Defiant Internationals boss Immelman warns 'Team is no joke'

Defiant Internationals captain Trevor Immelman fired back on Sunday at those who laughed off his Presidents Cup squad after they pushed the heavily favoured Americans before losing for a ninth consecutive time.

"This team is no joke," Immelman said. "And we'll fight 'til the end every single time."

The Internationals, whose roster was decimated by the defection of several top stars to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Series, which made them ineligible for the Cup, lost 17.5-12.5 to the United States at Quail Hollow.

The Americans own a 12-1-1 edge in the all-time rivalry, having never lost on home soil, but Immelman vows his team's day is coming.

"We're going to win this event," he said. "We're here for the long run in this event. So we'll keep building. We'll keep fighting. At some point, we're going to win."

The Americans went 6.5-5.5 in the 12 concluding singles matches, but each was tight deep into the back nine as the youngest-ever global squad tested a mighty US lineup with 10 of the world's 16 top-ranked golfers.

"At some point this afternoon, I thought there was still a chance," Immelman said.

"When you consider that we were 8-2 down on Friday evening, this team is no joke, and I'm sick and tired of it being spoken of as a joke.

"We love this event, we love our team and we cannot wait to run this back and have another shot."

Open winner Cameron Smith of Australia, Chile's Joaquin Niemann, South African Louis Oosthuizen and Aussie Marc Leishman were among the top players who absence weakened the Internationals.

"When I was made captain, there was no such thing as a pandemic," said Immelman, who then appeared to take a subtle swipe at LIV Golf, adding, "There were a few other things that weren't around as well. And so we've had a