|
Sydney man Davis, world number 67 and a one-time winner on the
U.S. PGA Tour, was named among Trevor Immelman's six captain's
picks for the Sept. 22-25 event at Quail Hollow against the
United States.
With the PGA Tour banning players who have signed up to the
Saudi-backed LIV circuit, it will be a much-reduced
Internationals team bidding to end a long losing streak since
the drawn 2003 tournament in South Africa.
Apart from British Open champion Smith, Immelman had to look
past a slew of LIV players including Chile's world number 19
Joaquin Niemann, South African major winner Louis Oosthuizen and
Mexico's Abraham Ancer.
Even with those omissions Davis was surprised by his call-up,
with higher-ranked players like Australian Lucas Herbert and New
Zealander Ryan Fox missing out.
"It feels awesome to be part of a team I've looked up towards my
entire career and before that as a junior golfer," the lanky
27-year-old told reporters.
"But it was a call that I can't say I was expecting. It was a
quietly-hopeful-for. And if it (came it would be) a good
surprise. Otherwise I would have understood why not."
Including Davis, five of Immelman's captain's picks are
Presidents Cup debutants.
Only Australian Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama and Im Sung-jae
remain on the team that came close to breaking the Americans'
winning streak at the last tournament at Royal Melbourne three
years ago.
The LIV issue had hung over the Presidents Cup selections for
weeks but Davis said it was not really talked about among his
International team mates.
"We knew it was up in the air. But this is what we have. We have
a team.
"We've got 12 guys who really want to be here, 12 guys who are
really playing well.
"It's just a pretty tumultuous time right now but I'm just
sticking with my plan and my goals and my pathway, and that's
led myself to here and now amongst these guys.
"It's an opportunity for me to take with both hands."
(Reporting by Ian Ransom in Melbourne; Editing by Peter
Rutherford)
[© 2022 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.]
This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content. |
|
