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Els leans on Scott for Presidents Cup win

3 minute read

International team captain Ernie Els will look to Adam Scott, playing in his ninth Presidents Cup, as they try to upset hot favourites the United States..

ERNIE ELS of South Africa plays his shot from the sixth tee during the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California.
ERNIE ELS of South Africa plays his shot from the sixth tee during the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Presidents Cup team captain Ernie Els is leaning heavily on Australian No.1 Adam Scott as the International team look to break the United States' 21-year stranglehold on the event.

Scott will suit up for his ninth Presidents Cup when the teams square off at Royal Melbourne in December and Els says he will look to the veteran, who has been in impressive form.

"He's going to be front and centre, one of the leading guys on the team," Els said in a teleconference on Wednesday.

"Already in all our meetings, I've asked Scottie every single time to say something to the players as he's got so much to give.

"He's the most capped player in the history of the Cup now and he's playing great golf again so we will be leaning on Scottie in a big way."

There are still four places to be filled after the top eight secured automatic qualification, with four former representatives and four rookies locked in.

Scott has called for Els to play and the four-time major winner said he hadn't completely ruled out playing himself he was "99 per cent" certain he wouldn't.

Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith are already in the team and former world No.1 Jason Day looks a strong chance of being the fourth Australian in the team as a captain's pick when they are declared in early November.

"I don't want to give away all my cards here, but Jason is always going to be on the list of guys we're going to absolutely look at for the top 12," said Els, who was a member of the International team's only success at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

"He didn't have a terrible year, he just didn't have a year like we're used to from Jason.

"We've got a long time to go and before December comes I'll have a chat with Jason personally and see where we are, and we'll make that decision when it comes."

Els is casting his net wide, mentioning Thailand's Jazz Janewattananond, South Korean Sungjae Im plus South Africans Justin Harding and Erik Van Rooyen as players in the running.

A fifth Australian, Brendan Jones, is also in his calculations and Els said the top eight would have some say on his selections.

"We're going to have a lot of discussion about who their new four friends are going to be because they're going to have to play together and blend as a team," he said.

Els also called on the Australian crowd to become the "13th man" and get behind the International team, rather than the Tiger Woods-lead Americans.

"That that is our trump card. They need to support us - the whole world, we are playing as one team, and we would love to have the Australian public right behind us."

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