Heading into this month's Presidents Cup, U.S. captain Jim Furyk's choice of chalk ball has created an intriguing development.
Furyk was among the six captaincy picks announced Tuesday, choosing No. 7 through No. 12 in the team standings. The change means Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley will play for the U.S. team for the first time in a decade, but longtime U.S. player Justin Thomas will remain on the U.S. team.
Other Americans named to the team were Sam Barnes, Russell Henley, Max Homa, Brian Harman and Tony Finau. Six players were automatically named to the team: Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Teegala.
The Presidents Cup will be held at the Royal Montreal Golf Club from September 26th to 29th.
“I'm just trying to put the pieces of the puzzle together,” Furyk said in explaining his selection, calling Thomas a “tough omission” but did not explain to Golf Channel why he left Thomas out. The 31-year-old Thomas was 19th in the points standings.
Bradley was originally scheduled to serve as Furyk's assistant captain – his only chance to gain leadership experience ahead of the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in New York – but Furyk said Bradley would be relieved of those duties so he could focus on playing.
International team captain Mike Weir has selected Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Corey Connors, Mackenzie Hughes, Si Woo Kim, Min Woo Lee and Taylor Pendrith. Connors, Hughes and Pendrith are all Canadian, and with the addition of a Canadian captain and three players, the team is truly maple-flavoured. They join Hideki Matsuyama, Sung Jae Lim, Adam Scott, Tom Kim, Jason Day and Byung Hun Ahn.
Thoughts on the American team
This isn't surprising, but it's also incredibly disappointing. Furyk can call chalking up players ranked 7th through 12th “fair” and insulate himself from criticism, but it means the U.S. has a team that is failing in both current form and performance. and Introducing young talent. Max Homa has fallen to 86th in the Datagolf rankings after a turbulent season, and Brian Harman has just one top 10 since March. Meanwhile, Justin Thomas is a U.S. Cup legend who is having a much better season than those two. Thomas went 9-3-2 in the Presidents Cup and tied for 14th at the Tour Championship, while Akshay Bhatia won the Texas Open this year. Bringing a 22-year-old rising star into the team room could have been extremely beneficial for the future. It all feels like a missed opportunity that neither brought the best team nor helped the team move forward. — Brody Miller
Furyk may have gone straight down the list and picked the next six players on the U.S. Presidents Cup standings, but some of the choices are still puzzling. Herman and Homa lost out to several players who would have been perfect fits on the team, including Thomas, who is widely considered one of the best U.S. match play players of this generation. Herman was likely chosen for his driving precision in preparation for the tight and narrow Royal Montreal. And Homa would provide the passion and spirit that comes naturally in a team environment. But think about players like Bhatia and 20-year-old Nick Dunlap. This year's Cup could have been a great opportunity to groom some young blood for future team events, but Furyk went with older players who aren't necessarily playing that well right now. Statistics likely played a big role in these decisions, in addition to fit with partners. But recent form can't be ignored, and Furyk seems to have done just that. — Gaby Herzig
Thinking about international teams
Weir has love for the Canadian player, but maybe not in the way we thought he would. It would have been impossible for Weir to leave out Lee or Kim, who are his top talents, or Bezuidenhout, who is having a great year, so he effectively had to make three decisions. Connors is arguably in the top five among overseas players, so that's a no-brainer. Same for Pendrith, who had his best year in data golf and jumped to 25th in the world rankings. It's a very tough choice to pick Hughes over players who are better talents than Adam Hadwin or Nick Taylor. Hadwin and Taylor have both struggled big time in recent months, so that's understandable, but Taylor is a killer with two big-boy wins in the 2024 World Championship Phoenix Open and the 2023 Canadian Open, but he had a big upset summer. That hurts. (Leaving out Australia's Cam Davis was the right call; his great win in Detroit was more of an exception.) — mirror
Weir considered many factors in choosing his captains. Still, the element of Canada's home games and the emphasis on recent form seemed to dominate his decision-making process. Of Weir's captaincy choices, the three Canadians will be looking forward to playing on familiar grounds in front of a supportive crowd. Hughes, ranked 15th in the international team standings, was famously left out of the 2022 squad. He is also known for his leadership and should blend in well with the team room. Pendris and Connors were selected, likely over Hadwin and Taylor, the more well-known and grittier Canadians. This selection shows that Weir prioritized consistency and recent tournament results. And then there's Kim. He brought a memorable fire to the 2022 game and was definitely a no-brainer choice for the energy in the locker room. Additionally, Weir made a special mention of Kim's putting, which has been shaky recently but appears to be improving since he changed putters. Bezuidenhout had an underrated season, slipping into the FedEx top 30. Lee has emerged as one of the best drivers on the PGA Tour and has solidified himself as a fan favorite. Overall, there aren't many surprises beyond Hughes' curveball and Davis' jump to No. 8 in the rankings. Weir's picks represent a strong, well-thought-out and versatile strategy. Herzig
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(Top photo: Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour via Getty Images)
