Presidents Cup 2015 Opening Ceremony: Date, Start Time, TV Info and Live Stream
The 2015 Presidents Cup is set to kick off with the opening ceremony on Wednesday, with the action set to continue until Saturday's final single matches. The Golf Channel will provide full coverage of the event, including the opening ceremony, with live streams available via Golf Live Extra.
The USA are the favourites and defending champions heading into the tournament at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea, having lost just one edition of the tournament, back in 1998.
With the likes of Jordan Spieth and Bubba Watson defending the national colours, and Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen playing for the International team, the 2015 Presidents Cup should once again be must-watch TV. Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming opening ceremony.
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Date: Wednesday, October 7
Time: 5 a.m. ET/6 p.m. local time
TV: Golf Channel
Live Stream: Golf Live Extra
Two years ago, event organisers in Ohio experimented with the Presidents Cup opening ceremony, moving it to Columbus and including a concert from Rascal Flatts in an attempt to engage more fans and draw attention to a tournament that has often been overshadowed by the Ryder Cup.
There won't be a repeat performance in Incheon, however. Organisers have opted for a traditional ceremony that will introduce the teams and their captains, a two-hour event before the foursome matches start at 10 p.m. ET.
According to the Korea Times, former U.S. president George W. Bush will be giving a speech during the ceremony, and he confirmed he'd be traveling to South Korea in an interview with Rich Lerner of the Golf Channel (h/t PGA Magazine's Jeremy Schilling).
Don't think the ceremony will just be a two-hour procession of athletes being introduced and men and women giving speeches, however. Former Presidents Cup captain Jack Nicklaus already revealed there will be more to come, via Twitter:
The PGA also released a video that should get the fans excited, via the event's official website:
The golfers received a hero's welcome in South Korea, with the fans obviously excited about the prospect of their nation organising the tournament for the first time, and no player received bigger cheers when he landed than golf's new darling, Spieth.
As reported by Steve DiMeglio of USA Today, the youngster has no issue with all the attention:
"I don’t like it or dislike it. It is what it is. I think it’s very, very cool that around the world you can be recognized and that people care and they are able to see what you are doing on and off the course and they enjoy it. If they are taking video and pictures of it, then people have an interest and I think that’s cool to have that kind of impact, especially halfway around the world.
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With Spieth, Watson and Phil Mickelson all in the squad, the pressure is on the USA to maintain their impressive winning streak, having beaten the International team in five consecutive tournaments.
In fact, the International team has only won a single Presidents Cup since its inception in 1994, with the two teams tying in 2003. On both occasions, the event was played outside the U.S.
All of the pressure appears to be in the American team to perform, but the International team has put together a fantastic group of players as well, headlined by Day and Oosthuizen. Day in particular enjoyed a superb season, winning five PGA Tour events, and he's in excellent form entering the tournament.
It's rare for international golfers to become popular quickly with the American crowds, but Day managed it in 2015. Count Taylor Twellman among his many admirers:
Rising Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama and An Byeong-hun, the only player from Korea, will both be determined to do well playing this close to their respective homes, and Oosthuizen left off strong in the majors in 2015, finishing as the runner-up in two of them.
The USA remain the favourites for the win, but don't be shocked if the International team, free of all pressure, make a strong push toward an upset in 2015.
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