In the 30-year history of the Presidents Cup, the American team has lost to the Internationals -- the team comprising players from the rest of the world outside of the United States and Europe -- just once (1998).
The two sides tied once, too (2003).
Other than that, the Americans have won the Presidents Cup 14 times.
The nadir for the Internationals came in 2017 at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey, when the Americans were a whisker away from winning the cup on Saturday. The competition is supposed to end on Sunday.
At this point in its history, the Presidents Cup has been a non-competitive event in terms of the final outcome. It borderline feels pre-determined. So, an American golf fan wouldn't be totally out of place to feel a bit of sympathy for the Internationals side -- maybe to the point of rooting for them to pull off a big upset at Royal Montreal Golf Club next week in the 17th Presidents Cup.
But don't let American captain Jim Furyk hear you rooting, even quietly, for the Internationals. He's not going to like it.
Golfweek's Adam Schupak was talking with Furyk (for a full interview you should read), who was also the 2018 US Ryder Cup captain, at the Procore Championship in California last week about the event, and Schupak let it out that he kind of hopes the Internationals win -- in the interest of making the series feel more competitive and less one-sided. Furyk's response took Schupak aback.
“Really? You’re American,” Furyk said. “I do actually take offense at that. I don’t hate you, but it’s a pretty shi**y thing to say.”
Schupak explained that, for a journalist, the rooting interest is typically for a good story. The Americans winning for the 15th time in 17 tries isn't a good story but a mere continuation of a long story. Furyk, quite fairly, laid out why he took offense given the amount of effort and emotion the players from both sides put into something like this.
"Do you know how hard, how many hours, the captains work to try to win these matches?," Furyk asked Schupak. "Do you know how hard and how much effort the players, how hard they take it when they don’t play well? I’ve seen grown men cry in the locker room because they’re upset and I’ve seen how much it means to them when they do play well. I know what you’re saying, but do you know how offended I am?"
The 2003 US Open champion wrapped it up as clearly as he could while still being explicit.
“So it’s not like I’m killing you right now, but f**k you. Go **k yourself. You can quote me on that one,” he said.
If there's anything to take away from Furyk taking offense, it's that these matches -- even the ones where most observers feel pretty confident in the outcome -- take a lot of effort and emotional investment for the players, captains and assistant captains. The Internationals, led by Mike Weir, would say the same about what they put into trying to dethrone the American side.
If the Internationals can pull it off, though, a one-sided series may suddenly feel refreshed and riled up.
