Just under 12 months after a big win over the Europeans in the Ryder Cup, Team USA look to defend their Presidents Cup crown against the International team.
Only once have the Americans been beaten in the event, back in 1998, and they remain unbeaten on home soil. Tiger Woods was captain as he led his side to victory in Melbourne three years ago, though the US did have to come from behind on the final day.
The hosts are massive favourites this week, against an International team badly depleted by players joining LIV Golf and as a result not being eligible to compete.
Here’s all you need to know about the 2022 Presidents Cup...
When is the 2022 Presidents Cup?
The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday, September 22 and runs for four days, with the final matches taking place on Sunday, September 24.
It is being held at Quail Hollow in North Carolina. The course hosts the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour, which Rory McIlroy has won three times, and also was the venue for the 2017 PGA Championship. Justin Thomas won that year.
How to watch the 2022 Presidents Cup
TV channel: The action will be televised on Sky Sports Golf. Coverage begins at 5:30pm BST on Thursday and Friday, with an earlier start time of 12pm on Saturday due to two sessions being played.
The final day on Sunday will be shown from 5pm on the same channel.
Live stream: Sky Sports subscribers will be able to watch the four days via the Sky Go app.
Who is in the United States team?
Team in full: Patrick Cantlay, Justin Thomas, Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Scottie Scheffler, Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner, Cameron Young.
Captain: Davis Love III
Seven of those involved in last year’s record Ryder Cup win over Team Europe are teeing it up this week, as the USA contingent look for a similarly comprehensive victory.
Will Zalatoris was set to feature, but a back injury ruled him out of both the Tour Championship and the Presidents Cup.
Davis Love III had six captain’s picks, with the other six players automatically qualifying. His selections were Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa, Max Homa, Billy Horschel, Kevin Kisner, Cameron Young.
Only Kisner, a man who loves match play, is ranked outside the world’s top 20, in what is an incredibly strong American team. World number one Scottie Scheffler plays in his first Presidents Cup, while Homa arrives full of confident after victory at the Fortinet Championship last week, the first event of the new PGA Tour season.
Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele have enjoyed success together in team events in the past and will likely play with each other again, with Thomas and Spieth another natural pairing.
Horschel finally gets his chance on the US team, while Morikawa was an obvious pick despite not winning last season. His superb Ryder Cup debut involved three matches alongside Dustin Johnson, who along with the other LIV defectors is not involved.
Who is in the International team?
Team in full: Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Mito Pereira, Adam Scott, Taylor Pendrith, Sebastian Munoz, Si Woo Kim, Cam Davis, Christian Bezuidenhout, K.H. Lee.
Captain: Trevor Immelman
While Team USA have been impacted to an extent by the ban on LIV golfers, their strength in depth and the largely poor form of Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka before their moves away from the PGA Tour mean that those absences are not particularly significant.
The International team, on the other hand, is clearly weakened. Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann would have been two of the stars of the team, with Abraham Ancer, Marc Leishman and Louis Oosthuizen among those who would have surely been involved.
As it is, Trevor Immelman has eight rookies on his team and they go in as huge underdogs. The likes of Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott and Sungjae Im will need to produce big performances, with those three the only survivors from the team in Melbourne. Matsuyama is the highest ranked player for the International team at 18th in the world - Team US have only two players lower than that.
Im delivered 3.5 points on his debut, as many as any player on either side, and has finished in the top 15 in all of his last five tournaments. Tom Kim won his first PGA Tour event earlier in the summer, while Mito Pereira was one solid drive away from winning the PGA Championship in May.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout has the putting capabilities to prove a frustrating match play opponent, and Canadian duo Corey Conners and Taylor Pendrith could bring the best out of each other as a pairing.
Full schedule and format for 2022 Presidents Cup
As host captain, Davis Love III had the choice of the opening format on Thursday. He has chosen foursomes.
Each player is required to play at least one match before Sunday’s singles involving all 24 players.
Thursday September 22 2022: Five foursomes matches
Friday September 23 2022: Five fourballs matches
Saturday September 24 2022: Four foursomes matches, four fourballs matches
Sunday September 25 2022: Twelve singles matches
