Mickelson added to Presidents Cup team

Phil Mickelson kept alive a streak and earned a footnote in Presidents Cup history Tuesday when he was selected to play on his 21st consecutive U.S. team.

Mickelson was No. 30 in the standings, the lowest of any player to be a captain’s pick.

U.S. captain Jay Haas also took his son, Bill Haas, though that was expected. Bill Haas won his sixth PGA Tour title this year, finished one shot out of a playoff at The Players Championship and was 11th in the standings. His father said he intended to take No. 11 regardless of who it was.

International captain Nick Price selected Steven Bowditch of Australia, who missed qualifying by less than one-hundredth of a world ranking point, and Sangmoon Bae of South Korea, which attracted the most attention.

The Presidents Cup is Oct. 8-11 in South Korea, the first time it has been held in Asia.

Bae has been ordered to start his mandatory two-year military service in South Korea when he returns home. Price said he has been told that Bae, who won the season-opening Frys.com Open last October, will be able to first play in the Presidents Cup.

Jay Haas said he leaned on his assistant captains and players who already were assured of a spot on the team.

“I am so honoured to be on this team,” Mickelson said. “And to have it come from input from so many players and assistant captains wanting me to be on the team means a lot to me that I couldn’t put it into words. It’s just a very special honour.”

Mickelson has gone two years since his last victory in the 2013 British Open, and at No. 51 in the FedEx Cup, he risks not making it to the Tour Championship for the second straight year.