2022 Mexico Open field lack of powerful stars gives Pres President Cup hopefuls a precious opportunity

“Why is he playing this week?” is the question surrounding world No. 2 Jon Rahm as he leads this week’s Mexico Open event. Undefeated since winning the US Open at Torrey Pines in June 2021, Rahm understands the importance of not only re-entering the winner’s circle but finding his way ahead of a summer with three major championships.

While the Spaniard is attracting most men, the lack of depth and talent at the Mexican Open offers a valuable opportunity for most – namely the opportunity to advance. closer to the coveted spot on one of the Presidential Cups. assignment table. The event at Quail Hollow is now less than five months away, and there are plenty of International and US hopefuls outside looking forward to a look from their respective captains.

Before we dash our hopes of making an impact this weekend, let’s take a look at where things currently stand for both Team USA and International.

The Internationals keep their points system close to the norm, but the United States takes 1,500 points (1 FedEx Cup point = 3 points) to win a tournament in 2022, meaning a memorable week could be make all the difference in the world in September.

USA Team Rankings

International team standings

While the Presidents Cup has yet to beat the Ryder Cup in terms of competitiveness, we may not be too far away for that to happen. An aging European team showed their cracks this past fall in Whistling Strait, and will likely face reload problems for years to come, but the same is unlikely. You can talk about a young, growing International team.

The United States lifted the Presidents Cup at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club over two years ago in Australia by a score of 16-14. A close contest, the International Team seems to have caught up with the United States in terms of strategy, analysis, and the right positioning of their players for success.

The core of each team has been solidified, but this week’s Mexico Open provides the opportunity for promising candidates to impress captains Davis Love III (USA) and Trevor Immelman (International). Not only that, the extra warning about potentially jumping players for the LIV Golf League will open the door even wider.

As it stands, Louis Oosthuizien and Adam Scott have both been linked to the Saudi Arabia-backed golf tournament as well as Jason Kokrak from Team USA. All three rank in the top 10 of their team rankings, and based on the PGA Tour’s stance on the matter, it’s likely all three will be left on the sidelines for the Presidents Cup if they choose to participate in it. This rival golf tournament. summer.

Captains will not choose their teams in the same fashion; Love III will have six captain choices in addition to the six automatic qualifiers, while Immelman is only given a level four to accompany his eight auto-qualified members. That should be more than enough for the two to top the study as the current top six of Team USA and the top eight of Team International are likely to be on their team except for the two kids who may have problems with Team Nationals. economic.

That’s not to say the rankings won’t change between now and September, because they certainly will. The six players listed below, all of whom are attending this week’s Mexico Open, are the ones who have had the opportunity to speak out on the matter.

Team USA Balloons

Patrick Reed (1,870 points outside qualifying): Oh, how the mighty have fallen. The artist formerly known as “Captain America” ​​was left on the sidelines last year in place of Ryder Cup rookies, and to say he was dropped from the team would be a lie. A brave attempt just to play in the Tour Championship, Reed was hospitalized for nearly a week in August with a severe case of bilateral pneumonia. However, to return to his old self, the current world number 33 is at the lowest position in the Official World Golf Ranking since the summer of 2014.

A big reason for the drop is that he doesn’t have a bounce, as Reed is averaging 6 yards behind the driver in 2021 and is ranked 195th on the PGA Tour in driving distance, well ahead of Andrew Landry and Luke Donald. Doubting the former Masters champion back to his former prominence may be a gap, but in an age where it seems that everyone – young and old alike – is widening the gap. , this is worrisome.

Prior to Whistling Straits, the 31-year-old was a member of six consecutive USA Teams in both the Ryder Cup and the Presidents Cup, and is now in grave danger if he misses the teams’ head-to-head events. . The good news is that Reed is a prolific champion capable of finding form right from the start, boasting nine PGA Tour wins, and just one more win before his name returns to the conversation.

Tony Finau (2.256): Finau was knocked out on Team USA’s first try when they disappointed at Le Golf National in the 2018 Ryder Cup. One of the few bright spots for the Americans in France, a two-time PGA Tour winner. has since been a member of the Pres President Cup winners at Royal Melbourne and the historic Ryder Cup team at Whistling Straits. While most people remember Justin Thomas and Daniel Berger smashing beer on the first tee, the Finau swagger and saunter performance on display on the shores of Lake Michigan is memorable in its own right.

Possessing a new-found confidence, this was unexpectedly followed by a slow start to his 2022 campaign. He still hasn’t found the top 20 in a field-wide event this year, and Love III has to hope he turns things around soon. Last stingy lad, Finau has a great chance to climb the ranks this week at the Mexican Open, making his captain’s decision all the more difficult.

Gary Woodland (3,097): A favorite major champion who looks set to come round in 2022, Woodland’s injury has left him behind the eight-ball. Playing through them for most of 2020-21, the 2019 Presidents Cup member struggled on the PGA Tour but he is finally managing with his state of health. He seems to be back in shape in 2019, the year he won the US Open, and has the perfect playstyle and personality for Team USA. He has a realistic chance to compete at the Mexico Open, and this week’s win will be a huge boost not only to his confidence, but also to his President’s cup campaign.

International Team Balloons

Anirban Lahiri (average 0.93 points in auto qualifier): The International Team’s scoring system differs from the USA in that they have their own proprietary calculation based on field strength. The biggest benefactor of this is probably Lahiri, when he finished second to Smith at The Players Championship in March. A member of the International Team in 2015 and 2017, the Olympian struggled on his debut in Korea, scoring a 0-3-0 record before finding a place at Liberty National with a scoreline of 0-3-0. 1-1-1. Immelman will face four tough captaining picks in the fall, but if Lahiri can pull off a win – even on a pitch as weak as the Mexican Open – he could take the decision from the team. his chief.

Sebastian Munoz (1,38): I really believe Munoz has a chance to be the difference-maker for the International Team in the upcoming Presidents Cup. He enters this 21st week with tee-to-green hits in the past three months out of all eligible PGA Tour players. While his comeback caused him to miss out on the RBC Heritage, the Colombian should contest his second title on the PGA Tour in Mexico. The bets are already tough on 2022, but if he can turn the tide in the coming months, Immelman may have no choice but to look his way.

Matt Jones (1.82): Things get pretty interesting for Team International looking at who’s currently ranked 15-30. Si Woo Kim, Mito Pereira, Charl Schwartzel and Jason Day all register in this range, and Jones is most likely a name overlooked. The 42-year-old is yet to be a member of the Presidents Cup Team, but the way he plays in 2022 could ensure that. As the podium at the Championships and runner-up at the Texas Open, the Australian’s form is undisputed. I can see Immelman and the vice-captains picking the youth ranks with their picks, which means Jones will need to do something special between now and September to secure a spot on the team on his own.