PRESIDENTS CUP: Teams ready to go

Both the International and United States teams have been finalised with captains Nick Price and Fred Couples making their two selections to round out the 12-man teams.

The top-10 players in the United States and International standings after the Deutsche Bank event automatically qualified for their respective teams for the 2013 matches to be played at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio, from October 3 to 6.

Then it was left to Price and Couples to add their two picks.

Cup captains Fred Couples and Nick Price finalised their teams with two selections, with both overlooking experienece for in-form rookies. PHOTOl GETTY IMAGES

Couples went with in-form players, choosing the brightest young star on the PGA Tour in 2013 – Jordan Spieth, who becomes the youngest player ever to represent the United States in the Presidents Cup. Spieth, who turned pro last December, won the John Deere Classic in July and has accrued eight top-10s this season, which is the second-most on Tour.

Couples also selected 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson, who finished 11th in the US point standings. Simpson, 28, is the only player of the four captain’s picks with previous Presidents Cup experience, having finished with a three win, two loss record in the American victory at Royal Melbourne in 2011.

"I just want to say thanks to Freddie and Davis (Love III) and Jay (Haas) and the American team for believing in me," Simpson said. "I'm so excited."

“All along, I was going to take No. 11,” Couples said. “And with Webb being in the top-10 for two years only to get pushed out with one putt – there was no way I could leave him off. Webb is a world-class player and a great teammate.

“As for Jordan, I feel like he is one of our top players, even though he is only 20. I’m excited to have a young kid on the team. I left Keegan out two years ago, and that was a killer decision, and he has become one of the best young players in the game. It’s a team game, and everybody I talked to on the team wanted Spieth. He definitely deserves it.”

International Team captain Nick Price opted for two rookies in using his captain’s picks on Victorian Marc Leishman and fellow Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge.

“Yesterday was probably one of the toughest days of my life,” Price said. “I had it down to three guys – Marc, Brendon and Tim Clark. To try and separate the three of them and only pick two was an exceptionally difficult task. You had experience on one hand with Tim, and then you had youth in the two rookies in Marc and Brendon. When push came to shove, it came down to who I felt is going to play Muirfield the best. This is one of those times when you wish there were 13 members of the team.”

Deutsche Bank Championship - Round Three

Jordan Spieth, 20, is the youngest player to every represent the US in the Presidents Cup. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The International Team has seven rookies in the line-up – the most in the history of the event. Price said he selected the in-form de Jonge, because his left-to-right ball flight is well-suited to the Muirfield Village course.

De Jonh couldn’t have been happier to get the call from his childhood idol.

"This was obviously the primary goal starting out last year was to make thsi team, and especially playing for Nick," he said. "Nick has been everything to us growing up in junior golf in Zimbabwe, and now to have an opportunity to play for him is definitely a dream come true."

Leishman’s form in major events in 2013 was obviously hard to look past for Price. The 29-year-old finished 4th at the Masters and more recently was tied 12th at the PGA Championship.

When Leishman steps out for the Internationals it will end an amazing journey, having been a teenage spectator at Royal Melbourne in 1998 when the Internationals captured their only win in this history of the event.

Marc Leishman will make his Cup debut, 15 years after watching the Internationals win at Royal Melbourne. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

"I've played in some big events this year and feel like I played pretty well around (Muirfield Village), so I feel like I'm a seasoned match player," Leishman said. "I haven't played match play for a few years, but played it quite a bit at home as an amateur growing up, so hopefully I can use my experience in that."

To automatically make the International or American team for the Presidents Cup you need to play well for most or all of the two years of the qualifying period between each match. For some, they left their run little late.

Zach Johnson, who has shown up and down form this year, grabbed his spot on the United States team with his last shot at the Deutsche Bank Championship, which just happened to be a 26-foot birdie putt.

Johnson, a former Masters champion, started the Deutsche Bank event ranked 10th in the US standings, and was in danger of losing his spot as Steve Stricker went had a good week and ultimately finished tied second behind Henrik Stenson.

Johnson had to make that final putt at the Deutsche Bank to remain in the US top 10. Simpson, playing alongside Johnson, dropped from ninth to 11th in the US team standings after finishing tied for 53rd at the Deutsche Bank.

Stricker’s runner-up finish moved him from 11th to seventh in the US team standings.

“It was a good week,” said Stricker. “I came here trying to get one of those last few spots on the team, knowing that I needed to play well. I had texted Freddie [Couples] earlier in the week. I didn’t want one of his spots as a pick, I wanted to make the team on my own. So I had great incentive, great motivation to play well this week. I’m excited to be part of another team and represent the USA at Muirfield.”

The 10 American players who earned the most official PGA Tour money from the 2011 Tour Championship through to the 2013 Deutsche Bank Championship, automatically made the US team. The top 10 international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup Team) from the Official World Golf Ranking after the conclusion of the Deutsche Bank Championship automatically made the International Team.

US Team captain Fred Couples poses with his team and the Presidents Cup after winning at Royal Melbourne in 2011. PHOTO: GETTY IMAGES

The US will again start as overwhelming favourites to win the Presidents Cup. Especially when you consider this: the US Team has 28 previous Presidents Cup appearances, including three players who have won the Memorial Tournament (played at Muirfield every year) with Matt Kuchar, 2013, Steve Stricker, 2011 and Tiger Woods, 2012, 2009, 2001, 2000, 1999. For the Internationals, players have 17 previous Presidents Cup appearances and one former Memorial champion in Ernie Els, back in 2004.

For our full preview of the Presidents Cup and a closer look at the teams, grab a copy of the October issue of Golf Australia, on sale on September 25.

THE TEAMS

UNITED STATES

Age Presidents Cup appearances Record (W-L-D)

1. Tiger Woods 37 7 (1998-2000-03-05-07-09-11) 20-14-1

2. Brandt Snedeker 32 Rookie

3. Phil Mickelson 43 9 (1994-96-98-00-03-05-07-09-11) 18-14-10

4. Matt Kuchar 35 1 (2011) 1-3-1

5. Jason Dufner 36 Rookie

6. Keegan Bradley 27 Rookie

7. Steve Stricker 46 4 (1996-07-09-11) 11-8-0

8. Bill Haas 31 1 (2011) 1-3-1

9. Hunter Mahan 31 3 (2007-09-11) 8-5-1