KOREA’S Si Woo Kim was amongst six players picked by captain Mike Weir to round up the 12-man International Team which will face the US Team in the Presidents Cup at The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal the week of Sept. 24-29, 2024. Weir also selected South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Canada’s Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes, and Australia’s Min Woo Lee.
Of the six captain’s picks, Hughes and Lee are first-time participants, with Kim making his Presidents Cup debut in 2017, and Bezuidenhout, Conners and Pendrith doing so in 2022. In total, five countries are represented on the International Team: Australia, Canada, Japan, South Africa and Korea.
Kim was the International Team’s leading points scorer with three points at Quail Hollow two years ago which included a Sunday Singles victory over Justin Thomas. The 29-year-old, who holds a 4-3-0 (W-L-T) record, finished 14th on the International Team rankings when qualifying ended two weeks ago but got the bid from Weir to join fellow Koreans Tom Kim, Sungjae Im and Byeong Hun An, who all qualified automatically, for his third appearance in the Presidents Cup.
Weir said: “Si Woo brings a wealth of experience to our team room, as well as a great record in the Presidents Cup. He has been a stalwart on PGA TOUR leaderboards since 2016 and has demonstrated an ability to perform his best when the pressure is at its highest, which will be a great asset for us in Montreal. if you look at Si Woo, his record in these things and the way he competes, all of his captains have seen it firsthand and up close. We just know how consistent he is all the way around.
Kim, a four-time winner on the PGA TOUR, finished 32nd on the 2024 FedExCup points list to narrowly miss qualifying for the TOUR Championship for the third time in his career. He enjoyed two top-10 finishes including a T6 at THE PLAYERS Championship and T5 at the BMW Championship two weeks ago. He only missed two cuts all season from 23 starts. In his two previous starts at the Presidents Cup, the Korean showed his fiery side by ‘shushing’ the home fans during his matches in big moments.
Kim is excited to head to Royal Montreal. “When I was younger, I always watch the Presidents Cup, which made me want to compete with the best golfers in the world. Hopefully I can help the team and we can win this year,“ he said.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee, who enjoyed two runner-up finishes on the PGA TOUR this season and is a three-time winner on the DP World Tour, will make his Presidents Cup debut where he will join compatriots Adam Scott and Jason Day on the International Team. Day and Scott were amongst the top-6 automatic qualifiers.
Weir said: “As one of the most popular players on the PGA TOUR, Min Woo is going to be an incredible addition to the International Team and our passionate fans in Montreal. He is one of the best drivers of the golf ball, and I can’t wait to let him cook at the Presidents Cup in a few weeks.”
Lee, who finished ninth on the International Team rankings, is fired up for Royal Montreal. “What I can bring to the International Team is flair and hopefully some good golf. I’ve been playing pretty solid this year. Being on the International Team is very special and obviously being the home side, it’ll be massive to play good in front of the fans. The Presidents Cup is massive. It was on my mind from a young age because that’s a team event that I can play in.”
Christiaan Bezuidenhout will make his second straight appearance for the International Team after a 1-0-1 record at Quail Hollow. He also enjoyed two runner-up finishes this season and qualified for his first TOUR Championship appearance last week.
Weir rounded up his picks by selecting fellow Canadians, Corey Conners, Taylor Pendrith and MacKenzie Hughes, whom he expects to rally the Canadian fans behind the International Team which will be seeking only its second victory in the Presidents Cup following the lone win in Royal Melbourne in 1998.
