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Presidents Cup: Tiger Woods announces final four captain’s picks
Tiger Woods has locked in his U.S. Presidents Cup team
Yesterday, International captain Ernie Els locked in the final four players he’ll be taking to this year’s Presidents Cup, now U.S. captain Tiger Woods has done the same.
The final four players for the U.S. Team are Tony Finau, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland and, in an absolute treat for Australian golf fans, Tiger Woods himself.
For the first time in Presidents Cup history, each captain has been given four captain’s picks instead of just two. The new four will join the eight players announced earlier in the year – Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar, Webb Simpson, Xander Schauffele, Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay.
In his ninth appearance, Tiger Woods will become the tournament’s second-ever playing captain after Hale Irwin in 1994. Since his first appearance on the 1998 team, Woods has earned a record of 24-15-1, and he is one of only five players to earn a perfect 5-0-0 record during a single event (2009). His 24 matches won ranks second all-time to Phil Mickelson’s 26 and his six victories in Singles matches are the most in the event’s history. Woods holed the winning putt for the U.S. Team in 2009, 2011 (at Royal Melbourne) and 2013, making him the only player to clinch the Cup three times.
“As captain, I’m going to choose Tiger Woods as the last player on the team,” Woods said. “He’s made, what, nine Cups and he’s played in Australia twice in the Presidents Cup, so this will be his third appearance as a player,” Woods said.
Tony Finau will make his Presidents Cup debut after a ninth-place finish in the U.S. Team standings. The 30-year-old recorded another consistent season on the PGA TOUR in 2018-19 that resulted in six top-10 finishes in 25 starts and his third consecutive TOUR Championship appearance.
Patrick Reed is back for this third consecutive Presidents Cup after earning his first-ever captain’s pick. His overall Presidents Cup record sits at 4-3-2. Reed earned his seventh career PGA Tour victory at The Northern Trust to go along with four other top-ten finishes during the 2018-19 PGA tour season. Known for his match-play prowess, Reed has competed in every team event for the United States since the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Gary Woodland will make his Presidents Cup debut following his most successful season on the PGA tour that yielded two runner-up finishes to go along with his fourth career victory at the U.S. Open. Through three starts during the 2019-2020 season, Woodland has collected two top-five finishes.
The teams are locked and the stage is set for another epic battle at this year’s Presidents Cup.
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.
