Cameron Davis will make his Presidents Cup debut alongside five other rookies in a ‘new look’ Internationals team for the biennial contest against the United States at Quail Hollow this month.
With the internationals dealt a hammer blow by the removal of automatic picks Cameron Smith and Joaquin Niemann, plus the likely selection of Marc Leishman, the Internationals Captain Trevor Immelman had little choice but to usher in a guard-changing six captains picks for the 14th edition of the contest.
Alongside the 27-year-old Davis, also making their first appearance as captain’s picks will be South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Korea’s K.H. Lee, Colombia’s Sebastian Muñoz and Canada’s Taylor Pendrith. Former Players Championship winner Si Woo Kim will make his second appearance.
“Cam is a tremendous example of a player who has achieved success on every level, from the 2017 Australian Open through the Korn Ferry Tour, and to last year’s win at the Rocket Mortgage Classic,” Team captain Immelman said.
“We have watched him emerge globally, and I think he’s ready for this moment. He’s the latest in a long line of Australians to compete in the Presidents Cup and will add another layer of Aussie pride to the team.”
Davis was thrilled with his Presidents cup selection, describing it as ‘n to totally expected, but an honour and one he had hoped for since his childhood.
“It feels awesome to be part of a team I’ve looked up towards my entire career and before that as a junior golfer.
“It’s something that every Australian, every international player wants to be a part of, especially seeing how big The Ryder Cup is, and still have the opportunity to hopefully be part of a team and turn the tide on the current trend with The Presidents Cup, which has been going the other direction.”
Davis and the five other selections now join Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Tom Kim, Corey Conners, Mito Pereira and Adam Scott on Immelman’s team in North Carolina.
During his teleconference with reporters, Immelman admitted his squad would lean into its perceived role as a massive underdog.
Bezuidenhout is yet to win on the PGA Tour, although he has triumphed three times on the DP World Tour and is considered one of the best putters in the game. Pendrith is among the longest hitters on Tour, a playing characteristic that should suit Quail Hollow.
Columbia’s Munoz has one PGA Tour win to his name and a knack for low scoring, while Lee and Kim take the South Korean contingent to four.
Lee is a two-time winner of the AT&T Byron Nelson and made a late Sunday charge at the recent BMW Championship to nearly secure an automatic selection.
“With KH, Si Woo Kim, Tom Kim and Sungjae Im, we have the largest contingent of South Korean players on this team in Presidents Cup history, which I’m sure is a proud moment for everyone in their home country,” Immelman said.
Missing, unfortunately, are two notable Australasians, Bendigo’s Lucas Herbert, a winner on the PGA Tour, and Kiwi Ryan Fox, who sits at number 47 in the world rankings.
US captain Davis Love III will name his six picks tomorrow morning.
