By Aaron M Smith
On November 14th, 2011, the 9th Presidents Cup will take place at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The Cup was started in 1994 to offer the Non-European players the opportunity to compete in a team match format similar to the Ryder Cup.
This week, we are going to take a look at the International Team, led by captain Greg Norman. The Shark is no stranger to the Presidents Cup himself, having participated in 3 different Cups. This experience should pay dividends as the 2011 International Team features 4 golfers making their Presidents Cup debut. Let’s take a look at the team:
Jason Day (1st appearance):
The young Australian had a strong 2011 year, having 10 Top-10 finishes during the year. Was in contention in 2 of the majors, finishing tied for 2nd in the Masters and in the U.S. Open. A long hitter, Day has the ability to both get himself into big trouble and get himself out of it. In match play the lack on consistency could prove to be a huge problem for Day and the International Team.
Adam Scott (5th appearance):
A fellow Australian who saw a major revival in his game during 2011. His 7 Top-10 finishes included a victory at the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational, and a 2nd place finish in the Masters (tied with Day). The catalyst of the current belly putter craze, Scott made headlines for his innocent bystander part in the Tiger Woods/ Steve Williams divorce. Count on Scott to have a strong Presidents Cup. Anyone else see a Woods/Scott singles match on Sunday?
Ryo Ishiskawa (2nd appearance):
Hard to believe that this 20 year old has been playing on the PGA tour for 2 years. Has not won a tournament on the PGA tour, but has shown flashes of the brilliance he displayed in Japan. Many experts expect Ishiskawa to win his first tournament in 2012. Has struggled with consistency for most of 2011, but if he catches fire during match play – could be a deadly force for the International Team.
K.J. Choi: (3rd appearance):
At the tender age of 41, Choi enjoyed one of his best seasons on the Tour. 8 Top-10 finishes, including a victory at the Players Championship. Look up consistency in the Golf Dictionary and Choi’s picture is right next to it. Not the longest hitter on the Tour, but one of the most accurate with a 61.99% Driving accuracy and 65.93% Greens in Regulation accuracy in 2011.
Charl Schwartzel (1st appearance):
After catching lightning in a bottle, winning the 2011 Masters – the South African struggled for a better part of 2011. At times he showed flashes of regaining the form he displayed at Augusta, including a 9th place finish at the U.S. Open. If he gets hot, he certainly has the ability to “tebow” the U.S. chances of retaining the Cup. Yes, I have officially adopted using tebow as verb.
Retief Goosen (6th appearance):
2011 saw a reduced schedule on the PGA Tour for the South African. Playing in only 16 events on the Tour, Goosen had only 1 Top-10 finish. This former U.S. Open winner is a season veteran in the Presidents Cup, which should prove to be invaluable.
Ernie Els (7th appearance):
2011 has certainly been a season of revival for the smooth swinging South African. With 2 Top-10 finishes in 2011, Els brings a 16-12-2 record into President Cup play.
Geoff Ogilvy (3rd appearance):
Ogilvy’s 2011 season got off to a rough start with a surfing accident right before the beginning of the season in Hawaii. Still the Australian recovered to post 4 Top-10 finishes, including a 4th place finish in the Masters. Will look to prove on a 4-5 career record in Presidents Cup play.
Y.E. Yang (2nd appearance):
The South Korean had a solid 2011 campaign with 5 Top-10 finishes, including a 3rd place showing at the U.S. Open. Yang has a 2-2-1 record in his Presidents Cup debut. Norman will undoubtedly look to Yang to bring an anchor for this team.
Kyung-Tae Kim (1st appearance):
Making his rookie debut in the Presidents Cup, Kim has played a majority of his short pro career on the Asian Tour.
Aaron Baddeley (1st appearance):
2011 was a revival year for the Australian after several disappointing years on the PGA Tour. 5 Top-10 finishes, Baddeley won the Northern Trust Open for his first win in over 4 years, and looks to continue his strong play in Melbourne.
Robert Allenby: (6th appearance):
Allenby is one of Norman’s Captains Picks and found himself stuck in an early war of words between Norman and U.S. Captain, Freddie Couples. After Norman took a shot a Couple’s choice of Tiger Woods, Couples returned fire wondering if Allenby had won anything lately. Allenby had 3 Top-10 finishes in 2011, and holds a 8-13-3 record in Presidents Cup play.
Up Next: The United States Team
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