Before reading the meat of this piece you should know that we don’t buy a word of it.
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we → read → it
The International Team has as much chance of winning the Presidents Cup as the Toronto Blue Jays do of claiming a wild-card spot.
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Jays → have → spot
But like the slim hope that last year’s World Series runner-up will somehow sneak into the post-season, we desperately want the world team to pull off a monumental upset and win the Presidents Cup for the first time since 1998.
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team → sneak → 1998
Not because we have a rooting interest with Canadians Corey Conners and Nick Taylor on the visiting squad, plus Taylor Pendrith in the surprising role of assistant captain, but because the biennial competition desperately needs it.
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competition → have → it
The Presidents Cup is golf’s version of the Harlem Globetrotters beating up on the Washington Generals.
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Globetrotters → beat → Generals
The International Team’s lone victory came nearly 30 years ago, when American players showed little passion for an event played in Australia in December.
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players → come → December
Five years later came the competition’s high point, a riveting tie in South Africa, but since then it’s been nothing but red, white and blue.
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it → come → Africa
Only in South Korea in 2015 was the final score close, with the U.S. prevailing by one point.
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U.S. → prevail → point
(It’s a narrow one.)
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It → ’ → ?
They could win.
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They → win → ?
They might humiliate the Americans on their home soil.
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They → humiliate → soil
(It’s unlikely.)
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It → ’ → ?
Why might they do it?
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they → do → it
We’ve laid out five reasons below, even if we really don’t think it will happen.
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it → lay → reasons
Captains can have an impact on team golf competitions.
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Captains → have → competitions
They oversee setting up the pairings and determine the order of play.
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They → oversee → play
They can also advise players how they should approach certain holes.
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they → advise → holes
That makes Geoff Ogilvy’s familiarity with host venue Medinah especially valuable.
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familiarity → make → Medinah
His design firm, OCM, completed a $26-million overhaul of the No. 3 Course in 2024 that included a near-total redesign of the final six holes.
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that → complete → holes
It is a much different course from the one that hosted the 2012 Ryder Cup, and no one on the American side will understand its nuances like the International side’s captain.
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one → host → captain
The Americans may overlook their competition
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Americans → overlook → competition
The expectation that this event is a foregone conclusion could make it difficult for the Americans to match the urgency of their opponents. (Although it hasn’t in past years.)
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it → make → years
The Presidents Cup does not carry the same weight for the U.S. players as the Ryder Cup.
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Cup → carry → Cup
For the Internationals, this is their chance to make history, and for many of them it could be the biggest week of their careers.
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it → make → careers
They may be underdogs, but they are a team of world-class players capable of outplaying the U.S. side for four days.
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they → outplay → days
Adam Scott’s last stand
If the Internationals are looking for a rallying cry, winning one for Adam Scott would be it.
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winning → look → Scott
The 46-year-old has accomplished plenty in his career.
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old → accomplish → career
He has won 33 times as a professional, spent 11 weeks atop the Official World Golf Ranking and remains the only Australian to win the Masters.
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He → win → Masters
One thing he has never done is win the Presidents Cup.
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he → do → Cup
Scott has represented the International side 11 times, losing 10 and tying once.
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Scott → represent → 10
Given his age, this could be Scott’s final time representing the International side as a player.
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this → give → player
That said, he is still playing at a high level.
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he → say → level
He finished tied for second at the DP World Tour’s BMW PGA Championship last week.
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He → finish → Championship
Sending one of the International Team’s greatest players out with his first Presidents Cup victory should provide plenty of extra motivation for his mates.
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Sending → send → mates
The Internationals have some dogs
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Internationals → have → dogs
The depth of the International Team has become a concern in recent years, but it does have some players down the lineup who have repeatedly shown they can come through in the clutch.
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they → become → clutch
Golf fans saw what Ryan Fox did down the stretch at this year’s Open Championship, making birdies on four of his final six holes to take home the Claret Jug.
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Fox → see → Jug
The Presidents Cup rookie is also 2-0 in PGA Tour playoffs, including at the 2025 RBC Canadian Open when he struck what he called the “best shot of his life” into the par-5 18th at TPC Toronto to set up the winning birdie on the fourth extra hole.
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he → include → hole
Tom Kim’s Presidents Cup record isn’t great at 3-5-1, but two years ago in Montreal he proved he can get under the skin of U.S. players.
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he → prove → players
You could fill a highlight reel with the Canadian rolling in clutch putt after clutch putt, including his 72-foot eagle to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.
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Canadian → fill → Open
…and 4 more, not listed.
The Aporia
