Tag: 2022 Presidents Cup

President Joe Biden accepts role as Honorary Chairman for 2022 Presidents Cup

President Biden joins a list of world leaders who have held this position.

President Joe Biden will have a special role at the 2022 Presidents Cup at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Biden accepted an invitation to be the Honorary Chairman of the Presidents Cup, which is scheduled Sept. 20-25.

“We are thankful for President Biden’s acceptance of our invitation to serve as Honorary Chairman for the 2022 Presidents Cup with the event’s return to the United States,” PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan said in a statement. “The Presidents Cup has a long-standing tradition of hosting world leaders, spanning several decades and many countries across all party lines, and the addition of President Biden to that list of men and women will help promote and grow the event worldwide and further our efforts in unifying people through the game of golf.”

Biden is a member at Wilmington Country Club in Wilmington, Delaware, host of this week’s BMW Championship, the second leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

At the 2019 Presidents Cup, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison served in the role. Former U.S. Presidents Donald Trump, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George H.W. Bush and Gerald Ford have also served as Honorary Chairman.

The U.S. Team has won 11 of the 13 Presidents Cups, and the only win by the International Team came at the 1998 event in Melbourne. A historic 17-17 tie came in 2003 when the event was held in South Africa.

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America’s next dream team? U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Davis Love III gets a sneak-peek in Detroit

“If they made the team, they’re a natural. It’s like Xander and Patrick, they’re like peas in a pod” — Davis Love III

DETROIT – U.S. Presidents Cup Captain Davis Love III may have found America’s next winning tandem.

It was by no accident that Love was grouped for the first two rounds of the Rocket Mortgage Classic with young stars Cameron Young and Will Zalatoris. The former Wake Forest University teammates put on a show, especially Young who fired a 9-under 63 on Friday to grab the lead during the second round at Detroit Golf Club.

“Well, if they made the team, they’re a natural. It’s like Xander (Schauffele) and Patrick (Cantlay), they’re like peas in a pod,” Love said. “The only thing I asked them, you know, we’ve had guys before that hang out together all the time and do everything together but they don’t really want to play together. I said, ‘Do you want to play together? ‘No, no, no, we do everything together.’

“They say they play 75 percent of their practice rounds together…they seem to get along great. You can see it when after I hit and they take off running down the fairway, they’re chitchatting the whole day, comfortable with each other and giving each other a hard time.”

The Presidents Cup will be held at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, beginning September 22.

Rocket Mortgage Classic: Scores | PGA Tour Live on ESPN+

Zalatoris, who finished second at the U.S. Open and is ranked No. 13 in the Official World Golf Ranking, entered the week ranked 10th in the U.S. team point standings while Young, No. 19 in OWGR, is 13th.  The top six in points automatically qualify for the team and Love will have six captain’s picks to round out his squad, the same number as U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Steve Stricker had last fall. Love said he has about 25 players on his radar.

“You want guys that are hot. All the way back to 2010, like Rickie Fowler had a hot finish and his putter was hot and Corey Pavin picked him. So everybody’s kind of still on the radar. It’s not like it’s narrowed down. We have six picks so it’s still kind of wide open,” he said.

But there are few hotter players on the planet than Young, who finished second in the British Open and tie for third at the PGA Championship and has recorded four runner-ups and two thirds in an impressive rookie campaign.

“It would be very special. I mean, I’ve been a part of a couple teams throughout my life and it’s just very fun,” Young said. “Anytime you get to put on red, white and blue is a special experience, and I think this would be on a little different level for me. But yeah, I think obviously nice to play well in front of him and good just to spend some time around him. He’s an awesome guy and has been around the game a long time, so it was a lot of fun.”

Zalatoris won the Arnold Palmer Rookie of the Year Award last season and Young looks to be the favorite to follow suit. About the only thing Young and Zalatoris, who shot 71 on Friday, haven’t done yet on the PGA Tour is win a tournament. Could this be the week for Young to hoist a trophy?

“Cameron is trending up. He has been all the way,” Love said. “Obviously got to finish this weekend, but his game just looks so solid right now.”

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Internationals captain Trevor Immelman names four assistants for Presidents Cup

Trevor Immelman will captain the 2022 International squad in Charlotte.

Making his debut as captain of the International team for the upcoming Presidents Cup, Trevor Immelman can call on plenty of experience from his coaching staff.

Immelman, a South African who played in the Presidents Cup twice and was an assistant to Ernie Els in 2019, named his four vice captains Wednesday: Canadian Mike Weir, South Korean K.J. Choi, Australian Geoff Ogilvy and Colombian Camilo Villegas.

The U.S. leads the series 11-1-1. The Americans came from behind on the final day in 2019 at Royal Melbourne in Australia to win, 16-14. This year’s matches are Sept. 22-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Weir, who competed in the Presidents Cup five times and is one of five International players with 10 more match wins, will make his third appearance as a vice captain. He has eight PGA Tour titles, including the 2003 Masters, and one PGA Tour Champions victory.

Choi, who played in three editions of the Presidents Cup, will be making his third appearance as an assistant captain. He has won eight PGA Tour titles, including the 2011 Players Championship, and one PGA Tour Champions victory.

Ogilvy, who played in three Presidents Cups, has eight career PGA Tour victories, including the 2006 U.S. Open, and won two of Australia’s biggest titles – the 2008 Australian PGA and 2010 Australian Open.

Villegas will make his debut as an assistant. Villegas is the only player from Colombia to compete in the Presidents Cup, doing so in 2009. He’s won four times on the PGA Tour.

“The comradery that continues to grow within this team is irreplaceable,” Weir said in a release. “We can all sense the momentum that is building, and it’s been exciting to see Trevor’s incredible dedication and focus on his role. I can’t wait to see what tournament week holds for us and to be a part of the 2022 team.”

Said Ogilvy: “After getting a glimpse into the future of our team in 2019, I am very excited to return as a captain’s assistant. The collection of international players has only had time to improve and that is evident when you look at guys like Cameron Smith, Hideki Matsuyama and Joaquin Niemann, who have had tremendous success on Tour in the last year.

“I can’t wait to see what they bring to the table under Trevor’s captaincy.”

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Davis Love III names Fred Couples, Zach Johnson as vice captains for Presidents Cup

The matches pitting the U.S. against The Internationals will be played Sept. 20-25 at Quail Hollow Club.

Davis Love III has two helping hands.

Love named Fred Couples and Zach Johnson as two of his vice captains Wednesday for the upcoming Presidents Cup. The matches pitting the U.S. against The Internationals will be played Sept. 20-25 at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina. Love, who was a captain for the U.S. in the Ryder Cup in 2012 and 2016, can name two more vice captains to the squad.

“To add someone with (Couples’) experience as both a captain and captain’s assistant to our 2022 team will be a wonderful benefit to our players, not to mention the relaxed, calming demeanor he brings to what can be a tense setting,” Love said in a release. “Zach is an incredible competitor and someone who garners great respect from his fellow players. His value inside the team room will be immense as a major champion who has competed in Presidents Cups, was an assistant captain in 2019, and knows what it takes to deliver a successful week.”

Serving as a captain or an assistant captain has become old hat for Couples, who won 15 times on the PGA Tour, including the 1992 Masters, and has won 13 times on the PGA Tour Champions. This will mark the eighth time Couples has been a part of the Presidents Cup as a player, captain or assistant captain.

Couples was a player when the U.S. lost its only match in the lopsided series – in 1998 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia. He captained the Americans to three consecutive victories starting in 2009.

This will be the fourth time Couples will serve as an assistant,

“Charlotte is an incredible sports city, and I’m confident the atmosphere at Quail Hollow will make for an amazing week of golf,” said Couples, who was a teammate with Love in 1994, 1996, 1998 and 2005. The two also represented the U.S. in the World Cup of Golf, winning in 1992, 1993, 1994 and 1995.

Johnson, a winner of 12 PGA Tour titles including the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews, was named the 2023 Ryder Cup captain in February. He’s played in the Presidents Cup four times and was an assistant to Tiger Woods in 2019.

“Having played for Davis in past international events, I know how passionate he is about creating a tremendous atmosphere for U.S. team players to have success, while also ensuring we are prepared to compete each day,” Johnson said. “I’m looking forward to doing all I can to help the team succeed in September.”

The U.S. leads the series 11-1-1; its only loss a 20½-11½ drubbing in 1998. In 2003 the two teams tied 17-17.

In the most recent edition, Woods, as a playing captain, led the Americans to a come-from-behind, 16-14 victory at Royal Melbourne in 2019.

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After missed 3-putt sinks him in WGC-Dell Match play semis, Corey Conners insists he’s making short-game strides

During the semifinals that short game failed him a bit at a crucial juncture of an even match.

AUSTIN, Texas — Corey Conners retreated to the driving range in an effort to lick his wounds a little. It’s probably where he’s most comfortable.

The Canadian has always carried a big stick on the PGA Tour — he’s currently eighth in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee this season, the same spot he finished the last campaign — but he’s focused plenty of his energy on honing his short game. During the semifinals at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play on Sunday, that short game failed him a bit at a crucial juncture of an even match.

Conners missed his tee shot a little right on the 130-yard 17th hole, but still sat in prime position to put pressure on his opponent Kevin Kisner, who also missed the green and had a delicate, longer shot from up on a bank.

From about 40 feet away, Kisner rolled a beauty from the fringe that snuggled within a foot of the cup.

Conners, also using a putter from the fringe, hammered one past the hole, then missed the nine-footer coming back to fall 1 down with one to play. He missed a 12-footer for birdie on 18 and lost the match, 2 up.

“That same sort of shot tricked me yesterday, where I hammered it way by,” Conners said of his effort on No. 17 before meeting Dustin Johnson in the consolation match. “It’s hard to not hit it too hard. It’s kind of riding up a little bit when it first gets on the green — or so it seems. But it really doesn’t go up much and just kind of never lost pace. That same thing happened yesterday.

“I definitely want to have that one back.”

Corey Conners tees off on the 10th in the semifinal round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports

Although he would have loved to take home the $2.1 million prize at Austin Country Club, up nearly $300,000 from a year ago, Conners is also hoping to show he’s got what it takes in a high-stakes match-play format with the 2022 Presidents Cup coming over the horizon. The top eight international players are automatically selected by points, with the following four spots chosen by captain Trevor Immelman.

Coming into this week, Conners was at No. 12 on that list, meaning he’s got the resume to be included. He was snubbed last time around, in 2019, when the U.S. won for the eighth consecutive time, and he’s hoping to leave little doubt he should be included for this fall’s event at Quail Hollow.

“Obviously, it was very close, but I didn’t earn my spot on the team, and I’ll be definitely trying to do that this year. I was a little disappointed to not be there, but just kind of looked ahead, and I’m excited for the opportunity this year and the years to come,” Conners said earlier this week.

“It obviously looks good winning matches — that’s the format for the Presidents Cup. I’m not really thinking about that too much … I’m just trying to play my game, take care of business, and hopefully keep looking good for the captain.”

2022 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play
A Canadian flag and a U.S. flag fly from a boat in Lake Austin during the 2022 World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club. (Photo: Mikala Compton/American-Statesman)

Part of that looking good is improving his short game. Conners has made his strides — he was 181st in Strokes Gained: Putting for two straight seasons starting in 2018, but has climbed to a serviceable 104th this season. This week, prior to the consolation, he ranked 12th in that sta in the field of 64.

Better, if not spectacular.

Still, as he keeps getting in prime position like he did this week, winning four matches (one against Paul Casey was awarded through concession) and reaching the final four in an elite tournament, Conners thinks he’s finding the right formula.

“It feels that way. The game definitely feels good. I feel like a made a lot of strides with my short game. I’m still hitting it very well, and chipping and putting as good as I ever have now,” he said. “And I feel like I’ve done a good job this week. I left a few out there today, but this course is tricky. But I feel great about all parts of my game.”

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Tiger Woods an assistant captain at 2022 Presidents Cup? Davis Love III hopes ‘he comes back and starts playing’

Love wasn’t the first choice for Team USA’s captain at the 2022 Presidents Cup, and he’s OK with that.

SAINT SIMONS ISLAND, Georgia — Davis Love III may be serving as Team USA’s captain of the 2022 Presidents Cup, but he wasn’t the first choice for the job, and he’s OK with that.

The other guy was none other than Tiger Woods, who led the American side to a spirited comeback in 2019 at Royal Melbourne in Australia. What will his role be next fall at Quail Hollow Golf Club in Charlotte, North Carolina?

“It would have been a great captaincy for Tiger to continue on,” Love said. “At the time we were discussing it, he said, ‘No, I’m playing really good, I’m gonna make the team, and I enjoyed Australia being playing captain, but I want to be a player on the team.’ So, his role is whatever his role wants to be. If Tiger calls me up and says, ‘Hey, you’re kicked out, I’m taking over,’ that’s Tiger’s role. If he wants to be an assistant, you know, I would hope that he comes back and starts playing and can make that a goal, to be on the team. He was a big part of our Ryder Cup.”

Those conversations regarding the captain’s role happened before Woods was involved in a car accident in February that has kept him sidelined ever since. During the Ryder Cup in September, Woods served in an unofficial advisory role.

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“It took us a while to get him to the point where he would engage,” Love said. “He had a rough start to the year, but once we got him in the loop, he was a big help and a lot of fun for the Ryder Cup and for the team. Obviously the guys were going to see him down there in south Florida all summer, but leading up to the Ryder Cup, obviously he had a watch party at his house. He can do whatever and I know he’ll be a big part of it.”

Love noted that he and the rest of the Team USA leadership has learned a lot of why he beat them all these years.

“Tiger went from a guy we didn’t know to now he’s a leader and an inside guy, so he has good information on some of the players that we don’t know,” Love said. “He was really helpful in captains’ picks. I think for me in ’16 and then as an assistant captain, he’s very helpful in strategy and pairings. He’s a tactician, he watches a lot more golf than I do, so he has a lot of information.

“What I’m amazed with him and with Phil, with Jack Nicklaus is the incredible memory of things that happened in the past. I will go, ‘Yeah, I played the Ryder Cup in ’97. That was at Valderrama.’ Tiger and Phil remember every shot and what everybody else did.”

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Love recalled that during his victorious captaincy at the 2016 Ryder Cup that it was Woods, serving as an assistant at Hazeltine, who helped him be more decisive when it came to submitting his pairings.

“One of the great things Tiger does is, (he’ll say,) ‘Would you please make a decision?’ That’s really good for me,” Love said. “Like quit waffling around, you know what you want to do, let’s make a decision and stick with it.”

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Davis Love III named Presidents Cup captain for 2022

The World Golf Hall of Fame member will get his third captaincy. He was at the helm for the U.S. in the 2012 and 2016 Ryder Cups.

Davis Love III got the call again.

The member of the World Golf Hall of Fame, who counts 21 PGA Tour titles on his resume, including the 1997 PGA Championship, will lead the USA charges in the 2022 Presidents Cup, the PGA Tour announced Tuesday.

It will be the third captaincy for Love; he was at the helm for the USA in the 2012 and 2016 editions of the Ryder Cup. Love also has been a vice captain in the Presidents Cup in 2013, 2015 and 2017 and in the Ryder Cup in 2010 and 2018.

And this fall, he will be an assistant for captain Steve Stricker in the Ryder Cup.

Love’s playing card in the two events has been equally full – he played in the Presidents Cup in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000, 2003 and 2005 and in the Ryder Cup in 1993, 1995, 1997, 1999, 2002 and 2004.

“My history with this event dating back to 1994 conjures up indelible memories of competition, camaraderie and sportsmanship, and I’m thrilled to be leading the top American players into Quail Hollow Club,” Love, 56, who was born in the Queen City, said in a release. “The U.S. team has been guided by some of the game’s all-time greats since 1994, and I will do my best to carry on that legacy as we look to retain the Cup.”

In Love’s first go as captain in the 2012 Ryder Cup, the Europeans stormed back from a 10-4 deficit to win 14½-13½ at Medinah north of Chicago. Four years later, Love and the U.S. avenged the crushing defeat at Hazeltine in Minnesota, winning 17-11.

As for the Presidents Cup, the U.S. has dominated the Internationals, losing just once and tying once in 13 contests. The U.S. is in possession of the Cup after playing captain Tiger Woods led the Americans to a 16-14 victory in 2019 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia.

The 2022 Presidents Cup will be contested at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, September 23-25, an ideal setting for the Tarheel that is Love.

“He’s got player respect through and through, experience in that venue and a guy that from a leadership standpoint is more willing to listen than speak, if that makes sense. He’s a good listener. He’s the epitome of a self-less leader,” two-time major champion Zach Johnson told Golfweek. Johnson, who has played in the Ryder Cup five times and the Presidents Cup four times, was an assistant to Woods in the 2019 Presidents Cup and will join Love as an assistant this fall for the Ryder Cup.

Johnson said the decision to name Love involved many parties, including PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan, the Ryder Cup committee and Tiger Woods.

“The process of getting to this point was actually quite extensive,” Johnson said. “There was a lot of discussion. For the betterment of the lineup of the Cups, for the betterment of the team, this was the best option. There were a lot of individuals involved in the process; it just got down to the point where we all felt that given where we are, Davis was the best option and to maintain what we’ve already established and get some new blood in as vice captains so we can be more selective and have more options in the future.

“Throw in the ties to North Carolina and that neck of the woods. He’s a Tarheel at heart. Things just kind of lined up.”

South African and 2008 Masters champion Trevor Immelmann, who was named captain of the 2022 Internationals squad in April 2020, played in two editions of the Presidents Cup and was an assistant to Ernie Els in the 2019 Presidents Cup.

He told Golfweek a formidable team anchored by Love awaits.

“He’s so accomplished in the game,” Immelman said. “On the course his results speak for themselves and the longevity he’s had at the highest level is really fantastic. He’s one of the nicest guys you would ever wish to meet. Just a tremendous man. The charitable work he’s involved in with his family is tremendous. I have nothing but respect and admiration for Davis.

“He’s been captain of a couple of Ryder Cups, both emotional ones with obviously the first one with a bit of a mishap Sunday at Medinah, but then made amends for it the second time. Now he gets a shot at the Presidents Cup.

“I just hope when the fall of 2022 rolls around we will be able to have full capacity. Davis is popular wherever he goes, but to be in that role in Charlotte, a lot of people will be out there rooting for him. And the better the atmosphere, the better the event. I’m extremely happy for him to get this opportunity.”

Love was a three-time All-America at the University of North Carolina.

“The Carolinas mean so much to me and my family, and it’s humbling to know that I will return to Charlotte in this new role to help carry on the rich sports tradition the Queen City has developed through the years,” Love said. “Quail Hollow is one of the best tests of golf we see all year on the PGA Tour, and it will be a perfect venue for a match-play event given the variation of challenges it presents. I think you will see players taking on a number of risk-reward shots throughout the week, presenting an exciting environment for fans onsite and watching around the world.”

Quail Hollow Club has hosted the Wells Fargo Championship since 2003 and was the venue for the PGA Championship won by Justin Thomas in 2017.

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