2022 Presidents Cup - International team faces historic odds - can it pull off a massive upset?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The U.S. Presidents Cup team includes five of the top 10 players in the Official World Golf Ranking. Nine of them are ranked in the top 15, the most ever on a single team in the history of the event.

The International team has none, after Australia's Cameron Smith, the third-ranked player in the world and The Open winner, jumped to the new LIV Golf circuit in late August.

History is on the Americans' side, too. They have won 11 of the past 13 Presidents Cup competitions, losing just once and tying one other time. Many of the same U.S. players were on the Ryder Cup team that blasted the Europeans 19-9 at Whistling Straits a year ago, becoming the first squad to score 19 points and win by 10 in that more historic event.

Throw in the fact that the Presidents Cup is being played on American soil, at Quail Hollow Club, in front of thousands of U.S. fans starting Thursday, and it's easy to see why the Americans are heavily favored to win once again.

«I think it's quite clear that we're the underdogs,» International team captain Trevor Immelman said. «We generally have been in this competition over the years so it's a tag that we're used to.»

According to Caesars Sports Book, the U.S. team is a -750 favorite to win the Presidents Cup. While anything can happen over four days of golf, an International team victory would be the equivalent of Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson or No. 16 seed Maryland-Baltimore County taking down No. 1 seed Virginia in the NCAA tournament.

«Just because you're the favorite they don't give you any extra shots,» U.S. team star Scottie Scheffler said. «We don't start 1-up. There's a lot of talented players on the PGA Tour. It's a very deep tour, and the internationals obviously