Meet the first six members of the 2024 International Presidents Cup team
CASTLE PINES, Colo. — Half of the International Presidents Cup team is set, half is still to be determined.
The top-six finishers in the point standings that are PGA Tour members – LIV players need not apply because they are ineligible for the biennial competition – automatically qualified for International Captain Mike Weir’s team at the conclusion of the BMW Championship on Sunday.
To be eligible for automatic qualification players needed to compete in 15 or more OWGR-rated events from Sept.12, 2022 through the 2024 BMW Championship (Aug. 25, 2024), this week’s second leg of the FedEx Cup playoffs at Castle Pines Golf Club, where Keegan Bradley was the winner.
Those still bidding to make the team will have one more shot to make a lasting impression at the Tour Championship. Weir will make his six captain’s picks to round out his 12-man team on Tuesday, Sept. 3.
The Presidents Cup returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Sept. 24-29.
Let’s take a closer look at the first six members of the team.
Hideki Matsuyama
The 32-year-old Japanese star is representing the International Team for the sixth time (2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022). That is tied for fourth most in International Team history alongside Retief Goosen and Robert Allenby. Matsuyama has a career record of 7-10-5.
He added two wins this season — The Genesis Invitational and FedEx St. Jude Championship — giving him 10 career Tour titles. He has notched six top-10s overall in the 2024 season and earned a bronze medal with a third-place finish in the Olympic golf competition.
Tom Kim
The 22-year-old South Korean was the breakout star of the 2022 Presidents Cup. While partnering with Si Woo Kim in Saturday afternoon’s Four-ball matches, he sank a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to defeat Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, 1-up. He went 2-3 for the week. This will be his second appearance in the Presidents Cup. Kim has three career Tour titles. He recorded two top-10 finishes, including a season-best runner-up at the Travelers Championship, where he lost to Scottie Scheffler in a playoff.
Sungjae Im
Im has been a stout competitor for the International side in two previous Presidents Cup appearances, including an undefeated record in Sunday Singles play after defeating Gary Woodland and Cameron Young in 2019 and 2022, respectively. He has an overall mark of 5-3-0.
Im recorded eight top-10 finishes, including a season-best T3 at the Travelers Championship, where he finished two shots shy of a playoff. He also notched the third top-10 of his major championship career with a T7 at the British Open.
Jason Day
The 36-year-old Australian is back on the team for the first time since 2017. Day, a 13-time winner on the PGA Tour, is making his fifth overall appearance (2011, 2013, 2015, 2017) and will look to improve upon a 5-11-4 career mark. That includes going 3-1-1 at Muirfield Village Golf Club near his home in Ohio.
This season, Day has recorded four top-10 finishes, including a season-best T-4 at the Wells Fargo Championship.
Adam Scott
The 44-year-old Australian will be making a record 11th start for the International Team in the Presidents Cup, which is second most in event history, trailing only Phil Mickelson (12). Scott has recorded 21 points in 49 career matches with a lifetime record of 18-25-6. (2003, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017, 2019, 2022)
Scott, a 14-time Tour winner, has notched four top-10 finishes, including a season-best runner-up at the Genesis Scottish Open, where he fell one shot shy of winner Robert MacIntyre. His second-place effort marked his best on the PGA Tour since a playoff loss at the 2021 Wyndham Championship.
Ben An
An is back for his second appearance as a member of the International Team. In 2019, he played in all five matches at the 2019 Presidents Cup in Australia, partnering twice with Adam Scott in Four-ball competition. He had a mark of 1-2-2. An's match play history dates to the 2009 U.S. Amateur, which he won at age 17 after defeating future Tour winner Ben Martin in the championship match at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
This season he has recorded five top-10 finishes, including a T-2 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he lost in a playoff to Grayson Murray. That marked the fifth runner-up of his Tour career.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Meet the first six members of the 2024 International Presidents Cup team