Els plays youth card for Royal

(Photo: Presidents Cup / PGA TOUR)

Ernie Els today made his captain's choices for the upcoming Presidential Cup … and he left for the youth.

As expected, Els made Jason Day the fourth Australian in the international team, with the Queenslander finishing just outside of the eight automatic selections.

He then turned to Canada to add Adam Hadwin for his second start of the Presidential Cup, based primarily on some excellent recent forms.

But in the next addition of the Chilean Joaquin Niemann – who turns 21 today – and the Korean Sungjae Im, also 21, he changed his already underdog team into the youngest team ever to play in the Presidents Cup, to have his 13th edition in Royal Melbourne from 12-15 December.

The four join automatic picks Marc Leishman, Adam Scott and Cameron Smith, throughout Australia, South African Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama in Japan, Abraham Ancer in Mexico, Haotong Li in China and CT Pan, from Taiwan.

The newcomers also make it the most "diverse" international team in history, with China, Taiwan and Chile all represented for the first time in a team with an average age of just 29 years.

The international team has a total of 22 previous Presidents Cup appearances among its members, but six players will make their debut, the second most first-timers after the seven in 2013.

Els, in his first appearance as a captain after eight as a player, said his decisions had been one of the most difficult tasks he had faced in golf.

He emphasized fellow South Africans Branden Grace and Erik Van Rooyen among the unfortunate players, along with Canadian Corey Conners and Korean Ben Ahn.

But Els said that putting was a key factor, because he was looking for a team that could replicate the only international team victory over Royal Melbourne in 1998.

"This was very difficult for me. There were many men I had to call and I did that before

the selected boys, boys who were very close (to be chosen, "he said.

"It was really difficult to tell them that they were not on the team.

"I wanted to drive well and hit a good ball, but putting it is very important. In my experience with this Cup, it comes down to applying pressure in many cases.

"So I went with four guys who are consistent and strong under pressure."

Els fully expects his American counterpart Tiger Woods to choose to be the first captain since Hale Irwin in the inaugural 1994 Presidential Cup when the US team is completed tomorrow.

"I don't think he has a choice," Els said laughing.

"But yes, it is a very, very big chance that he will choose himself … and according to the format rules he only has to play once before Sunday, not that he wants to do that."

But Els said, regardless of their opponents, he expected his team to fight in Royal Melbourne.

"I didn't want to make such a young team, it just happened," Els said.

"But I am not afraid to play someone (from my players at some point in the event)."

"From our point of view, we are comfortable and happy and ready to come in December.

"It will be a hellish cup."

Thanks to the US PGA Tour, here are the relevant bios from Els & captain & # 39; s picks:

JASON DAY

Jason Day (finished number 9 in the International Team rankings) returns for his fifth consecutive Presidential Cup and the captain's captain first. The former world No. 1 completes the Australian contingent of the international team, consisting of Marc Leishman (No. 1), Adam Scott (No. 4) and newcomer Cameron Smith (No. 8).

Day holds a 5-11-4 record of the Presidents Cup, but has had great success in matchplay elsewhere on the PGA Tour, after collecting a 22-14-0 record and two wins (2014, 2016) in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play.

After missing one of the eight automatic qualifying berths, Day returns to the site of his Presidential Cup debut in Royal Melbourne in 2011, where he finished with a record of 1-3-1. Two years later, Day participated in Royal Melbourne in the World Cup of Golf 2013 and worked with Scott to successfully defend their homeland.

ADAM HADWIN

Adam Hadwin (No.18) will make his second consecutive Presidential Cup appearance and the captain's first choice. The 31-year-old finished the 2018-19 PGA Tour season with five top 10 & # 39; s, but made his best case for a captain's supply after finishing second in his first start of the 2019-20 season the Safeway Open, which was then followed by a T4 at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Hadwin is just one of three Canadians to take part in the Presidential Cup by becoming a member of captain's assistant Mike Weir (2000, 2003, 2005, 2007, 2009) and Graham DeLaet (2013).

Hadwin finished with a 0-2-1 record in his debut of the Presidents Cup in Liberty National.

SUNGJAE IM

The Korean Sungjae Im (No. 11) will continue a memorable first year on the PGA Tour by making its debut with the Presidential Cup. The 21-year-old's stellar rookie season was marked by 16 top-25 finishes in 35 starts, a trip to the Tour Championship as the only rookie in the field and earning the Arnold Palmer Award as the Rookie of the year.

I continued his strong form in the early stages of the 2019-2020 PGA TOUR season, collecting top 5 finishes at the Sanderson Farms Championship (2nd) and the ZOZO Championship (T3) to further convince Els that he the choice of a captain deserved.

Im one of the five players in the history of the Presidential Cup to compete before turning 22 and becomes a member of the Japanese Ryo Ishikawa (2009, 2011), Jordan Spieth (2013), Hideki Matsuyama (2013) and Joaquín Niemann (2019).

JOAQUÍN NIEMANN

Joaquín Niemann (No.28) is a former amateur number 1 in the world and will be the first Chilean player to participate in the Presidential Cup after becoming the country's first PGA Tour winner in September with his win over A Military Tribute in The Greenbrier.

Niemann is the sixth player from South America to qualify for the Presidential Cup and joins Carlos Franco (Paraguay / 1998, 2000) Angel Cabrera (Argentina / 2005, 2007, 2009, 2013), Emiliano Grillo (Argentina / 2017) , Jhonattan Vegas (Venezuela / 2017) and Camilo Villegas (Colombia / 2009). He is one of the five players in the history of the Presidential Cup to compete before turning 22, and becomes a member of Japanese Ryo Ishikawa (2009, 2011), Jordan Spieth (2013), Hideki Matsuyama (2013) and Sungjae Im (2019).

Niemann earned his PGA Tour card at the age of 19 and enjoyed a successful first full season on the PGA Tour in 2018-19, which resulted in four top-10 finishes in 28 starts. His victory at the 2019-2020 season opener was a great celebration for the young talent, turning a three-stroke lead with 54 holes into a six-stroke victory with a final lap 64.