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CHARLOTTE. — The United States defend the Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow this week in a match that has, indisputably, been affected by the advent of the breakaway LIV Golf series tour.

Trevor Immelman’s International side (the rest of the world outside Europe and US) are chasing what would be only their second win since the cup’s inception in 1994.

Ordinarily they might have been an attractive bet, had the likes of Open champion Cameron Smith, the exciting Chilean Joaquin Niemann and Mexico’s Abraham Ancer been available for selection.

But all three have moved to Greg Norman’s Saudi Arabian-funded start-up and with the Presidents Cup being a PGA Tour event, they are no longer welcome. Add to that list Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman and Branden Grace. The US are also missing big hitters. Dustin Johnson, who won all five matches at the last Ryder Cup, is on the ineligible roster along with Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau, but the effect on Davis Love III’s team is less marked.

“Our first 12 is really good, and our second 12 is really good,” Love noted ahead of the match which starts in Charlotte, South Carolina, tomorrow.

“Trevor’s problem is his first 12 was really good and the second 12 was maybe not quite as good. We have always had the depth.”

Five of Immelman’s six wildcard picks are rookies, among eight debutants in the International team. There is no hiding the arrival of LIV has taken a heavy toll.

“LIV has been challenging, there’s no doubt about it,” Immelman told Golf.com. “But there’s not too much I can do about it.

“These players need to make their minds up and decide what’s best for them and their future. You have players who left, and I absolutely respect that.

“But on the other side, you also have players who decided to stay. From my side, as captain of the Internationals, the 12 that pitch up in Charlotte are the 12 that wanted to be there, and those are the 12 that I want to be there.”

Love, an outspoken LIV critic who has raised the prospect of players striking at future majors if they allow so called rebels to continue playing, does not hide his fury.

“The Presidents Cup is just one tournament on the PGA Tour that these guys (who joined LIV Golf) are taking a chance on never getting to play again,” the captain told the Charlotte Observer.

“So that’s both heart-wrenching, disappointing and sometimes infuriating that we’re having to deal with this . . . It’s just very sad for the game.”

Love is an ardent PGA Tour loyalist and disputes LIV’s continuing claims to be a force for good in golf. “They want all the tours and the NCAA and amateur golf to feed them stars for their little select league,” Love added. — BBC Sport