Presidents Cup newcomer looks to Scott for lead

WILDCARD Anirban Lahiri says the Internationals’ generation next will look to Australian stalwart Adam Scott for inspiration to finally topple the American dynasty in golf’s Presidents Cup.

India’s Lahiri and Argentine Emiliano Grillo were yesterday named as Nick Price’s captain’s picks for the September 28 tournament in New Jersey, while American counterpart Steve Stricker opted for fivetime major winner Phil Mickelson and 40-year-old debutant Charley Hoffman.

The four wildcards followed Tuesday’s finalisation of the 10 automatic qualifiers for each team, with the Internationals spearheaded by world No.3 Hideki Matsuyama (3), Jason Day (9), Scott, (20), Louis Oosthuizen (21) and Marc Leishman (23).

Since the biennial teams event’s creation in 1994, the Internationals have tasted victory just once (at Royal Melbourne in 1998) and have lost every Cup following a 17-all draw in 2003.

But 30-year-old Lahiri believes Scott, who will make an equal-best eighth appear- ance for the Internationals, can steer a team featuring four rookies to victory.

Among the newcomers are 24-year-old Grillo, Si Woo Kim, of South Korea, Venezuela’s Jhonattan Vegas and Canadian Adam Hadwin.

The 47-year-old Mickelson will be the only golfer to play in all 12 editions of the Presidents Cup.

Fellow captain’s pick Hoffman has been one of the PGA Tour’s most consistent players in 2017, with two runners-up and two third places among seven top-10 results.