Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Phil and Charley in line-up
UNITED States captain Steve Stricker has selected Phil Mickelson and Charley Hoffman as his picks for the upcoming Presidents Cup.
International team captain Nick Price opted for Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo and India’s Anirban Lahiri to complete his line-up.
Mickelson will become the only player to compete in all 12 Presidents Cup competitions when the teams battle it out at New Jersey’s Liberty National Golf Club from September 28-October 1.
“I’ve had my eye on the 11th spot as it came down to a tight race between two very talented players,” said Stricker.
“Charley has played well all year and had a great summer. He’s shown a lot of fight and will be a great addition to our team.
“As for Phil, he is so valuable in the team room and is a tremendous partner on the course.”
Grillo j oins the three tournament rookies who qualified automatically for the I nternational Team, Si Woo Kim, Jhonattan Vegas and Adam Hadwin.
“Emiliano has always been on our radar since earning t he PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award last year,” said Price.
“H e ’s a n ex p l o s i v e player who can make a lot of birdies, and he’s proven he can win on tour.
“At No 11, we feel his consistent performance over the past two years definitely warrants a pick.
“With Anirban at No 16 in the standings, picking him may surprise some people, but my captain’s assistants and I felt like the team needed an additional player who has experienced Presidents Cup pressure before.”