A television golf commentator has sounded the alarm for the International team ahead of the 16th Presidents Cup. The Americans head into the event as clear favorites, with the United States listed at -420, the International team at +460, and a tie at +1425. After all, the numbers over the past 32 years tell the story: a 13-1-1 record. With this year’s Presidents Cup fast approaching, Mark Rolfing has urged the International team to start fast, build an early lead, and quiet the U.S. crowd. 

“I think they need to quiet down the Chicago crowd pretty quickly, and the way to do that is to get ahead in some of these matches,” he said during an interview with Golf Channel. “I think if they get behind, there could be a snowball effect. The first three holes are going to be critical, and they need to play them very aggressively and see if they can get ahead in some of these matches.”

But the opening-session results from the past three editions suggest Rolfing’s advice may be easier said than done. Recent Presidents Cup opening sessions have shown how dominant the U.S. can be. The Americans swept Thursday’s fourballs 5–0 in 2024 and won four of five foursomes matches on Thursday in 2022. But 2019 showed that an early advantage is possible, with the International team stunning the U.S. 4–1 in the opening fourballs. 

Still, Brendon de Jonge shared Rolfing’s concerns.

“We’ve talked about it ad nauseam,” de Jonge added. “How important it is not only to get off to this fast start, but to get off to this fast start through this entire first session. They cannot afford to be… 0-5, even 1-4, even 2-3. They cannot afford to be down after this first session. They’ve got to, at worst, split it. The internationals typically in four balls are not very good. They’ve got to find a way to, at worst, split this first session.”

Following de Jonge’s advice will be a tall order for the International team, but it remains within reach. The International team has held the lead after the opening session in just four of 15 Presidents Cups: 1998, 2003, 2005 and 2019. Its biggest opening-session advantage came in 2019, when it took a 4–1 lead over the U.S. at Royal Melbourne. In every other edition, the Americans either led, or the session ended level.

In the meantime, journalist Ryan Lavner appears to have come up with a game plan for the International team captain, Geoff Ogilvy. 

“I think the international players have a lot of obvious pairings,” Lavner explained. “But if I’m Geoff Ogilvy, I am front-loading my lineup. I want the best players; I want the most energy. I’m trying to stun the Americans just like they did on Friday. You look at the 5-0 sweep; three of those were absolute blowouts. So if somehow they can muster the energy with points on the board in quick succession. All of a sudden, you can start to create some of that doubt for the Americans.”

Whether they can remains to be seen. Meanwhile, according to Front Office Sports, the International team is seeking greater independence from the PGA Tour to strengthen its identity and competitiveness in the Presidents Cup.

International captain Geoff Ogilvy believes there should be “a little bit more separation” between the two teams, with the International side having more control over its branding, operations and future. The team has already begun developing its own identity through ‘The Shield’ branding, while discussions have also centered on expanding the event to international markets such as India and Japan. 

However, the PGA Tour is not currently considering selling or transferring control of the International team to another tour or federation. For now, the International team must focus on preventing history from repeating itself.