President’s Cup: Furyk and Weir named Captain’s assistants

Jim Furyk and Mike Weir have been named as the fourth Captain’s assistants for this year’s Presidents Cup, taking place at Liberty National Golf Club in New Jersey from September 26 – October 1.

The rest of Nick Price’s International team is made up of Ernie Els, Geoff Ogilvy and Tony Johnstone, while Steve Stricker’s USA team consists of Tiger Woods, Davis Love III and Fred Couples. 

“It’s continuity, and that’s what we’re striving for,” said Stricker, who has been an assistant in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup the last two years. “It’s to provide an environment where the players are relaxed, and they know what to expect from one team event to the next. That was my goal coming in.

“We want to take what we did at the Ryder Cup and keep that rolling into the Presidents Cup.”

This is the third consecutive time Nick Price has Captained the International side and with the exception of Tony Johnstone he has a completely different team to assist him. Meanwhile, Furyk and Woods are the only new additions to the USA side, as Stricker, Couples and Love III all played their part as Captain’s assistants in 2015.

“One of the things we were trying to do on our side … was to make sure we got guys who in the future could be captains,” said Price.

“There’s no better example than Mike Weir. Mike has great passion for the Presidents Cup and we have played together on numerous occasions,” Price said. “I’m just so happy to have him and his enthusiasm on the team.”

Both Mike Weir and Jim Furyk have Presidents Cup experience as players, but seem delighted with their new roles in the cup. 

Following the announcement, both teams were quick to show their support for both Weir and Furyk on social media.

Since the beginning of the bi-annual tournament in 1994, the United States have dominated the competition, winning 9 of the 11 events and losing just one (in 1998). 

In 2015 the tournament made its way to Asia for the first time, and although it came down to the 9th match of the Sunday singles the United States team won by 15.5 points to 14.5 points at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon. 

The Presidents Cup: How to qualify

International: The Top 10 players on the World Rankings (excluding those eligible for Europe Ryder Cup team) automatically qualify, before two captains picks are added. 

USA: The Top 10 PGA Tour members on the FedEx Cup points list gain automatic entry to the team, plus two captain’s picks.

Presidents Cup Qualifying Race: As it stands

If the top 10 players from each of the qualifying categories were to be drawn now, this is who would make the team. 

International: Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Emiliano Grillo, Yuta Ikeda, Jeunghun Wang and Byeong Hun-An.

USA: Dustin Johnson, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Daniel Berger, Brandt Snedeker, Brendan Steele and Ryan Moore.