Presidents Cup Captain’s Picks Announced

Today was the day that the two captain’s for the Presidents Cup, Fred Couples for the American squad and Greg Norman for the Internationals, were to reveal their two captain’s picks for their respective teams.  While Couples stuck to the script, taking Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan, Norman went off on a tangent, choosing one of the best young players in the world, then confusing everyone by picking a player who seems to be getting by on reputation alone.  Norman’s choice of Ryo Ishikawa is a good one, for all the obvious reasons.  He’s won three times this year on the Japan tour, despite being only 17-years-old, and is the current money leader on the same tour.  Although he’s big on the Japan tour, and not the PGA tour, Ishikawa has talent to spare, and his youth may or may not be a hindrance in pressure situations.

Ryo Ishikawa (Image: Zuma Press)

The choice of Adam Scott is the real head scratcher here.  Granted, his 2008 season was excellent, and his No. 14 ranking on the International qualifying list is because of that season, but his 2009 season has been downright disastrous.  Scott started off well enough, placing second at the Sony Open, but since then has missed 10 cuts in 15 tournaments that have cuts.  Is this an example of Norman playing a hunch, or showing favoritism towards a fellow countryman?  If there is anyone who might have a beef with this pick, it’s Rory Sabbatini, who was knocked out of the top 10 automatic qualifiers after Y.E. Yang snagged the PGA Championship, and now finds himself on the outside looking in.