Four players ranked between 11 and 17 on the international standings for the Presidents Cup are not in action this week – a curious decision, to say the least, writes WADE PRETORIUS.
This week the Dell Technologies Championship – the second of four FedExCup playoff events – and the D+D Real Czech Masters provide the last opportunity for players to make the 10 automatic spots in Nick Price’s team to take on the USA at Liberty National at the end of September.
Si Woo Kim and Adam Hadwin currently occupy spots 9 and 10 on the team, and have had their chances of featuring in the Presidents Cup boosted by the non-participation of closest rivals for the last spot, 11th-placed Hideto Tanihara, Chinese sensation Haotong Li (14th), Byeong Hun An (15th) and Jeunghun Wang (17th).
Emiliano Grillo, Yuta Ikeda (playing in Japan), and Anirban Lahiri are 12, 13 and 16 respectively in the standings, and all have the chance to make the team should they win this week, although for Grillo and Lahiri that task is much harder given that they are competing in the Dell Championship.
Even if Kim and Hadwin do enough to stay in their current spots, the decision to rest this week may sway Price in his thinking about his two captain’s picks. Traditionally, one player is picked on form, with the second pick going to a more experienced campaigner.
South Africa’s Dylan Frittelli is 18th on the list, but even a win in Europe this week won’t be enough to see him sneak into the top 10.
