Who should be the captain’s picks for the Presidents Cup?
Presidents Cup team captain’s Greg Norman and Fred Couples have tough decisions to make to finalise their teams.
After this weekend, the automatic qualifiers for the two Presidents Cup teams will be finalised. After that, (on September 28, 7am AEST) team captain’s Fred Couples and Greg Norman will choose two more players to make up the final team of 12 to play at Royal Melbourne in November.
The Presidents Cup team standings see some pretty solid players currently sitting outside other top 10 and outside of an automatic berth in the US and International team and as usual, some great golfers are going to miss out. Let’s take a look at who they are and who is a realistic chance to make the team.
International Team
If Norman was basing his two picks purely on form, you can’t go past Vijay Singh and Camilo Villegas right now. Both have had a good last month but both have left their run too late.
You would think that intimate knowledge of Royal Melbourne would be a huge factor in any decision making and the Aussie trio of Aaron Baddeley, Robert Allenby and Geoff Ogilvy have that. If none of them do enough to make the team automatically this week, one of them is going to miss out.
Update: As it stands, Geoff Ogilvy is just inside the top-10, just ahead of Louis Ooosthuizen. A good week and he has secured an automatic berth.
Golf fans and tournament organisers want Allenby and probably Baddeley given that Ogilvy is looking like he will secure an automatic berth.
Final picks will be: Baddeley and Allenby. Possibly looking a little biased, these picks make the most sense but Vijay Singh would consider himself unlucky.
US Team
Fred Couples has shown half of his hand by saying Tiger Woods is in the team. As controversial as that is, was there ever any doubt?
It means a tough decision for his second pick. Most people would expect him to choose US PGA Championship winner Keegan Bradley but that would mean guys like Rickie Fowler, Bill Haas and Brandt Snedeker miss out.
The most awkward situation comes when you consider Bill Haas. He’s had a phenomenal year but his father, Jay Haas is one of Fred Couples’ assistants. It is going to be a lose/lose situation either way this one goes. Pick him and it all looks biased, overlook Haas and it may be a tough few weeks with his Dad!
Golf fans and tournament organisers want Rickie Fowler. This young gun with good looks is perfect for a team event like this and it will garner even greater interest if he’s selected. Personally, I’d like to see Brandt Snedeker get the nod. He’s a very easy going bloke and would fit perfectly in the crazy Aussie atmosphere.
Final picks will be: Woods and Bradley. No brainers, no controversy but two very different golfers.
More Presidents Cup news:
How to get to Royal Melbourne
Presidents Cup tickets
Presidents Cup team standings
You know if Ogilvy and Allenby are picked they will step up. No matter who is picked it will be an interesting team. The South Africans, except Charl Schwartzel have had patchy seasons.