Future Presidents Cup captain Ernie Els has called for an overhaul in the format of the biennial competition in order to avoid a ‘slaughtering’ at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Melbourne, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
The Big Easy served as a vice-captain to Nick Price, and could yet captain the team in the 13th edition of the competition, which now stands at 11-1-1 in favour of the Americans.
Els wants the Presidents Cup to be changed in terms of ‘logistics, scheduling, selection process (and) course set-up’ for the 2019 competition at Royal Melbourne.
The US ran out 19-11 winners in what Adam Scott called ‘ a bit of a slaughtering’ – something that Els is keen to avoid next time out.
‘The Presidents Cup is owned by the PGA Tour, but we have to be more in control,’ said Els.
‘There’s got to be a two-way street; we just want to be treated fairly.’
The four-time Major winner wants a new selection process to determine the makeup of the side with as many as six captain’s picks, while the veteran South African, who held firm against Tiger Woods in the dark at Fancourt in 2003 to earn a tie, also wants a reduction in the number of points on offer.
‘I think we can go back to the drawing board with the Tour,’ said Els. ‘Obviously playing for less points, I still say would benefit us. We’re playing a very deep American side, and I think less points for us. We play these team events every second year and the US team plays every year. So they are a little bit more, I don’t want to say, prepared.
‘I think to put pairings together with a very diverse group as we have is our challenge.
‘So I think less matches, less points, will be definitely beneficial to us, but we’ll wait and see, see where we go with the Tour.’
Walking away from the Cup is not an option for Els and the Internationals, despite many calls for the event to be scrapped due to US dominance.
‘If negotiations don’t go our way I don’t think the guys want to walk away from the Cup.
‘I think the guys are invested into the Cup. The guys want to play. They want to compete. But we just want to feel that we are being treated fairly … the future of the Cup is important.’
Els’ record at the Presidents Cup is 20-18-2.
