ATLANTA – There isn’t any extra wait and see.
Kicking the can is a captain’s default however Sunday’s last spherical on the Tour Championship formally put U.S. Presidents Cup captain Jim Furyk and his Worldwide counterpart, Mike Weir, on the clock with Tuesday’s deadline to announce the ultimate six picks for every staff looming.
Listed below are the gamers within the combine for a captain’s decide and the way they might or might not have helped their possibilities at East Lake.
U.S. Crew
Sam Burns (No. 7 on the factors record): He was already a digital lock for one among Furyk’s picks, however his play at East Lake — the place he completed tied for 12th following a final-round 70 — solely solidified his standing as Scottie Scheffler’s trip or die on the matches.
Tony Finau (No. 8): Additionally completed T-12 and did nothing to steer the captain from selecting him. Finau has quietly turn out to be one of many U.S. staff’s most constant gamers and Furyk will need that manufacturing at Royal Montreal.
Russell Henley (No. 9): He was the participant who helped his trigger essentially the most within the playoffs with top-30 finishes on the FedEx St. Jude Championship and BMW Championship and a powerful week at East Lake (T-4) that included eight birdies and an eagle within the last spherical (62). The one knock in opposition to Henley is he’d be a rookie, however his placing and tenacity is what Furyk is searching for in a decide.
Keegan Bradley (No. 10): It will probably be the captain’s largest conundrum. Bradley had already been tabbed as a vice captain for this yr’s matches and wasn’t on Furyk’s radar till he gained the BMW Championship. His efficiency at East Lake (T-21) didn’t assist his possibilities however subsequent yr’s U.S. Ryder Cup captain is squarely within the combine.
Chris Kirk (No. 13): He might have used a greater end at East Lake (T-27), however he stays one thing of a wildcard and, like Henley, ought to most likely spend Monday ready for a name from the captain.
Akshay Bhatia (No. 14): One other potential decide that did nothing on the season finale (26th), however he’s turn out to be a preferred possibility amongst those that see the U.S. staff trending youthful.
Billy Horschel (No. 17): After struggling in 2023, simply making it to the Tour Championship was an accomplishment and he admitted that he’s most likely too far again to price critical consideration. His tie for 23rd at East Lake didn’t do something to vary that actuality.
Tom Hoge (No. 18): One other participant that wanted one thing extraordinary to occur on the Tour Championship to get the captain’s consideration and it didn’t, with Hoge ending tied for final within the 30-man area.
Justin Thomas (No. 19): A tie for 14th after beginning the week within the basement of the 30-man area, and 10 pictures behind factors front-runner Scottie Scheffler, will get Furyk’s consideration. Even with out his common associate, Jordan Spieth, who underwent wrist surgical procedure this previous week, Thomas’ Presidents Cup file (10-3-2) may be sufficient to benefit a decide.
Not at East Lake: Nos. 11 Brian Harman, 12 Max Homa, 15 Eric Cole and 28 Nick Dunlap are certain to be within the dialog for a possible decide however didn’t advance to the Tour Championship.
Of the three, Harman appears to be the probably candidate with 11 top-25 finishes in 22 begins this season and he’d be a straightforward plug-and-play associate for practically your entire staff.
Dunlap presents an attention-grabbing alternative for Furyk. His victory at The American Categorical as an novice didn’t rely towards his level complete for this yr’s Presidents Cup and his final 5 begins of the season have been a victory on the Barracuda Championship and a tie for fifth on the playoff opener in Memphis. It will qualify as a daring, however not totally unjustifiable, decide.
Worldwide Crew
By comparability, Weir’s weekend wasn’t practically as eventful with simply two potential picks on the finale — Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Taylor Pendrith — and it’s tough to think about an Worldwide staff that doesn’t embrace Canada’s Pendrith together with Corey Conners, who’s No. 7 on the factors record however didn’t advance to the Tour Championship.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout (No. 10): Fortunately for the South African his play at East Lake, the place he tied for final, gained’t issue into Weir’s choice and his physique of labor in 2024 (with 12 top-25 finishes and simply 4 missed cuts) is sufficient to make him a possible decide to play his second Presidents Cup.
Taylor Pendrith (No. 11): There are many causes to make Pendrith a decide — together with his efficiency coming down the stretch that features a tie for thirteenth on the BMW Championship, a fifth-place exhibiting in his last common season begin on the 3M Open and a tie for 14th at East Lake — nevertheless it’s the flag on his bag that every one however ensures he’s a decide. If Weir goes to take advantage of his “home-field” benefit at Royal Montreal he wants as many Canadians on his staff as doable.
Not at East Lake: Of the opposite gamers within the combine for a decide that didn’t punch their ticket to the Tour Championship, Nos. 8 Cam Davis, 9 Min Woo Lee, 12 Nick Taylor, 13 Adam Hadwin and 15 Mackenzie Hughes are the front-runners.
Davis went 2-3-0 on the 2022 matches and he narrowly missed incomes a spot at East Lake together with his tie for fifth on the BMW Championship, to not point out his victory on the Rocket Mortgage Basic in June.
If Weir is searching for chemistry, Lee and Jason Day, an Worldwide staff staple, have been paired in Paris eventually month’s Olympics. It wasn’t a staff occasion however they made it appear like it was.
As for Taylor, Hadwin and Hughes, the Canadians would add to the house benefit however not one of the three have a top-25 on Tour since June. One of many three will probably land a captain’s nod however till Tuesday’s announcement, it’s a toss-up.
