover*17
Zach Johnson18
Anthony Kim22
Hunter Mahan*25
Justin Leonard38
INTERNATIONAL
Captain Greg Norman and vice captain Frank Nobilo
PlayerWorld ranking
Geoff Ogilvy10
Vijay Singh15
Camilo Villegas16
Retief Goosen21
Ernie Els23
Angel Cabrera28
Y.E. Yang30
Mike Weir31
Robert Allenby32
Tim Clark37
Ryo Ishikawa*43
Adam Scott*65
* Captain’s pick
SCHEDULE
Thursday
Opening foursomes (six matches), 2:30 p.m., Golf Channel
Friday
Opening four-balls (six matches), 1:55 p.m., Golf Channel
Saturday
Second foursomes (five matches), 10:35 a.m., Chs, 4, 11
Second four-balls (five matches), 3:05 p.m., Chs. 4, 11
Sunday
Singles (12 matches), 12:25 p.m., Chs. 4, 11
SKINNY
Three things to watch:
1. Form
For the first time since the 2002 Ryder Cup, the U.S. squad enters one of these postseason team match-play competitions holding both the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. Headlined by the world’s top three players (Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Steve Stricker), the U.S. roster boasts a much higher average world ranking, is vastly more experienced in these events, should enjoy a home-course edge in San Francisco and arrives in far superior form from top to bottom. All 19 of the U.S. squad’s 2009 victories have come on the PGA Tour, and eight of the players collected wins this season.
2. Foursomes
The U.S. team has built its 5-1-1 record in the Presidents Cup by routinely dominating in the alternate-shot format. The International team has taken the overall four-balls by a narrow four points, and the United States owns a solid 11-point edge in singles. But the Americans have thrashed the Internationals by 20 points in the foursomes, winning basically two out of every three points. That makes Thursday’s opening set of foursomes matches immense. Given the underdog status of Greg Norman’s bunch, the International team can ill-afford to fall behind big early.
3. Wild cards
If the International squad hopes to compete at Harding Park, Norman’s two questionable captain’s choices will have to come through. It was surprising when Norman selected countryman Adam Scott, a player who plummeted from No. 3 to 65 in the world rankings thanks to a dreadful season with the putter. And 18-year-old Ishikawa, while undeniably talented, has hardly made a ripple outside of Japan and might not be prepared for this week’s high-stress team stakes.
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