Monday, December 23, 2024

Presidents Cup teams finalised – Irish Golfer Magazine

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International captain Mike Weir and USA captain Jim Furyk have finalised their teams for the Presidents Cup which takes place at Royal Montreal in Canada later this month.

The International side haven’t won the event since 1998, and have just two victories in the competition’s 30-year-history, but Canadian Weir is hoping that the strong home representation in his side will help tilt the scales in their favour.

Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Jason Day and Byeong Hun An were all automatic qualifiers for the hosts, as were Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala for the Americans, meaning each captain had six picks to finalise the teams.

Weir opted for South African Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Korean Si Woo Kim, Australian Min Woo Lee, and the Canadian trio Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes, and Taylor Pendrith, with Hughes at 15th in the rankings, his lowest selection.

This means that Australian Cam Davis, who finished eighth, Adam Hadwin who finished 13th, Erik van Rooyen at 16 and Ryan Fox at 18, are all big names who will miss out.

Furyk wasn’t quite so gung ho with his selections, picking Sam Burns, Tony Finau, Russell Henley, Keegan Bradley, Brian Harman and Max Homa, all of whom were ranked seventh to 12th respectively.

Bradley, who will take the US reins in next year’s Ryder Cup, will double job as he is also an assistant to Furyk.

“When I named Keegan as a captain’s assistant for the Presidents Cup I knew there was a chance he would play his way onto the US team,” Furyk explained. “And I can say without a doubt he did just that.

“The grit he showed in the final round in Memphis followed by the win in Denver exemplified the competitive nature he has always played with, and I know he will bring that same fire to Royal Montreal in a few weeks.”

Jordan Spieth, who has played in every Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup team since 2013, with the exception of the 2019 Presidents Cup, is the biggest name to be left at home by Furyk, with good pal Justin Thomas also left out of the side.

It had already been confirmed that LIV players would not be eligible as the event is owned and run by the PGA Tour, so both Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau were unavailable for selection for Furyk, while Joaquin Niemann, Cameron Smith, Dean Burmester and Louis Oosthuizen were among the big names not at Weir’s disposal.

You can view the teams in full below.

International
Hideki Matsuyama
Sungjae Im
Adam Scott
Tom Kim
Jason Day
Byeong Hun An
Corey Conners
Min Woo Lee
Christiaan Bezuidenhout
Taylor Pendrith
Si Woo Kim
Mackenzie Hughes

 

USA
Scottie Scheffler
Xander Schauffele
Collin Morikawa
Wyndham Clark
Patrick Cantlay
Sahith Theegala
Sam Burns
Tony Finau
Russell Henley
Keegan Bradley
Brian Harman
Max Homa

 

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