Presidents Cup rosters finalized, excluding Justin Thomas and a few Canadians

In a surprising turn of events, Justin Thomas was omitted from an American team for the first time since 2016. This decision was made by Presidents Cup captain Jim Furyk, who instead opted for the next six players in the team standings. Notably, Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley was among those selected.

International captain Mike Weir also faced tough decisions while finalizing his 12-player roster. A particularly difficult choice for him was leaving out fellow Canadians Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin from the squad that will compete in the matches scheduled from September 27 to 30 at Royal Montreal.

The International team, composed of players from countries outside of Europe, features three Canadian golfers. Thomas, who had previously held the longest active streak among Americans in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, did not qualify this time. Although he reached the Tour Championship, he finished 19th in the U.S. standings.

Furyk’s selections included former British Open champion Brian Harman and Max Homa, both of whom struggled notably during the summer and did not make it to the Tour Championship. He also picked Sam Burns, Tony Finau, and Russell Henley. The team will include Sahith Theegala, the only American who has yet to participate in either the Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup.

Furyk expressed that the decision regarding Thomas was particularly challenging. “There are a bunch of guys that I would want on this team. It was a difficult decision with JT, definitely a difficult call to make,” he said. He emphasized that as a captain, his goal was to assemble the best 12 players and create effective pairings.

Over his career, Thomas has amassed an impressive record of 17 wins, 7 losses, and 4 ties in both the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup since making his debut in 2017.

Weir’s selection process included three Canadians: Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith, and Mackenzie Hughes. Si Woo Kim from South Korea, Min Woo Lee from Australia, and Christiaan Bezuidenhout from South Africa rounded out the team. Notably, Hughes was rated below Taylor and Hadwin and did not qualify for the BMW Championship, having been left off the previous Presidents Cup team despite being recognized for his putting skills.

During a heartfelt moment, Weir struggled with the task of informing Taylor and Hadwin that they would not be part of the team. Taylor made headlines in Canadian golf last year by winning the Canadian Open with an impressive 80-foot eagle putt, followed by a victory at the Phoenix Open in February.

“I respect those guys, I love those guys. They’re like brothers; they’re Canadians,” Weir shared, highlighting the emotional difficulty of being a captain. “The toughest part of being a captain were those calls. I have a lot of respect for them and even more respect for them now the way they handled it.”

The six qualifiers for the International team included notable names such as Hideki Matsuyama, Jason Day, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Byeong Hun An, and veteran Adam Scott, who will be making his 11th consecutive appearance at the Presidents Cup. Scott has yet to experience a victory, as the U.S. team has won the last nine matches, with his debut resulting in a tie in South Africa in 2003.

The American qualifiers featured Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay, and Theegala. Meanwhile, Bradley, who was appointed Ryder Cup captain in July, will be joining Furyk’s team as a player rather than an assistant captain.

Furyk praised Bradley for his resilience and performance at critical moments during the season, stating, “A guy that grinded it out and came up in big moments here at the end of the season, and that’s what you want on your team.” While he confirmed Bradley’s active role as a player, he plans to announce another assistant captain later.

Bradley will make history as the first active Ryder Cup captain to compete in the Presidents Cup. His selection stands out, as he is the only American captain’s pick to have secured a win in a tournament this season, unlike Harman or Homa, who have not contended since earlier in the year.

Furyk clarified that the selection of his players was based on performance over a broader timeframe rather than just the past summer. “I definitely don’t want this to be about why one person was picked over another,” he stated. “I look at Max’s attributes and look at how he’s played the last two years—undefeated record in Charlotte, our best record last year in Rome. … I also look at kind of the glue, a guy that pulls the team room together.” The American team is set to return eight players from the previous Ryder Cup and seven from last year’s Presidents Cup.

The International squad also sees the return of eight players from the previous Presidents Cup.。

Source: Associated Press