Ryo Ishikawa of the International Team speaks with the media during a practice round prior to the start of The Presidents Cup at Harding Park Golf Course on October 6, 2009 in San Francisco, California. (SCOTT HALLERAN/AFP)

SAN FRANCISCO, October 6, 2009 (AFP) - Ryo Ishikawa is perhaps the most popular player on the International team roster at the Presidents Cup team - and not just because he’s a polite young teenager.

The Japanese star also is comfortable playing with any brand of golf ball, which makes him a particularly hot commodity for the foursomes matches in the biennial showdown of US and non-European squads that begins here Thursday.

In foursomes, also known as alternate shot, two-man teams take turns hitting the same ball, which means they must choose only one ball.

That can present quite a problem for some players who have trouble adjusting to the slightly different characteristics of an unfamiliar ball.

But Ishikawa is not contracted to any ball manufacturer and has experimented with different golf balls since he turned professional at the end of 2007.

"I can play with anybody," he said Tuesday.

At 18, Ishikawa is the youngest player in Presidents Cup history. He is the form player on the International team, having won four times on the Japan Tour since the end of June, the most recent of them coming just last Sunday.

Even though his English is still a work in progress, he has quickly been made to feel welcome by Internationals teammates.

At the official dinner on Monday night, Ishikawa was initially seated at the end of the table.

But Australian teammate Adam Scott - a fellow selection of team captain Greg Norman - was thoughtful enough to insist he move to the middle where he could be more involved in the conversation.

"It’s a dream come true to be in this event, but I’m nervous at the same time," said Ishikawa, who is making his first overseas trip without his father.

"All of the other team members have been very nice to me and I just want to have a great week and contribute."

Ishikawa is so young that he was only 22 months old when Norman won his second major, the 1993 British Open.

Now Ishikawa is "honored" to play for Norman, who watched the Asian teen hit on the driving range at this year's British Open.

"I snuck in behind the gallery and he didn’t know I was standing there," Norman said. "He didn’t know I was there.

"I always like to see how a guy works on the driving range. If he’s into it on the range, you know he’s going to take that energy out on to the course.

"And he was so focused hitting balls, I was impressed for a young guy. And then he started winning (Japanese events).

"He’s very engaged with everybody and he wants to be included in everything. For a kid so young, he’s got heaps of maturity."