THE PRESIDENTS CUP: THE ROYAL MONTREAL GOLF CLUB, MONTREAL, QUEBEC, CANADA
INTERNATIONAL TEAM: Stuart Appleby (Aust), Angel Cabrera (Argentina), K.J.Choi (South Korea), Ernie Els (RSA), Retief Goosen (RSA), Trevor Immelman (RSA), Geoff Ogilvy (Aust), Nick O’Hern (Aust), Rory Sabbatini (RSA), Adam Scott (Aust), Vijay Singh (Fiji) and Mike Weir (Canada).
Captain: Gary Player (RSA) / Assistant Captain: Ian Baker Finch (Australia)
USA TEAM: Woody Austin, Stuart Cink, Jim Furyk, Lucas Glover, Charles Howell III, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Phil Mickelson, Steve Stricker, David Toms, Scott Verplank, Tiger Woods.
Captain: Jack Nicklaus (USA)/ Assistant Captain: Jeff Sluman (USA)
DEFENDING CHAMPION: USA
· Of the 34 players who have played for the International Team in seven Presidents Cup competitions, 13 have have hailed from Australia and three from New Zealand. Almost half of all International Presidents Cuppers have come from Australasia.
· The Presidents Cup sees the two teams play each other in foursomes, four-ball and single matchplay formats, as opposed to the usual method of stroke play. The unique nature of the tournament makes for exciting tussles as the players battle it out for crucial points that could help their side gain victory.
· Thursday’s Foursomes have been announced with the following match-ups:
TIME / AEST USA V INTERNATIONALS
1. 1:15 pm Thurs/3:15am Fri Mahan/Stricker v Scott/Ogilvy
2. 1:25 pm Thurs/3:25am Fri Mickelson/Austin v Singh/Weir
3. 1:35 am Thurs/3:35am Fri Cink/Johnson v Sabbatini/Immelman
4. 1:45 pm Thurs/3:45am Fri Toms/Furyk v Els/Cabrera
5. 1:55 pm Thurs/3:55am Fri Glover/Verplank v Appleby/Goosen
6. 2:05 pm Thurs/4:05am Fri Woods/Howell III v Choi/O'Hern
· MATCH 1: has good mates Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy pairing up to take on Steve Stricker and Hunter Mahan. This will be a great opener and reasonably even. Stricker has had two losses in foursomes from his 1996 appearance at the Presidents Cup and Mahan is making his debut. On the International side, Scott is unbeaten in foursomes and Ogilvy is on debut.
· MATCH 5: will be the next appearance from an aussie as Stewart Appleby lines up with another experienced campaigner in Retief Goosen. Appleby is making his fifth start in these matches, while Goosen is making his fourth. The pair are taking on Lucas Glover & Scott Verplank, a blend of youth and experience as Glover makes his first appearance and Verplank brings a 2-2-0 record to the table, having played for the winning American team in 2005. This will be a fairly even match up as despite the experience of the international pair, the previous foursomes results for the internationals haven’t been in their favour, so it could come down to the final hole.
· MATCH 6: will without doubt be the match of the day for spectators following crowd favourite Tiger Woods. Throw Nick O’Hern into the mix and it promises to be another showdown.
· O’Hern has once again been pitted to take on Woods and judging by his track record, he can go in feeling reasonably confident. O'Hern has proven to be a bogey player for Woods as he has two wins over Woods in the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.
· Woods however has has had his best success in the alternate shot format at Presidents Cup, and two of those victories in the format were achieved with Charles Howell at his side in the 2003 matches in South Africa.
· International team boasts nine of the world's Top 20
· The USA holds a 4-1 lead over the International Team with one series tied.
PGA TOUR: VIKING CLASSIC, ANNANDALE GOLF CLUB, MADISON, MISSISSIPPI
AUSTRALASIAN FIELD: Andrew Buckle, Gavin Coles, Steve Elkington, Nick Flanagan, Mathew Goggin, Paul Gow, Richard Green, Mark Hensby, Craig Perks NZL, John Senden, Michael Sim, Phil Tataurangi NZL, Grant Waite NZL
2006 Champion: D.J. Trahan (USA)
· As it gets down to the business end of the season, the main goal of most players is trying to earn enough to reach the top 125 on the money list - the cutoff for an automatic exemption onto next year's TOUR.
· Many of the Australasians in this week’s field can take advantage of the fact that many of the top money earners are playing in the Presidents Cup. Boo Weekley (23rd), Brett Wetterich (28th) and 2005 champion Heath Slo***** (35th) are the top money winners entered.
· The standings of those Australasians who are in the Top 200 in the field as they come into this week’s event are: John Senden (39), Steve Elkington (96), Mathew Goggin (102), Gavin Coles (136), Andrew Buckle (141), Mark Hensby (149), Michael Sim (176), Paul Gow (181).
ASIAN TOUR: FORTIS INTERNATIONAL CHALLENGE, KOTA PERMAI GOLF & COUNTRY CLUB, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA
AUSTRALASIAN FIELD: New Zealand (Stephen Scahill & Richard Lee)
· A total of 17 nations from Asia, Europe and Africa will compete in the Fortis International Challenge with the top five earning tickets to the Omega Mission Hills World Cup in China in November. Five qualifying places are available at the Fortis International Challenge and Nations Cup in South America respectively, which will bring the total number of teams for the World Cup to 28.
· With 2005 US Open Champion Michael Campbell not gaining automatic entry into the World Cup through the Official World Golf Ranking, Stephen Scahill and Richard Lee, both regulars on the Asian Tour, will attempt to play their way to China
· The event will use the fourball (better ball) format in the first and third rounds and foursomes (alternate shot) in the second and final rounds.
· Teams competing are: Chinese Taipei (Lin Wen-tang, Lin Wen-hong) , Ghana (Emos Korblah, Victor Brave Mensah), Holland (Robert-Jan Derksen, Maarten Lafeber), Hong Kong (James Stewart, Wong Woon Man),Korea (Lee Sung, Lee Seung-ho), Myanmar (Zaw Moe, Soe Kyaw Naing), Malaysia (Iain Steel, Airil Rizman), Mauritius (Billy Narraina, Vishnoo Seeneevassen), New Zealand (Stephen Scahill, Richard Lee), Pakistan (Muhammad Munir, Matloob Ahmed), Philippines (Tony Lascuna, Gerald Rosales), Russia (Korchak Igor, Ostankov Victor), Singapore (Lam Chih Bing, Mardan Mamat) Switzerland (Martin Rominger, Robert Wiederkehr), Slovenia (Andrej Kraljic, Janez Grilc), Thailand (Thongchai Jaidee, Prayad Marksaeng), Uganda (Deo Akope, Godfrey Mande)
· Round One tee times (fourball)7:50am: Ghana, 8:02am: Malaysia, Holland, 8:14am: Thailand, New Zealand , 8:26am: Singapore, Switzerland, 8:38am: Uganda, Korea, 8:50am: Chinese Taipei, Pakistan , 9:02am: Philippines, Slovenia, 9:14am: Hong Kong, Russia , 9:26am: Mauritius, Myanmar
JAPAN TOUR: COCA COLA TOKAI CLASSIC, MIYOSHI COUNTRY CLUB WEST COURSE, AICHI
AUSTRALASIAN FIELD: Chris Campbell, Eddie Lee NZL
2006 CHAMPION: Hidemasa Hoshino (Japan)
CHALLENGE TOUR: The Dutch Futures, Golfclub Houtrak, Netherlands
AUSTRALASIAN FIELD: Peter Fowler, Glen Haynes, John Wade
EUROPEAN SENIORS TOUR: Charles Church Scottish Seniors Open, Marriott Dalmahoy Hotel & CC, Scotland
AUSTRALASIAN FIELD: David Good, Jim Lapsley, Graham Marsh, David Merriman, Simon Owen NZL, Noel Ratcliffe
2006 CHAMPION: Sam Torrence (Scotland)
TELEVISION COVERAGE: FOX SPORTS
Presidents Cup
Fri 28 Sep Presidents Cup day one LIVE 3.00am (FOX SPORTS 3)
Sat 29 Sep Presidents Cup day two LIVE 2.00am (FOX SPORTS 3)
Sun 30 Sep Presidents Cup day three LIVE 3.00am (FOX SPORTS 1)
Mon 1 Oct Presidents Cup final day LIVE 2.00am (FOX SPORTS 3)
