Presidents Cup: Predicting Captain Els' 4 picks for the International team
Next week, International team captain Ernie Els will make four selections to round out his club heading to Royal Melbourne for the Presidents Cup in Australia.
The internationals will look to defeat the heavy favorites for the first time since the 1998 event, which also happened to be played at Royal Melbourne.
These golfers have already qualified through points:
- Marc Leishman (Australia)
- Hideki Matsuyama (Japan)
- Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)
- Adam Scott (Australia)
- Abraham Ancer (Mexico)
- Haotong Li (China)
- C.T. Pan (Chinese Taipei)
- Cameron Smith (Australia)
Here are the predictions for Els' four remaining spots.
Ernie's picks
Jason Day
It's a shame Els needs to burn one of his four selections on Jason Day, who failed to qualify by fewer than four points. The Aussie is a lock to represent the internationals for the fifth time with the event heading to Melbourne. Day will bring much-needed experience to a squad that could roster as many as six rookies. His recent form isn't ideal, but his resume has few rivals on the International side, making Day an easy pick for the captain.
Sungjae Im
Sungjae Im's remarkable debut campaign on Tour will be rewarded with a pick from Els. The 21-year-old recorded seven top-10s and 16 top-25 finishes en route to earning Rookie of the Year honors and a spot in the Tour Championship. The South Korean will be a staple in Presidents Cups for years to come, and Royal Melbourne is the perfect place to get his first taste of team competition.
Joaquin Niemann
Joaquin Niemann would have been on the outside looking in if he hadn't won his first PGA Tour event at the Greenbrier in September. The Chilean's breakthrough performance should be more than enough to earn a selection from Els, which would make him the youngest player on the team. Like Im, Niemann will be around for a long time, and debuting in Australia should make for a comfortable start to his Presidents Cup career.
Corey Conners
Assistant captain Mike Weir will be in Els' ear campaigning for a Canadian, with Adam Hadwin and Corey Conners as options. The latter has the edge after his Texas Open win placed him 13th in points for qualifying. Conners is assembling a stellar fall swing, and his impressive tee-to-green game is valuable in team competitions as he can partner up with nearly everyone on the roster.
1st man out
Byeong Hun An
Byeong Hun An narrowly misses out on his first Presidents Cup appearance because Day failed to qualify on points and requires a pick. The 28-year-old boasts a very similar game to Conners, but Weir's presence gives the Canadian an advantage.
Do not take ...
Branden Grace
Els will be inclined to take Branden Grace, a Presidents Cup veteran and fellow South African. However, the team might as well not show up to Royal Melbourne if that's the direction Els goes. Grace has two top-25 results in his last 25 worldwide starts and missed 10 cuts in 2019, the most in a decade. The underdog International team needs the most upside possible in order to have a chance to knock off the Americans. Grace does not provide it.
Captain's selections are due the week of Nov. 4. The Presidents Cup begins Dec. 12.
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