The 2017 Presidents Cup Preview

Hello all golf fans and fellow hackers alike. As many of you know, the final leg of the FedEx Cup (golf's version of a "regular season") wrapped up this past weekend. Justin Thomas edged out his closest friend, and steepest competitor, Jordan Spieth by nearly 700 points to take over 1st and solidify himself as this year’s golf player of the year.

(Enjoy that 10 million dollar bonus JT), but I'm not here to talk about the FedEx Cup. I'm here to talk about the next big tournament of 2017. A tournament where everyone can stand behind a team not just an individual golfer. The Presidents Cup! Yes, I know it's known as the ugly step sister to the Ryder Cup, but for 4 days it gives us Americans something to band together and root for. Something this country could use.

Now if you’re unfamiliar with what the Presidents Cup is, here is a general rundown of how it is played. The Presidents Cup is a golf tournament that is played every two years consisting of two teams- The American Team (made up of players from the United States) and The International Team (comprised of players from countries across the world (other than the US) who do not participate in the Ryder Cup; aka all non-European countries). There are 12 golfers per team. 10 of the 12 golfers are nominated to the roster based on the points they acquired during the FedEx Cup season, while the final two members are selected by the team’s captains. The first team to 15.5 points wins the Cup. You earn points by beating your opponents in a 2v2 style of golf games. The golf games consist of Alternate Shot and Four-ball. Both events are played from Thursday through Saturday, while Sunday is your traditional golf singles format. Each team can earn 1 point for every match won and half a point for every match tied. (Hopefully you've grasped some idea of the game and your brain is not too fried. A more fine-tuned explanation can be found here).

Now for what you really came for. Let's go over your 2017 Presidents Cup participants! Starting with the International team, captained by Nick Price, and assisted by Ernie Els, Mike Weir, Tony Johnstone, and Geoff Ogilvy. The team will consist of:

1. Jason Day [Beaudesert, Australia]

2. Adam Scott [Adelaide, Australia]

3. Hideki Matsuyama [Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan]

4. Marc Leishman [Warrnambool, Australia]

5. Louis Oosthuizen [Mossel Bay, South Africa]

6. Charl Schwartzel [Johannesburg, South Africa]

7. Branden Grace [Pretoria, South Africa]

8. Si Woo Kim [Seoul, South Korea]

9. Jhonattan Vegas [Maturín, Venezuela]

10. Adam Hadwin [Moose Jaw, Canada]

11. *Emiliano Grillo [Resistencia, Argentina]

12. *Anirban Lahiri [Pune, India]

* = Captains pick

This team is very good. Don't be fooled by some of the names you don’t recognize. I personally think it's the best International team we have seen since the Presidents Cup began in 1994. The team is led by 3rd ranked golfer in the world, Hideki Matsuyama. Matsuyama has wins in 3 of the FedEx Cup tournaments this season and brings a precision to the game that is unmatched by many in golf. Hideki finished at an average placement of 8th during golf Major's this season including a 2nd place finish in this years U.S.Open. He is not intimidated by the US players and should be a major thorn in the side of the American team this weekend. Jason Day, who has recently found his 2015 PGA Championship form, might be the American's toughest match up throughout the tournament as he has proven pedigree and is one of the marque names in this tournament. Our underdog to watch out for comes in the form of Marc Leishman. Winner of the BMW Championship, Leishman will be the rally cry and fan favorite for all International fans. Marc has the heart of a lion and will thrive off the doubt of others while on the course. This tournament means a lot to Leisman and he will fare as a great partner during team play especially if teamed up with one of the International team's weaker players. He is the outlier that will offset any mistake this team makes. I think the International team is strong top to bottom, and with a chip on their shoulder, and with nothing to lose, this team is built to shock the world. The question is, will they show up and play well together in team form? Can they outperform the Goliath that is the USA team? I guess we will have to see.

Now let's get to, in my opinion, the Dream Team of Golf. I could compare the talent on this team to that of the historic 1992 United States Olympic basketball team. They will be captained by Steve Stricker, and assisted by Jim Furyk, Fred Couples, Davis Love III, and yes, Eldrick Tiger Woods. Even though Tiger won't be playing, he will still be a crucial part of making the pairing decisions for the American team. Team USA will consist of:

1. Jordan Spieth

2. Justin Thomas

3. Dustin Johnson

4. Rickie Fowler

5. Matt Kuchar

6. Brooks Koepka

7. Patrick Reed

8. Daniel Berger

9. Kevin Kisner

10. Kevin Chappell

11. *Charley Hoffman

12. *Phil Mickelson

* = Captains pick

Now don't get me wrong, this is going to be a good battle, but when you have THREE Major winners from this year on your team (Brooks Koepka - U.S. Open, Justin Thomas - PGA Championship, & Jordan Spieth - British Open), you should like your chances. With so much young star power, and some veteran presence, it's hard to form a more perfect team. We will hopefully see the dominant pairing of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed at some point this weekend. Both Reed & Spieth had a major part in dethroning the Europeans in the Ryder Cup and the Americans are banking on the same type of performance this time around. Spieth is an obvious winner, possibly the best of his generation, but Pat Reed is everything that is Team USA. Reed is a cold hearted competitor that isn’t afraid to shush the crowd, or taunt an opposing player (just ask Rory McIlroy, he knows firsthand). That type of chutzpah is not known in golf and should play as an X factor in all events this weekend. Naturally, we’d love to see the captains elect Jordan, and good friend, Justin Thomas to team up at some point. The two have an amazing connection with one another that could finally be displayed in a team event such as the Presidents Cup. It shouldn’t go unnoticed either, the decision captain Stricker has made by electing Phil Mickelson as the twelve team member. I believe his leadership on and off the course will be felt tremendously and will factor as the glue to this group. This team has 3 of the Top 4 players in the world on its roster including baaaaad man Dustin Johnson. If Spieth is your MJ, Johnson is your Rodman/Pippen mix with a tenacity that is rare in golf. People like to write off Johnson due to his "party boy" antics off the course but he is arguably one of the most consistent golfers of the bunch (he’s not ranked #1 in the world for nothing). Expect Johnson to have the eye of the tiger this weekend, going for throats on every shot. In the end, I love the comradery on this team and I think that gives the American's the edge over the International squad. Watch out for the Red, White, and Blue!

To wrap this up, the Americans are a 300 to 1 favorite to win the Cup. Therefore if you’re feeling patriotic and want to make some cash, I'd throw some money on them to win again and go back-to-back. The USA has only lost the Presidents Cup once, so you should feel fairly confident. Ultimately, I hope this article has shed some light on the excitement surrounding the game of golf and I hope you have time this weekend to tune in. It doesn't get much better than team events and I think this is the chance for you casual fans out there to pick up on the love of the game that I share. Golf is certainly not your “grandfather’s game” anymore and has now become a youth movement. It’s as exciting as it was when Tiger first cracked into the league and an international tournament like this is a perfect opportunity for people around the country (and world) to see the overwhelming talent golf now has to offer. Go Team USA!