Captains will add two players each next week
The Deutsche Bank Championship is the penultimate event of the FedEx Cup. But the buzz this week at the TPC at Boston surrounds another cup.
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Tuesday at the National Press Club in Washington, Presidents Cup captains Fred Couples and Greg Norman will reveal their choices for the final two slots on their respective teams. The Presidents Cup is set for Oct. 8-11 at Harding Park in San Francisco.
This weekend, U.S. captain Couples will get a first-hand look at his potential choices as he plays in the Deutsche Bank. For International captain Norman, however, his candidates are scattered around the globe.
With more quality players from which to chose, Couples’ decision is more difficult. Almost certain to receive one of the berths is U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover, the odd man out, ranking No. 11 in the points standings when the 10 automatic qualifiers were determined after the PGA Championship.
Other U.S. candidates include Hunter Mahan (No. 13), who played well last year in the Ryder Cup, Brian Gay (No. 12), a two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour, Nick Watney (No. 14), long-hitting Dustin Johnson (No. 15), or fan-favorite Boo Weekley (No. 24). A strong performance at the Deutsche Bank, where all are in the field, could sway Couples’ choice.
“I’ve heard that Brian Gay might be a little injured … He’s played poorly lately,” said Couples, once a captain’s choice of Jack Nicklaus. “Whereas Hunter Mahan has played some incredible golf. And Lucas Glover has had a fantastic summer.”
Norman’s most-likely choice is Presidents Cup veteran Rory Sabbatini (No. 11), who fell out of the top 10 when Y.E. Yang won the PGA. Others Norman could be considering include Jeev Milka-Singh (No. 12), Shingo Katayama (No. 13), K.J. Choi (No. 18), 17-year-old Ryo Ishiwaka (No. 20) or fellow Australian Michael Sim (No. 24).
Sabbatini is the only one of the group at the Deutsche Bank. Several players eligible for the International Team are in Boston this week and could jump into the picture with a strong showing. Among them are Matt Goggin (No. 15), Stephen Ames (No. 17), Rod Pampling (No. 29), and Ryuji Imada (No. 35).
“There’s probably about 10 to 11 guys that I’m focusing on,” said Norman two weeks ago. “There’s going to be some detractors when I announce my two. There are going to be some people who felt like, ‘I should have been on that team,’ or a country saying, ‘Well, why wasn’t my country represented.'”
