An American squad with 11 of the world's 18 top-ranked players arrived at the Presidents Cup in North Carolina as huge favorites for a ninth consecutive victory over a depleted Internationals lineup.
Top-ranked Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, No 4 Patrick Cantlay, fifth-ranked Tokyo Olympics champion Xander Schauffele and multiple major winners Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Collin Morikawa lead the 12-man US team into Quail Hollow in Charlotte.
"I'm excited about this 12 and ready to get going," US captain Davis Love said. "It will be a great show once it starts."
The Americans, who feature six rookies including Scheffler, have won 11 of 13 meetings, with one drawn. Their only loss came in Melbourne in 1998.
They face an Internationals team with a record eight rookies, their youngest-ever lineup averaging 28.8 years after defections to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series denied them British Open winner Cameron Smith of Australia and top-25 players Joaquin Niemann of Chile and Abraham Ancer of Mexico.
Still, a lineup with seven newcomers tested a Tiger Woods-led US team in 2019 in Melbourne before losing 16-14.
"That fun vibe will continue with all the fresh blood in the team," Internationals veteran Adam Scott of Australia said.
"And if we can get the momentum going, we might just shock the world."
It would be a stunner for the ages if the Internationals downed one of the most formidable American sides ever, a group to rival the one that ripped Europe 19-9 in last year's Ryder Cup. Love's lineup has 12 of the world's top 25 even without injured No 8 Will Zalatoris and several LIV Golf defectors, including Dustin Johnson.
The Internationals boast five of the top 30, led by 2021 Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan at 17th, but US talent and depth make them an overwhelming favorite. "We came so close to getting the win in 2019," Matsuyama said. "It still frustrates me to think back at how close we came to getting it done ... hopefully this year will be a different story."
The Internationals will get a jolt from 20-year-old Kim Joo-hyung, among a record four South Koreans on the roster.
Jordan Spieth, left, and Justin Thomas will lead Team USA while Tom Kim is one of a record four South Korean golfers on the Internationals' roster at Quail Hollow. AFP
