The Presidents Cup will be held this week at Muirfield Village on the northern edge of Columbus, Ohio. The U.S. Team has won 7 of the previous nine competitions and the last five consecutive Presidents Cups.
The only win for the International Team came in 1998 at Royal Melbourne. The 2003 Presidents Cup held in South Africa was declared a tie by captains Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player.
International Team Captain Nick Price has an uphill battle again this year. Only Ernie Els has won at Muirfield Village and most of the International team has only played the course a few times.
For a team event like the Presidents Cup to grow and prosper both teams need to be competitive.
Price even admitted in his Tuesday morning press conference when asked if this was a must-win for the Internationals,
“I wouldn’t say it’s a must-win, but this one needs to be competitive. The last four Presidents Cups have not been that competitive.”
Here are a few keys that could turn the tide for the International team and produce a magical win at Muirfield Village.
1. Become Ian Poulter.
One of the International team members has to make putts of impossible length, strike an intimidating pose and channel their inner Ian Poulter.
That could inspire the rest of the Internationals to begin making improbable putts and propel the team to victory.
2. Rookies must perform.
The International team is comprised of seven rookies. In Presidents Cup all team members play every session. You cannot hide a player who is not at his best or overcome by the enormity of the situation. Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Branden Grace, Graham DeLaet, Richard Sterne, Marc Leishman and Brendan de Jonge need to win some points for Captain Price.
3. Veterans must carry team.
Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Angel Cabrera and Jason Day must be at their very best all week.
Collectively they must help guide, cajole and coach the rookies in the team matches.
4. International team must win foursomes.
Eleven of the 34 total points derive from foursome matches. The International team must win the majority of the foursomes.
Foursome play is the weakest venue for the U.S. team and offers the Internationals a chance to gain an advantage.
5. Louis Oosthuizen must be healthy.
Oosthuizen won the 2010 Open Championship and was runner-up in the 2012 Masters. He has one of the best swings in golf, but injuries have sidelined him for much of the 2013 season.
He played last week in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship posting scores of 74-69-68.
He has assured Captain Price that he is 100 percent and ready to go.
6. The International team must mesh as one unit.
Six South Africans, three Aussies and one player each from Japan, Argentina and Canada make up the International team. They rarely play together.
Price said that the first time they were all in the same room was Monday evening at Muirfield Village.
Different cultures, language and backgrounds must combine to form a united front to beat the formidable American team.
7. Embrace the match play format.
Match play is very different than medal play.
Each player only has to beat the person he is playing against.
Match play many times allows the weaker player to defeat the stronger player through guile and applying the right pressure.
8. Win points early.
Even though the U.S. team has the higher ranked players and more experience, the younger and less experienced International team can apply pressure early in the matches. They will need to put a few points on the board on Thursday and Friday.
Their confidence will grow and the pressure will switch to the Americans.
Given the depth of the American team and the fact that all players must play in the first 12 matches on Thursday and Friday, it is unlikely the International team will take an advantage into the weekend.
The Internationals must play nearly flawless golf all four days.
At Muirfield Village a slight mistake can turn into a huge problem.