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 started in 1994 offers 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 United States team, led by captain Fred Couples. Like his counterpart Greg Norman, Freddie is no stranger to the Presidents Cup himself. Couples was the team captain in 2009 and participated in 4 different Presidents Cups himself. This United States team features a good mix of veteran Presidents Cup players and several golfers making their Presidents Cup debut. Let’s take a look at the team:
Phil Mickelson (9th appearance):
In some ways it feels like 2011 wasn’t a great year for Lefty, however a closer look reveals a different story. 7 Top-10 finishes, highlighted by a victory at the Shell Houston Open and a 2nd place finish at the British Open. An overall record of 15-13-10, Mickelson will have to avoid the inconsistency that plagued him in last year’s Ryder Cup.
Matt Kuchar (1st appearance):
After a breakthrough 2010 season, Kuchar followed up with an excellent 2011 season. 9 Top-10 finishes in 2011, but no victories. Kuchar remains one of the most consistent ball strikers on the Tour. His 64.75% driving accuracy is one of the best, and his 66.98% Greens in Regulation is nothing to take lightly. This is Kuchar’s first Presidents Cup, and will be sure to rely on his experiences during the 2010 Ryder Cup.
Steve Stricker (4th appearance):
There has been a lot of speculation about whether Stricker will be able to play in the Presidents Cup. With a herniated disk in his neck, Stricker has been dealing with weakness in both his left arm and hand. However, Stricker is determined to play, and this U.S. team can use him. The tandem of Stricker and Tiger Woods was deadly in the last Presidents Cup. Overall Cup record of 9-6.
Nick Watney (1st appearance):
Watney is coming off one of his best seasons on the Tour with 10 Top-10 finishes, including victories at the AT&T National and World Golf Championships-Cadillac Championship.
Bubba Watson (1st appearance):
One of the more popular players on the Tour, Watson had only 3 Top-10 finishes in 2011. However he made them count with victories at the Farmers Insurance Open and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans. Watson averages 314.9 yards in Driving Distance. Another Presidents Cup rookie, Watson will rely on his experiences at the 2010 Ryder Cup loss.
David Toms (4th appearance):
A revival of sorts in 2011. After a disappointing 2010 campaign, 2011 saw 7 Top-10 finishes by Toms. If anything was indicative of Toms’ 2001 season – after a disappointing 2nd place finish at the Players Championship, he promptly followed it up with a win the following weekend at the Crowne Plaza International at Colonial. Toms has a 6-7-1 record in Presidents Cup play.
Dustin Johnson (1st appearance):
Closed the 2011 campaign with a victory at the Barclays, and a second place finish World Golf-Championships -Cadillac Championships in the last leg of the season. 6 Top-10 finishes overall. Another long hitter who averaged 314.2 yards off the tee. Another Presidents Cup rookie, Johnso will look to improve on his Ryder Cup appearance from a year ago.
Hunter Mahan (3rd appearance):
The best sunglasses on the PGA Tour. Mahan had a good 2011 campaign, finishing in the Top-10 on 9 different occasions. Mahan will look to redeem himself after a horrible Sunday in the 2010 Ryder Cup. Part of the last pairing in the singles matches, Mahan left his approach to the Par 3 17th hole well short of the green. Losing the hole, it cost Mahan and the United States a chance at retaining the Ryder Cup. I am sure he is glad I brought this up. A 4-4-1 record in previous Presidents cup play.
Webb Simpson (1st appearance):
A player of the year candidate in 2011, Simpson finished with 12 Top-10 finishes, including victories at the Wyndham Championship and the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Jim Furyk (7th appearance):
Furyk is one of the veterans that Couples will rely on in the 2011 Presidents Cup. An overall record of 15-10-3 in Cup play. Furyk’s 2011 campaign wasn’t one of his best with just 4 Top-10 finishes in 2011. Normally one of the best putters on the Tour, Furyk switched to a belly-putter after struggling for most of 2011.
Tiger Woods (7th appearance):
A controversial Captain’s pick by Couples, who is counting on a struggling Woods to return to form in time for the Cup. Woods only played in 9 Tour events in 2011 and battled injuries for most of the summer. Did finish 4th in the 2011 season at the Masters. Has been making major swing changes, and has struggled at times. Healthy and having several weeks to practice has been huge for Woods. At the Frys.com tournament, Woods appeared to be regaining his form. Will it continue? Overall Presidents Cup record of 18-11-1.
Bill Haas (1st appearance):
Another Captain’s pick who capped a successful 2011 season with a memorable win at the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola. The victory included a shot out of the water to help save his victory. That’s right, it was out of the water. Overall Haas had 7 Top-10 finishes, including 2 second place finishes.
Next: Presidents Cup preview and predictions
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