Let the games begin
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2011 The Presidents Cup | Preview | 17 Nov 2011
All is in readiness for the commencement of play on day one of the 2011 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.
Following the glitz of official opening ceremony yesterday, today the tournament gets down to business with the opening foursome matches the first of which gets underway at 1.05 Melbourne time.
Perfect weather greets the 24 players and the huge crowd rolling into the hallowed grounds of Royal Melbourne.
The weather is predicted to be fine for all of day one although there are storms expected on Friday afternoon which could be an issue for tournament organisers especially if the predicted and associated thunder and lightning also arrive.
That is for the future however and when the first tee shot is stuck this afternoon by one of the group of Bubba Watson, Webb Simpson, Ernie Els or Ryo Ishikawa then we will all know the contest has begun in earnest.
The event is a match-up between the world ranking strength of the Americans against the ’hometown’ favouritism of the Internationals.
Much has been made of the inability of the Americans to handle the style of layout presented by Royal Melbourne. What seems to be have been lost in this equation however is that Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker have previously won on Melbourne’s famed sand-belt and Bubba Watson finished runner-up to Robert Allenby at the Australian Masters several years ago.
The gap between the respective capabilities of either side to play one of the world’s greatest layout, therefore, might not be quite as wide as many suggest.
This is likely to be an incredibly close contest but my head takes priority over my heart however and I believe the Americans will get home by three points at week’s end.
If I am wrong then I will not mind being so on this occasion.
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