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Top eight qualifiers announced for Presidents Cup teams
Several of the world's best are on their way to Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
With the Presidents Cup landing this December, the top eight qualifiers for both the US and International teams have been locked in, with the world’s best golfers headed to Melbourne.
U.S. Team captain Tiger Woods will lead a stellar group that are all inside the top 20 in the Official World Golf Ranking and have a combined 11 PGA TOUR victories this season.
Meanwhile, Ernie Els will lead the International Team seeking to win the Presidents Cup for just the second time, including four players with a combined 17 appearances alongside four debutants.
The Presidents Cup returning to Melbourne for just the third time might be a good omen for the International team – the Royal Melbourne Golf Club is the site of the International team’s only win back in 1998.
The U.S. team
Brooks Koepka leads the US Team as the number 1-ranked player in the world, scoring three wins this season on the PGA tour, while Justin Thomas qualifies following his recent victory at the BMW Championship which moved him to number 2 on the standings. They’ll be joined by their 2017 Presidents Cup-winning teammates Dustin Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
Kuchar stands as the most experienced player in the US top eight, making his fifth Presidents Cup appearance in 2019. He’ll also be joined by his 2011 teammate Webb Simpson.
The 2019 US Team also features three Presidents Cup debutants with Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay all qualifying for the first time.
The International team
The top four players in the standings – Marc Leishman, Louis Oosthuizen, Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama – have a combined 17 Presidents Cup appearances under their belts, injecting some experience into the lineup. They’ll be balanced out by the four newcomers in Abraham Ancer, Haotong Li, Cameron Smith and C.T. Pan.
The trio of Leishman, Scott and Smith ensure Australia has the most representation, while Li, Ancer and Pan are the first players from mainland China, Mexico and Chinese Taipei, respectively, to qualify for the International Team.
Scott will be the most experienced qualified player out on the green for both the International and U.S. Teams, having played on eight previous occasions.
Marc Leishman on International team’s Presidents Cup hopes
Tiger Woods is excited by his top eight. “This is the core of the team. These guys have earned it. They’ve proven that they belong on the team,” Woods says. “It’s a younger team, and that’s what we want to see. We want to see a little turnover and get the younger guys playing on these teams because they’re going to be a part of it for a very long time going forward.”
As is International captain Ernie Els, saying “This is as good as I could have asked for. I’ve got guys who have played in the Presidents Cup many times previously and I’ve got guys who are rookies. The guys who are pillars of our team have really stepped up. I’m really impressed with how they’ve conducted themselves and played into the team.”
Four Captain’s selections will be added to each team at a later date.
The Presidents Cup will be held at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from Monday 9 until Sunday 15 December 2019. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster.com.au.
