International captain Trevor Immelman says he asked the PGA Tour if South Africa’s top-ranked golfer, Louis Oosthuizen, could have been granted a reprieve to compete in this week’s Presidents Cup.
Before making his six captain’s picks, Immelman attempted to clarify with the PGA Tour whether any International LIV players could compete in the biennial tournament.
The Presidents Cup is a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, but given that several international players do not have PGA Tour cards, players could have earned their spots by competing on other tours such as the DP World Tour, Sunshine Tour, and Asian Tour.
However, due to the PGA Tour’s stance on LIV golfers, and especially because Oosthuizen was one of the first golfers to help promote the breakaway rebel tour, the 2010 Open champion is not permitted to compete at Quail Hollow.
did (call Oosthuizen’s participation into question). And, from what I understand, he made specific announcements and allowed himself to be used in various marketing campaigns and announcements once he was denied release from the PGA Tour, and he did all of that before resigning his membership. So there were still specific infractions there “In a press conference on Tuesday, Immelman told reporters.
“This event is owned and sanctioned by the PGA Tour, and our team follows the rules. We keep our promises. We’re an honourable group. So there you have it.
“And every single person I spoke with early on in this process was fully aware of the situation and its implications. And they were well aware that if they made certain decisions, it was highly unlikely that they would be able to represent the international team. As a result, that influenced their decision.
“Everyone knew where they stood because all the cards were out on the table.”
The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, North Carolina, with only one South African golfer expected to compete.
Christiaan Bezuidenhout, an Olympian, was one of Immelman’s six captain’s picks as the International team takes on a strong US squad.
Oosthuizen expressed his disappointment at not being able to play in his fifth Presidents Cup, which he had hoped to do under fellow South African Immelman.
“Trev is the one I feel the most sorry for. Trevor is a great friend. We communicate via text message. He was aware of my decision in advance. But it still stinks “This past weekend, Oosthuizen was in Chicago.
“I really wanted to play for him. He’s going to make an excellent captain.”
Immelman admits the internationals are the underdogs as they look to give the US team some fight this week.
“Have a blast and let ‘er rip. We have absolutely nothing to lose. These guys have worked their butts off since they were kids, and they finally made it into this team. Making this team is a big deal,” said Immelman.
“So I’ve gone out of my way, and Ernie (Els) went out of his way to try to elevate the stature of our team to where players who grow up all over the world really do look to this as something they have to achieve in their career and put on their resume.
“So we’re starting to organically see the results of that and build that culture to where these guys are just so excited to be here. So my message to them is to, number one, trust yourself, believe in yourself, and then have a blast. Enjoy every second.”
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