The Presidents Cup is back at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
The International team aims to break the USA’s winning streak since 1998. The Americans have dominated, winning 12 out of 14 matches, with only one tie and one win for the Internationals.
In 2019, the Internationals almost clinched victory at Royal Melbourne, but Team USA led by Tiger Woods made a stunning comeback on the final day. However, the formation of LIV Golf in 2022 caused a loss of key players for the Internationals due to PGA Tour regulations.
Two years later, LIV golfers are still barred from playing in the Presidents Cup because it’s organized by the PGA Tour. This raises questions about which teams are most affected and which notable players are missing .
Impact on International Team
Both teams feel the absence of their stars, but it seems like the Internationals suffer more. Alongside previously mentioned names like Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, Sebastian Munoz and Mito Pereira have also joined LIV Golf since last time. Munoz was especially impressive two years ago with an unbeaten debut against Scottie Scheffler.
Joaquin Niemann has won three times in the past year and is a significant loss for his team. Cameron Smith, who won The Open in 2022, is another big miss.
Louis Oosthuizen had a strong year too; he finished sixth in LIV points last year while Cam Smith came seventh this year. Dean Burmester was ninth after winning three times recently—his career-best run!
Fans might think that losing these players makes it tough for the Internationals to compete effectively.
Abraham Ancer shined in 2019 with 3.5 points from four matches before losing to Woods in singles. He won his first LIV title this year and finished twelfth in points. Carlos Ortiz also performed well and could’ve been considered if eligible.
Marc Leishman (15th) and Anirban Lahiri (16th) had solid years too but remain on the sidelines due to their affiliation with LIV Golf.
Notable Ineligible Players:
- Joaquin Niemann
- Cameron Smith
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Dean Burmester
- Abraham Ancer
- Carlos Ortiz
- Marc Leishman
- Anirban Lahiri
Impact on US Team
For Team USA, Bryson DeChambeau stands out as a major absentee due to his ties with LIV Golf despite being back inside world’s top ten . He went unbeaten at Ryder Cup 2021 but hasn’t played for Team USA since then.
Brooks Koepka is another big name missing even though he won twice on LIV this season despite not having great Major finishes this year; his win over Rahm at Greenbrier made him LIV’s first five-time winner!
Apart from DeChambeau and Koepka though—it’s hard imagining other LIV golfers making it into such competitive US team lineup! Talor Gooch might be considered given he was third-highest American in standings this year (10th), followed by Dustin Johnson (14th), Matthew Wolff (18th), Patrick Reed (20th).
Notable Ineligible Players:
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Brooks Koepka
- Talor Gooch
- Dustin Johnson
So while DeChambeau & Koepka are big losses for Americans—the Internationals seem more affected overall due civil war within golf & lack presence from their top players!
But don’t count out competition just yet! Both sides boast strong lineups mixing experience & fresh talent—with Mike Weir’s Internationals getting extra boost from home crowd support here Montreal !
What do you think? Will missing players make difference or can both teams put up good fight regardless?
