The 2022 Presidents Cup is upon us, and it will pit perhaps the best United States team ever against a relatively thin International Team at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, NC.

This year's Presidents Cup started out like no other before it—several of the International Team’s players, who automatically qualified, departed the PGA Tour for the LIV Tour after the end of the Tour Championship in August. World-ranked No. 2 player Cam Smith left for LIV alongside Marc Leishman and Joaquin Niemann. All three of these players were automatic qualifiers for the International Team but were instantly disqualified from the competition when they joined the competitive Saudi-backed league.

This left International Team Captain Trevor Immelmann with the most captain picks ever. Unfortunately, with the European Tour (DP World Tour) players being ineligible for the Presidents Cup, the International squad likely has its thinnest team ever. The average world ranking for the U.S. Team is 11.8 while no player on the International Team is ranked higher than 16th in the world. The Vegas oddsmakers have the U.S. Team at heavy favors at -500 (wager $100 – win $120).

Rankings and Records

24. Starting at the bottom, unfortunately, is Taylor Pendrith. The 31-year-old Canadian was one of the players picked to replace the three automatic qualifiers that departed for LIV. He is currently ranked 107th in the Official World Golf Rankings and his best finish on tour so far in his career is T-13. The one thing he does have going for him this week is that he is one of the longest hitters on tour, and Quail Hollow should play to his strengths. He is a Presidents Cup rookie and has not played in a team format event on this stage before.

23. Christiaan Bezuidenhout is playing as a representative of South Africa. Trevor Immelmann knows his fellow countryman’s game well. Bezuidenhout is a dangerous putter on tour, and—despite not having a breakthrough win on the PGA Tour—has won three times on the DP World Tour overseas. Currently, Bezuidenhout is ranked 66th in the World Golf Rankings. Christiaan is making his first appearance at the Presidents Cup.

22. Perhaps the player that has the ability to turn up the heat the quickest, Sebastian Munoz has posted rounds of 63 or better five times in the past two years—more than any other player on tour. He could be a tough out in the team events if he catches fire and starts pouring in birdies. Munoz is currently ranked 65th in the World Golf Rankings, and this is his first appearance at the Presidents Cup.

21. Cam Davis won the 2021 Rocket Mortgage Classic after shooting a sizzling back-nine 31. That is his lone PGA Tour victory up to this point. However, the Aussie outlasted Joaquin Niemann and Troy Merritt in a match-play style playoff to lay claim to that trophy! Davis is currently ranked 63rd in the World Golf Rankings and will be representing Australia as a rookie as well.

20. Si-Woo Kim will be making his second Presidents Cup appearance. He last played in the 2017 contest at Liberty National and went 1-2-0 that week. He is one of the few International Team players that has won multiple times on the PGA Tour with three wins. Kim is currently ranked 74th in the World and will look to improve on his losing record in this matchplay format.

19. Mito Pereira was one of the automatic qualifiers originally rumored to be leaving the PGA Tour for LIV, but his official announcement has not been confirmed yet. Most people believe he will make the announcement after this weekend. He is best known for cruising through the 2022 PGA Championship the first four days, only to lose the tournament in heartbreaking fashion on the 72nd hole. Currently, Mito is ranked 49th in the world and will be making his first appearance at the Presidents Cup.

18. K.H. Lee has been a nice surprise for the International Team, winning in 2021 and 2022 and solidly cementing himself as a contender on Tour. He won at TPC Craig Ranch by beating Sam Burns and Jordan Spieth in a playoff this year. He is currently ranked 41st in the World and will also be representing the International Team as a rookie.

17. This is another rookie for Trevor Immelmann, but one that probably doesn’t feel like a rookie. Corey Conners has established himself as one of the best players in the world and is currently ranked 25th in the World Golf Rankings. He finished ninth in the automatic qualifying spot for the 2019 Presidents Cup and unfortunately missed out on a Captain’s pick at that year’s event. He said that the slight by then-captain Ernie Els motivated him to take his game to another level. And it certainly did. Corners did qualify as a top eight International Player and is one of the straightest drivers of the golf ball in the world. He’s sure to be a great competitor for the International squad.

16. Max Homa just defended his title at the season opener, The Fortinet Championship, last week by chipping in on the 72nd hole in Napa, California. He will be a Presidents Cup rookie and has won at Quail Hollow before. He has become a premier name on Tour and is a threat to win every week! He will definitely be a great rookie for the U.S. squad this week.

15. Kevin Kisner is a matchplay master. This is his second Presidents Cup appearance and he boasts an undefeated record at 2-0-2. He also won the WGC Match Play Championship, and for all you Kiz fans, “This Ain’t No Hobby”!

14. Tom (Joohyung) Kim is another rookie for Trevor Immeleman, but Kim has quickly ascended the World Golf Rankings and is currently ranked 21st. This is impressive, considering in just 2021 he sat outside the top 100 in the world. He recently won the Wyndham Championship in August for his first victory on Tour while also becoming the first player born after the year 2000 to win on tour.

13. Billy Horschel is a 35-year-old rookie for the U.S. squad, but he has faired well in matchplay contests on tour, including winning the 2021 WGC Dell Match Play by beating Scottie Scheffler. He will take the role of Patrick Reed who departed for the LIV Tour as the villain for the U.S. team. He will for sure be able to get under some of the International players' skin in the team events!

12. The most experienced player for either side is Adam Scott. This will be his 10th Presidents Cup appearance, and he carries a 16-22-6 record. He has never been part of the winning team in one of these events but does have a great Sunday singles record. He had an impressive season that saw him in contention at all of the Major Championships and vaulted him back into the top 30 in the world.

11. Sam Burns has cemented himself as a top 10 player in the world with multiple victories in 2022 and 2021. He comes to this Presidents Cup as a rookie but should be a part of every U.S. team going forward. I expect him to show up in a big way as a rookie and continue to build an impressive base for Team USA going forward.

10. Cam Young was one of the U.S. players rumored to be departing for LIV, and he said they made him a very lucrative offer. Ultimately, he decided to stay with the PGA Tour so he could be a part of these events. Also, a rookie this year, Young is sure to be included in every U.S. team going forward. He is also one of the longest hitters on tour and should pair nicely in alternate shots with great wedge players like Justin Thomas or Collin Morikawa.

9. Tony Finau finally broke through in 2022 and won multiple events. This is his second Presidents Cup appearance—where he has yet to win a full point. His record is 0-1-3, but that was before Tony figured out how to win and close out competitions. I am expecting him to have a big week and to be a leader for Team USA.

8. This will be Hideki Matsuyama’s fifth President Cup; he holds a record of 6-7-1 thus far. He may not have the best track record but is the highest-ranked International Team player in the World Golf Rankings and will be the anchor for Captain Immelmann.

7. This will be Jordan Spieth’s first President Cup since 2017; he missed out on the 2019 contest while he was rebuilding his swing. He does have a great matchplay record in his three previous President Cups, going 8-5-1, and continues to be one of the best players in the world.

6. Though this is Collin Morikawa’s first President Cup, he certainly doesn’t feel like a rookie. At last year's Ryder Cup, he went 3-0-1 and helped spark one of the biggest margins of victory for the U.S. Team in international teams competition. He didn’t win on tour in 2022 but has already captured two majors in his first three years on tour. I wouldn’t be surprised to see him win every outing this week and post another undefeated record as a rookie this week.

5. Sungjae Im has played in one other Presidents Cup and posted a record of 3-1-1 in 2019. He has struggled with some back issues this year but still seems to be in contention week in and week out. He makes more birdies than any other player on tour, and that is a dangerous thing in team competition. Im will for sure be a tough beat in any of the four-ball competitions this week.

4. This will be Xander Schaueffele’s second Presidents Cup appearance—he holds a record of 3-2-0 so far. He won twice on tour this year at the Travelers Championship and the Genesis Scottish Open. He and his best friend, Patrick Cantlay, won the matchplay event at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. They will definitely be a mighty duo for Captain Davis Love III.

3. Speaking of Patrick Cantlay, the World No. 4 ranked golfer will be making his second Presidents Cup appearance as well. He holds a 3-2-0 record so far, but he and best buddy Schaueffele absolutely torched Whistling Straits at last year's Ryder Cup by going 2-0-0 and improving their overall team record to 4-2-0. I am expecting big things from Schaueffele and Patty Ice this weekend!

2. Justin Thomas will be starting in his third Presidents Cup and has officially taken the title in these international teams competitions as Captain America. He holds a 6-2-2 record so far. He won multiple times this year, including his second major at The PGA Championship, and has a great track record at Quail Hollow, including a solo fourth and a tie for seventh.

1. Finally my top golfer this week (and for this year) is World No. 1, Scottie Scheffler. Though he enters this week’s competition as a rookie, he went undefeated last year at the Ryder Cup and won four times—including the Masters and PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2022. I wouldn’t be a bit surprised to see him go 5-0-0 for Captain Love III!

The Course: Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, NC

This will be the first time that Quail Hollow has hosted an international teams competition. However, it is no stranger to high-caliber PGA Golf Competitions as it plays host to the Wells Fargo Championship every year and has hosted the PGA Championship as well. This week, the course will play to a par 72 at an amazing length of 7888 yards.

The three holes to pay attention to that will test the strength of both squads this week…

Hole 3: 486 Yard, Par 4

This is the hardest hole on the course. It is a long, straight par 4 that pinches down by trees on both sides at the green. Not only is it a very narrow approach shot if you are out of position after your tee shot, but the green is also surrounded by three bunkers on all sides. Having to hit a mid-to-long iron in only escalates the difficulty of trying to make birdie here.

Hole 11: 462 Yard, Par 4

The shortest par 4 on the course is no easy test. It is a narrow green that runs away from the fairway, making for an awkward approach. Plus, it is guarded on the left by water. A deep bunker on the right side does not give the players an easy bailout either. A false front on the left and short of the green means that any shot long or left of the target will most likely end up wet.

Hole 14: 208 Yard, Par 3

This difficult par 3 plays slightly downhill, and the green slopes down and away from incoming approach shots, making it difficult to hold the green if the shot is long. A small bailout area to the right makes for an unpleasant pitch back towards the lake. There is sure to be some fireworks here, especially if the U.S. Team is up big early on and trying to apply pressure on the International Team down the stretch!

Predictions

The U.S. squad has won 11 of the 13 contests of the Presidents Cup so far, with the 2003 contest ending in a tie. This is probably the best U.S. squad ever assembled, and I would expect them to make a mark this weekend and win by double-digit points.

There are 30 points up for grabs over four days (the viewing schedule is below), and I wouldn’t be surprised to see the U.S. squad win in the 21-9 point range. I expect multiple players (Scottie Scheffler, Justin Thomas, and Patrick Cantlay) to go undefeated this week as well. As a surprise, I think Tom Kim on the International Team will be the top point-getter for them.

2022 Presidents Cup TV schedule (ET)

• Thursday, September 22: 12:30 - 6:00 pm (Golf Channel)
• Friday, September 23: 11:30 am - 6:00 pm. (Golf Channel)
• Saturday, September 24: 7:00 - 8:00 am (Golf Channel) and 8:00 am - 6:00 pm (NBC)
• Sunday, September 25: 12:00 - 6:00 pm (NBC)

Stay tuned for post-Cup coverage on what’s in the winners' bags and highlights from this great event! Of course, if you have any questions about any of the clubs being used or just want to chat about golf, feel free to reach out to me or any of our other awesome Golf Experts here on Curated!