Presidents Cup: Steve Palmer's preview, best bets, free golf tips, course guide

Golf tips, best bets and player analysis for the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Where to watch

Live on Sky Sports Golf from 10.30pm Wednesday

Best bets

USA to win the Presidents Cup
5pts 4-9 Betfred
Back this tip with Coral
USA to win 18-12
1pt 12-1 Coral, Ladbrokes
Back this tip with CoralMarc Leishman top International
1pt 15-2 general
Back this tip with CoralJustin Thomas top American
1pt 5-1 BoyleSports, Coral, Ladbrokes, Sky Bet
Back this tip with Coral

The United States are gunning for eight Presidents Cup victories in a row and can be backed at 4-9 to get the job done at Royal Melbourne this week. The Internationals, bidding to stop the rot at the venue where they last triumphed, are available at 11-4.

The tie is a runner, with the Cup being officially shared if the scores end 15-15 on Sunday, and that scenario is a best-price 14-1.

Steve Palmer's verdict

USA 4-9

The chances of the Internationals have been talked up in many quarters this week, and broadcasting chiefs are particularly keen to promote the idea that a much more thrilling Presidents Cup than usual lies in store, but it seems likely that American dominance will continue.

The reasons for believing the Internationals are suddenly going to boss proceedings appear to be mainly based on hope rather than reality for a contest which has been so one-sided over the last two decades that its future has been regularly called into question.

Firstly, the long journey which the Americans have made from the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas to Melbourne has been touted as a huge negative. Of course, a day of travel is far from ideal, but States skipper Tiger Woods made the Hero a Wednesday to Saturday tournament, so his troops had enough time to recover for the Cup.

Most of his team had long breaks prior to the Hero, used the tournament to get competitive rust out of their system, then slept for most of the trek to Australia in first-class cabins. Globetrotting is a way of life for the elite and they should be able to ease out the jet-lag soon enough.

Secondly, the indiscretions of Patrick Reed in the Hero have been cited as having a potentially unsettling effect in the American locker room. Again, this is surely being overplayed. Reed has never been the most popular player on the circuit but is welcomed by teammates for the greater good, always performing superbly for his country. His good friend Patrick Cantlay is a natural partner and any abuse from the galleries will not trouble Reed. He has got used to the villain role and seems to thrive when under attack.

Thirdly, as straws continue to be clutched, Woods combining captaincy with playing is being seen as unfavourable. But who better to discuss course conditions and tactics every night with his team than someone who has been on the track in the thick of things?

Woods has a magnificent back-room staff, with three-time winning Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples acting as understudy, aided by Steve Stricker, who captained the States to a 19-11 victory two years ago, with enthusiastic back-up from the popular and patriotic Zach Johnson.

Woods, if he so wishes, can leave his trusty sidekicks to deal with off-course issues and will have plenty of time to concentrate on the playing side of things. And with his swing in top order recently – and the option of benching himself for a session or two if he needs a breather – this is just nothing to worry about.

The likelihood of Ernie Els being a great captain is another wishy-washy reason the pro-International pundits have been proffering. Like Captain Woods, the greatest golfer of all time, somehow lacks the same inspirational qualities? Tiger's 11 teammates will be desperate to perform at their best for him. Woods will probably captain numerous Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup teams over the next couple of decades, and he will have a loyalty to this group if they get him off to a winning start.

Punters should ignore the International hype and digest the much more compelling facts which indicate the States deserve to be even shorter than 4-9. Since the Internationals' last victory, the USA lead the match by 168 points to 128. Six of the last seven wins have been by three points or more. The Internationals have won just one of the 12 editions since the Cup was created in 1994.

The average world ranking of the Internationals is 40.75. The average world ranking of the Americans is 11.66. Eight of the 12 Internationals are outside the top 35 of the world rankings. The lowest ranked player in the American side is Rickie Fowler at 22nd.

A comparison of the rookies on each side underlines the gulf in class. The Internationals have seven, who have a combined total of two PGA Tour wins between them. The States have just five, who have a combined total of 16 PGA Tour wins between them. Two of the US rookies – Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele – are in the top ten of the world rankings. Another two of them – Bryson DeChambeau and Tony Finau – have Ryder Cup experience. And the other? The US Open champion, Gary Woodland.

There is not even much in the way of home advantage for the Internationals. Aside from a few beered-up Aussies shouting nasty names at Reed and others, in terms of competing in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne, the USA have the edge. Woods, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar and Webb Simpson have all competed in the Cup on this layout, while Adam Scott is the only member of the home line-up to have done so.

The main negative for the USA is Johnson, who has not competed since knee surgery and will be rusty. A former world number one is never going to be a complete passenger, though, and Johnson needs only to tee up once before the singles if that is what Woods wishes.

There are many more weaknesses in the Internationals' line-up. CT Pan is an obvious one, while Haotong Li has been playing poorly for several months, and Joaquin Niemann and Adam Hadwin have lost their form. Scott, Hideki Matsuyama and Louis Oosthuizen are a strong trio, but they will probably all have to carry a rookie over the first three days.

Branden Grace has been a key figure for the Internationals in this competition, but he failed to qualify this time. Jason Day is crocked and Charl Schwartzel did not return from injury early enough to make the team. Shorn of that trio, the Internationals look vulnerable to another thrashing.

Expect the home side to make a decent start, perhaps taking advantage of American jet-leg by edging the opening session, before the visitors take control over days two and three, then kick clear in the singles. Maybe an 8-4 singles success could complete an 18-12 victory for the States, a correct score attractively priced at 12-1.

Top International

Marc Leishman 15-2

The best pairing for the Internationals will probably be an all-Aussie alliance between Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith, two great friends who almost won the World Cup for their country at a different Melbourne track last year.

Course comfort and the lion's share of support can help the Aussies prosper. Leishman, tenth in the Australian Open last Sunday, has a fantastic Presidents Cup singles record, unbeaten in three matches, with Jordan Spieth among his scalps.

Top American

Justin Thomas 5-1

Five matches seems a likely workload for Justin Thomas, who has finished in the top 20 in his last ten tournaments, winning two of them. Thomas could be booked for fourballs combat alongside his pal Fowler, and for foursomes action in tandem with Woods. With partners of that quality, expect the highest ranked player in the competition to make merry.

Thomas was the top-scoring American in the last Ryder Cup, winning four points from five matches and beating Rory McIlroy in the singles, and can be the leading light for the US again.

Royal Melbourne course guide

Course Royal Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
Length 7,055 yards
Par 71

Field Two teams of 12, consisting of eight automatic qualifiers and four captain's picks

Format There are 30 total points available. Each player must participate in at least one of the first four sessions. The matches are contested over 18-hole matchplay. Matches that are tied after 18 holes are deemed to be a draw, with each team receiving half a point. A 15-15 tie is possible, with the Cup shared in that scenario

Schedule 10.30pm Wednesday Five fourballs matches; midnight Thursday Five foursomes matches; 8pm Friday Four fourballs matches; 1am Friday Four foursomes matches; 11pm Saturday 12 singles matches

When to bet By 10.30pm Wednesday

When to watch Live on Sky Sports Golf from 10.30pm Wednesday

Time difference Melbourne is 11 hours ahead of the UK and Ireland

Course overview Royal Melbourne has long been regarded as one of the top-five venues in the world. It has hosted 16 Australian Opens (none since 1991) and two previous Presidents Cups (1998, 2011). Firm, fast conditions are expected, with green speeds comparable to Augusta. The fairways are sloped, encouraging balls into bunkers, and any wind makes this course extremely difficult. The short par-fours – the sixth, 11th and 13th – are risk-reward holes which can be attacked. There is only one par-five on each nine – the second and the 15th – so 13 of the holes are par-fours

Story of 2017 The Americans crushed the Internationals 19-11 in a ruthless display in front of noisy, aggressive spectators at Liberty National, New Jersey. The home side entered the Sunday singles leading 14.5-3.5, so could afford to lose the singles 7.5-4.5 and still emerge comfortable victors

Weather forecast Cloudy and breezy for all four days, so Royal Melbourne should show its teeth

Type of player suited to the challenge Precision iron-play is essential at Royal Melbourne, with tight targets and firm greens, while deft putting is essential on dancefloors loaded with speed

Key attribute Accuracy

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