[jwplayer Hew3fZFR-9JtFt04J]
Remember…
Buster Douglas knocked Mike Tyson’s block off.
Joe Willie and the Jets trampled the Colts in Super Bowl III.
Chaminade chopped down Ralph Sampson.
The Miracle on Ice, the Miracle Mets.
Glorious upsets, one and all. Shockers in sports that give hope to all of us who seemingly have no chance whatsoever of conquering a mighty foe. Timeless reminders that faith lives, that on any given day, anybody or any team can beat anyone.
Or, in the optimistic words of Lloyd Christmas in “Dumb and Dumber”: “So, you’re telling me there’s a chance.”
All of which brings us to this week’s 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia.
On paper, the biennial bout pitting the Americans against the Internationals should start with a standing eight-count. The U.S. is a colossal goliath, with all 12 of the troops ranked in the top 25, five in the top 10. The average ranking for the team at the start of the week is 12.5.
MORE: Presidents Cup viewers guide | Photo gallery
The Americans are so deep they replaced world No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who is rehabbing a wounded knee, with No. 22 Rickie Fowler.
The U.S. is 10-1-1 in the series. It won the last match, 19-11, and it could have ended Saturday, making the Sunday singles a dreaded formality. Six of the Americans have won majors. There are only three rookies on the team. And Tiger Woods is not only playing, he’s leading the red, white and blue as captain.
The underdog Internationals? Their highest-ranked player is Adam Scott at No. 15, their lowest, Haotong Li, at 64. The average ranking is a hair below 40. Only three of their players have won a tournament this year. Only Scott and Louis Oosthuizen have won majors.
The Internationals have lost by at least three points in six of the past seven meetings. They have a record seven rookies on the team, which is the youngest in the event’s history. Jason Day, one of their leaders and best players, withdrew with a bad back.
Blowout city, right?
Well, remember …
Jack Fleck beat Ben Hogan to win the U.S. Open.
Appalachian State pipped Michigan in the Big House.
And David did kill Goliath with a single stone.
As long as the odds, a case can be made for the Internationals to pull off a stunner. Yes, even as hard as that may seem.
For starters, the U.S. isn’t exactly going to Oz whole. The intimidating Koepka is out. Dustin Johnson hasn’t played since August because of knee surgery. Fowler has played just once since August because of his wedding and then illness at the end of his honeymoon. Bryson DeChambeau is getting used to his Hulk-like body. Long plane rides aren’t good for Tiger.
Speaking of which, consider the travel itinerary.
Eleven of the 12 Americans played the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas last week and faced a 10,000-mile journey to Melbourne that will clock in around 26 hours. In four instances when the Americans traveled such distance to play, blowouts weren’t there at touch down. They were routed in Australia in 1998. Tied in South Africa in 2003. Won by four in 2011 in Australia and had to go to the last hole of the last match Sunday to win in 2015 in South Korea.
Make no mistake, the plane ride is a factor. So, too, will be the jet lag – there is a 16-hour time difference from the East coast. Meanwhile, six of the Internationals played in the Australian Open in Sydney, a scant 500 miles from Melbourne. And you can bet captain Ernie Els made sure his other six players made plans to be well acclimated by the start of the competition.
Plus, Royal Melbourne Golf Club, the site of the USA’s lone defeat in this event, is a fast-and-firm track rife with obstacles that dilute the Americans’ superior power game. And few know more about the course than Els.
Add in the law of averages. And the fact that Els’ seven rookies don’t have scar tissue from past defeats. And the Fanatics will be leading a boisterous home crowd.
Even so, the USA will be heavily favored to continue this one-sided affair.
But remember …
North Carolina State deflated Phi Slama Jama.
Stephen F. Austin shocked Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
And the aptly named Upset, at more than 100-1, dealt the great Man o’ War the only loss of his career.
So, yes, I’m telling you there’s a chance.
[opinary poll=”whos-your-pick-to-win-the-2019-president” customer=”golfweek”]