CNN
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Performed 13, received one, tied one, misplaced 11: the Presidents Cup kind e-book makes for grim studying for the Worldwide Crew forward of the 14th version of the occasion on Thursday.
And if the duty of stopping a ninth straight US victory wasn’t daunting sufficient, first-time captain Trevor Immelman should make historical past by overturning American dwelling benefit with a crew made up predominantly of match rookies.
Three years in the past, the 2008 Masters champion was amongst Ernie Els’ assistant captains because the Worldwide Crew noticed a lead agonizingly slip away on the final day in Melbourne, Australia, the positioning of their sole victory in 1998.
Having taken the reins from his South African compatriot shortly after, Immelman has since spent numerous hours strategizing tips on how to rewrite the standard script at Quail Hole Membership in Charlotte this week.
“We’re not blind, we all know precisely what the file is however, in a manner, it motivates us,” Immelman advised CNN’s Don Riddell.
“In 2019, we felt like we took an enormous step ahead from a crew facet, from a franchise facet, so to talk.
“We slowly however certainly began attempting to construct this home and make it stable and on a agency basis as a result of we’re trying not simply to this week, however cups down the road as effectively.”
Delayed by a 12 months because of the pandemic, the biennial cup sees the 2 12-man groups face off throughout 18 paired crew matches earlier than 12 singles match-ups shut the match on Sunday. Every match is price one level, with the primary crew to succeed in 15.5 factors topped champions.
Six members of every roster are crammed with automated qualifiers, leaving respective captains Immelman and Davis Love III to hand-pick the remaining half. The Worldwide participant pool extends to anybody exterior the US and Europe, with this 12 months’s lineup spanning South Korea (4), Canada (2), Australia (2), South Africa, Japan, Colombia, and Chile.
A taking part in member of the 2005 and 2007 squads, Immelman believed earlier teams had usually struggled for cohesion earlier than Els’ management. With no brand or crew colours till 2019, Els’ adoption of the protect emblem and black and gold livery constructed in the direction of the bigger objective of giving the crew an identification.
“He [Els] was the right chief on the excellent time with sufficient pull and sway to have the ability to make some adjustments and set us off on this course,” Immelman mentioned.
“It’s very tough if you’re pulling gamers from seven, eight, 9 totally different international locations they usually come right here representing their nation relatively than representing this one crew. Now that we’ve the protect, these gamers come right here and that’s what we play for.”
For Immelman, such a shift means the Worldwide crew can now keep away from falling into the “lure” of selecting pairings for the occasions based mostly on shared nationality versus tactical match for course and opponents.
“One of many issues that we’ve modified over the previous couple of years is breaking down these cultural boundaries in order that any participant can play with every other participant on the crew,” he mentioned.
“We will see that we’re large underdogs on paper and so we must be very sensible with what we do with our pairings. There’s plenty of issues that go into these choices to ensure that we are able to try to discover each little edge that’s on the market to place ourselves and our gamers in the perfect place potential to try to shock the world on the finish of the week.”
Given the make-up of the 2 groups, it’s tough to argue in opposition to the underdog label. Eight members of the Worldwide Crew will make their Presidents Cup debut in Charlotte, whereas Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama symbolize the one main champions within the group following Masters victories in 2013 and 2021 respectively.
Japan’s Matsuyama is the very best ranked participant on the crew at World No.17. Solely two gamers on the US crew are ranked decrease, with 5 of the world’s prime 10 among the many star-studded ensemble, and World No.1 Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, and Justin Thomas boasting seven main titles between them.
Scheffler and Morikawa are among the many six American first-time gamers, but nonetheless are available with a mixed 9 PGA Tour wins. Against this on the Worldwide aspect, fellow cup debutants Taylor Pendrith of Canada and Mito Pereira are nonetheless chasing their first Tour titles.
So how do you go about making ready such rookies for the baptism of fireside that could be a Presidents Cup on away floor? You begin, Immelman says, “simply by loving them.”
“You place your arms round them, you make them know that you simply love them and that you simply’re there for them,” the South African defined.
“Am I going to have the ability to say one thing to them or give them a magic tablet that may take away their nerves and nervousness and pleasure on the primary tee? No likelihood, that’s not on the market. … (However) these guys have logged 1000’s and 1000’s of hours since they began this sport, honing their expertise, getting themselves to elite stage on the PGA Tour. They’ve what it takes. They know precisely tips on how to play this sport and what must occur. So you actually simply inform them to belief themselves, belief the method, belief the work you’ve put in.”
For Immelman, nonetheless, crucial recommendation to his gamers is solely to benefit from the expertise, as a result of their captain shall be relishing each second.
After being sidelined by a number of accidents throughout his taking part in profession, the 42-year-old has discovered a “second profession” in broadcasting, and he’s slated to grow to be CBS Sport’s lead golf analyst subsequent 12 months. Fourteen years on from pipping Tiger Woods to Masters glory, Immelman nonetheless pinches himself on the victory, his love for the sport as sturdy as ever.
And regardless of the end result come Sunday, that romance will proceed, with Immelman leaving Charlotte having adopted within the footsteps of South African {golfing} royalty Els and Gary Participant in captaining Crew Worldwide.
“It has been a loopy experience – at occasions I can’t imagine how lucky I’ve been,” Immelman mirrored. “I really feel humbled. You check out the checklist of captains which have come earlier than me for the worldwide crew, all legends of the sport, all heroes of mine, those who I’ve regarded as much as all through my life.
“In case you can’t take pleasure in this, I’m unsure you’ll be able to take pleasure in something … the golf course and the build-up is like one thing I’ve by no means seen earlier than in my life. It will be electrical on the market. We can’t wait to be part of it.”
