This year, the biennial playing of the Presidents Cup between the United States and the International Team has been thrown into chaos as a result of the ongoing civil war between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf Series.
PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan issued an almost immediate suspension to those that defected to the Greg Norman-fronted venture and as the PGA Tour is the creator and organiser of the Presidents Cup, many players are now ineligible to take part.
With the 14th playing of the competition just a matter of weeks away, captains Davis Love III and Trevor Immelman now face the ultimate headache as they seek to piece together a team they believe is capable of challenging for top honours.
Here are the twelve biggest names that each captain will be without for this year's Presidents Cup.
The International Team
- Abraham Ancer
- Cameron Smith
- Marc Leishman
- Joaquin Niemann
- Louis Oosthuizen
- Branden Grace
Whilst they each hold their own importance, the acquisition of Cameron Smith is perhaps the most significant. Not only is the Australian the Champion Golfer of the Year but he also holds the Players Championship - the PGA Tour's flagship event - which is the most financially lucrative purse of the season and often dubbed "the fifth Major" because of its strength of field.
The World No.2 is the best-ranked player to join the breakaway circuit and would have almost been guaranteed a place on the International Team for decades to come.
Niemann, winner of the Genesis Invitational earlier this year, is similar in nature. At just 23-years-old and 19th in the Official World Golf Ranking, the Chilean is the best-ranked player under the age of 25 to join the Series. Others ineligible for Immelman's team include Carlos Ortiz and Anirban Lahiri.
United States Team
- Dustin Johnson
- Patrick Reed
- Brooks Koepka
- Bryson DeChambeau
- Phil Mickelson
- Talor Gooch
The United States team is unequivocally better stocked to handle a mass exodus from its Presidents Cup selection pool, but take nothing away from the fact that losing multiple Major winners and Ryder/Presidents Cup experience in the likes of Dustin Johnson, Patrick Reed, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau will hurt - and that includes the fan experience.
Phil Mickelson would have been unlikely to take part but he has won the most points in the history of the Presidents Cup. Couple that with his historic victory at Kiawah Island just over 12 months ago and his absence will be felt.
Who Is Eligible To Play?
The short answer is any non-European PGA Tour member that hasn't defected to the LIV Golf Series.
For the Americans, that includes recently-crowned PGA champion Justin Thomas as well as World No.1 and Masters champion Scottie Scheffler. The American duo will tee it up alongside Patrick Cantlay, Sam Burns, Tony Finau and Olympic Gold medallist Xander Schauffele before Davis Love III will be tasked to make his picks.
Multiple Major winners in the likes of Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth are available for selection, as is fan-favourite Max Homa and Cameron Young - who came agonisingly close at the PGA Championship and 150th Open Championship at St Andrews.
Although eligible, Will Zalatoris was forced to withdraw from the Tour Championship and subsequently the Presidents Cup as a result of a back injury. The American enjoyed a breakthrough season with victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship. The 26-year-old also posted top-10 finishes at the Masters, PGA Championship and US Open.
For the International Team, former Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama remains their star attraction. Matsuyama reportedly turned down an eye-watering figure in favour of his legacy and will therefore headline the International Team at Quail Hollow. He will be joined by Sungjae Im, Corey Conners, Adam Scott and Mito Pereira.
The loss of Cameron Smith, Joaquin Niemann, Abraham Ancer, Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman will significantly damage the strength of the International Team. Take nothing away from those likely next in line - Erik Van Rooyen, Sebastian Munoz, Adam Hadwin and Ryan Fox - but it is fair to say the International Team does not have the same depth of talent and experience at their disposal as the United States.
