Marc Leishman started the PGA TOUR season with three high-priority goals – win, make the TOUR Championship to have a shot at the FedExCup, and be on the International Team for the Presidents Cup. Over the last two weeks he checked off the first goal at the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard and is well on his way to the others after making it through to the final 16 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play. You can bet Presidents Cup captains Steve Stricker and Nick Price were keeping a close eye on proceedings in Austin as their planning ramps up ahead of the meat of the PGA TOUR season. It was a chance for the respective leaders to get an idea on who revels in the match play format and who just might be an astute captain’s pick when we all head to Liberty National on September 26-October 1. For Leishman, the last two weeks were huge for his chances of making it to his third consecutive International team. He surged from outside the automatic 10 qualifiers all the way to fifth in the standings. The International Team is desperate to win for the first time since 1998. The Official World Golf Ranking will determine the 10 automatic qualifiers for the squad, which is comprised of players from outside the United States and Europe. The 10 highest-ranked International players on Sept. 4, 2017 will make the team, followed by two Captain’s Picks two days later. Leishman, who was a Captain’s pick in 2013, is hopeful of never again needing help to get amongst the team. His record of 3-4-1 in the last two events includes a 2-0 singles records with impressive wins over Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth. “I have been thinking about the Presidents Cup all year,” a determined Leishman said. “I have played the last two Presidents Cups and certainly don’t want to miss one ever again. They are so much fun. “We’ve lost a couple and I want to get revenge. I want more than anything to help the boys get the Cup. And to make a move back up in the standings was really important to me.” Leishman was knocked out in Austin by a man he will almost certainly come up against in September – Phil Mickelson. The loss stung the Australian hard as he wanted to prove even more to Price. He wanted to show no player, no matter how decorated, can intimidate his game. “Nick Price is a really great bloke, he’s become a bit of a mentor, and I really want to play well for him,” Leishman added. “I didn’t have my best against Phil, which is disappointing, but hopefully I’ll get another crack at him and Team USA at the end of the year and we get the result we are looking for.” Price, who was captain in 2013 and 2015 and a player for the team in 1994, 1996, 1998, 2000 and 2003, has made it clear he’d like to see as many of his previous players return as possible. The 2015 Presidents Cup in Korea came down to the final hole, with the International Team losing, 14 ½ – 13 ½ , after Bill Haas beat local hero Sangmoon Bae, 2 UP. The United States has won nine of the 11 meetings, with its lone loss coming in 1998 at Australia’s Royal Melbourne and a tie in 2003 in South Africa. The Americans are undefeated on home soil. As it stands now Jason Day, Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, Branden Grace, Leishman, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel, Emiliano Grillo, Yuta Ikeda and Adam Hadwin sit in the automatic qualifying spots. The last three – Grillo, Ikeda and Hadwin would be rookies. On the outside looking in and trying to push up are Jeunghun Wang, Hideto Tanihara, Byeong Hun An, Jhonattan Vegas, Thongchai Jaidee, K.T. Kim and Si Woo Kim. Tanihara certainly made Price take notice as he finished fourth in Austin, taking down Jordan Spieth, Ikeda and Paul Casey amongst others on his run. He also pushed Dustin Johnson hard in their semifinal match before falling. Before the event, he admitted the Presidents Cup wasn’t fully on his radar. “It is now,” said Tanihara, who has 14 wins on the Japan Tour, said. “After this week a lot of people are talking about the Presidents Cup. … If I can get in, I’ll be really happy to play for the International Team.” For U.S. Captain Stricker it was obviously fun to see Johnson demolish the field in his 7-0 run and maintain his impressive lead atop the standings for selection. Barring injury, Johnson will be leading his side at Liberty National, making his third Presidents Cup appearance following his efforts at the winning 2011 and 2015 campaigns. Johnson is 4-4-1 in his Presidents Cup career, having amazingly lost all three times he’s played Four-Balls. Haas, who finished third in Austin, is looking to qualify for a fourth consecutive U.S. team. His 3rd place finish in Austin lifted him from 20th to 14th on the points list. But he claims to not be looking. “I would love to play in it,” Haas said. “I try not to focus on the points list. We’ve got enough stress. The FedExCup Playoffs, there’s enough in my head to play for than to be thinking of that. It’s hard not to think about it, but at the same time I don’t think it helps me to play any better to know if I’m close. “I still have four majors and THE PLAYERS Championship, a lot of good opportunities to play well. That’s my goal is to play decent if a few of those. And if I do that, the rest will take care of itself.” FedExCup points are used to select the U.S. Team. The top 10 U.S. PGA TOUR members who have earned the most FedExCup points from Sept. 14, 2015 through Sept. 4, 2017, will make the squad. The points are weighted as follows: 2015 BMW Championship through 2016 Deutsche Bank Championship equals one point for every FedExCup Point earned; 2016 BMW Championship through 2017 Deutsche Bank Championship equals two points for every FedExCup Point earned. Presidents Cup points for FedExCup Playoffs Events are weighted the same as World Golf Championships. In addition, two Captain’s Picks are to be named by Stricker on September 6. Johnson is way out there with 8,127 points with Justin Thomas (5,420) and Jordan Spieth (5,040) also are virtual locks to make the team. It will be Thomas’ first time up for Team USA. But then the list gets crammed and the remaining seven automatic selections are certainly up for grabs. Rickie Fowler, Kevin Kisner, Patrick Reed, Gary Woodland, Brandt Snedeker, Daniel Berger and Ryan Moore currently hold the golden ticket slots. Kisner, Woodland, Berger and Moore would all be President’s Cup rookies. But they have plenty breathing down their necks with Brendan Steele, Mickelson, Kevin Na, Haas, Charles Howell III, Matt Kuchar, Jimmy Walker, Brooks Koepka, Scott Piercy and Kevin Chappell amongst those close by. You can view the full current standings for both teams here. Former team members like Bubba Watson are back in 26th. J.B. Holmes is 27th. This is no easy team to make. But it sure will be fun watching everyone trying.
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