Patrick Cantlay has completed the perfect weekend by being confirmed as one of the first six players on the US Presidents Cup team.
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has also qualified for Davis Love III’s side, along with Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Justin Thomas and Tony Finau. The completion of the BMW Championship, won by Cantlay on Sunday, also saw the first eight members of Trevor Immleman’s International team confirmed.
World No.2 Cameron Smith has been named alongside Hideki Matsuyama, Sungjae Im, Joaquin Niemann, Joohyung Kim, Corey Conners, Adam Scott and Mito Perreira. Immelman will make his four captain’s picks on Wednesday September 7th, a day after Love has made his six choices to round out the 12-man rosters. The two teams meet at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, starting September 20th.
The qualification criteria for the sides was slightly different, but both ended with the culmination of the BMW Championship. Cantlay won that event for the second successive year, and now heads to defend his FedEx Cup title this week at East Lake in second place, starting at 8-under, two shots behind Scheffler.
Of course, both teams have the shadow of LIV Golf hanging over them, with at least five new players set to be confirmed after the FedEx Cup. The likes of Smith, Matsuyama and even Cantlay himself have been linked with Greg Norman’s breakaway series, and any of the qualified players taking that route will automatically give up their place on their respective side.
The Presidents Cup is a biennial team event between the US and an International team excluding Europe. Players are not paid to play, but each allocates an equal share of funds generated to charity, with more than $54.4 million raised so far. The two teams meet over four days, three days of four-balls and foursomes and 12 singles on the final day. There are five matches each on Thursday and Friday and eight on Saturday before every player takes part in Sunday’s singles.
Tiger Woods led the US to a narrow 16-14 win in 2019 at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia, extending the American lead in this event to 11 wins, one loss and one tie.