Presidents Cup 2019 Wildcards Announced

United States captain Tiger Woods has named himself as one of four wildcards for the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia between December 9-15.

Fresh from winning the Zozo Championship in Japan, Woods has opted to pick himself as one of four wildcards after announcing he will join the automatic eight qualifiers along with fellow picks Patrick Reed and debutants Gary Woodland and Tony Finau.

Announcing his selections, Woods said: “As captain, I’m going to choose Tiger Woods as the last player on the team. 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.”

He added: “It’s going to be difficult, but also I have three amazing assistants with Fred, Strick and Zach, and that helps a lot, two guys that have won Presidents Cups and one will be a future captain along the line in the near future. Three great minds that will help me when I’m playing.

“It’s going to be a lot of work, but something I’ve been looking forward to for a long time. I’ve been vice captain in two Cups, so understanding it and seeing it, what those roles are is a little bizarre, and seeing it from a different side is really going to help.”

The quartet of wildcards join the automatic qualifiers Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau for the trip to Melbourne where the US team will be defending champions after a 19-11 victory at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey in 2017.

There was no place in the American team for either Jordan Spieth or Rickie Fowler as both missed out on wildcard selections.

Ernie Els has also revealed his four wildcard picks for the International team and they include home favourite Jason Day, who join fellow Aussies Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith in the line-up.

“I want to thank Ernie, to have the faith in me, and I’m looking forward to catching up with the whole team down in Australia,” Day said. “Hopefully most of the team are at the Australian Open, as well, but it’s great to be able to get a captain’s pick and I’m looking forward to get down to Australia and play down there.”

Leishman, Scott and Smith were among the eight automatic qualifiers for the International team along with Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, South African Louis Oosthuizen, Mexican Abraham Ancer, Chinese star Haotong Li and Taiwan’s CT Pan.

Els’ other three wildcards were confirmed as Canadian Adam Hadwin, South Korea’s Sungjae Im—this year’s PGA Tour Rookie of the Year who will be debuting in the Presidents Cup—and Joaquin Niemann, who will become the first Chilean golfer to play in the Presidents Cup when he makes his debut.