Tiger Woods and Ernie Els are headed to Melbourne as captains of the USA and International Teams respectively for the 2019 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 9-15.
Woods, who is the only player in Presidents Cup history to have holed the winning putt on three occasions, said he was honoured to follow in the footsteps of the greats of the game as US captain.
“After working as a captain’s assistant for Steve in 2017, I realised that I wanted to captain the 2019 event at Royal Melbourne,” said Woods.
“I’m proud to follow in the footsteps of past captains like Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Hale Irwin, Ken Venturi, Fred Couples, Jay Haas and Steve Stricker. The core group of players on the US Team have a lot of talent, enthusiasm and great team camaraderie. They are easy-going and fun off the course, but extremely competitive inside the ropes. I have no doubt that Ernie will have the International Team ready to go in Melbourne, and I cannot think of a more fitting captain to carry the tradition of goodwill through competition than Ernie Els. The Sandbelt courses of Australia are some of my favourite in the world, and I’m looking forward to seeing Royal Melbourne again.”
Els said the task of building a winning team that can challenge the US dominance was immense, but one he is looking forward to tackling.
“The Presidents Cup has provided me with many of the best memories of my career,” said Els.
“To be named captain of the team is an incredible honour. There is a fun and talented group of young players emerging from all across the globe for the International Team, and I am eager to accept the responsibility of building a winner when we face the United States at one of my favourite courses and cities in the world at Royal Melbourne. Tiger and I have had some great duels in the past, and I look forward to the challenge of going against my longtime friend yet again in 2019.”
The return to Melbourne will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history that The Presidents Cup has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, following the 1998 and 2011 showdowns.
Woods and Els will make their Presidents Cup captain debuts and whilst the pair will be rookies in the role, they will be the most experienced captains in Presidents Cup history. Both have featured eight times as players and were the primary figures in the 2003 event held in South Africa, where Woods and Els competed in a sudden-death playoff that ultimately ended in a tie and the two teams shared the Cup. Both Woods and Els served as captain’s assistants for their respective teams in 2017.
“Ernie Els and Tiger Woods have each been part of the fabric of the Presidents Cup as competitors and as ambassadors to the event,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan.
“Ernie carries the flag for international golf as a legendary figure both on and off the golf course, while Tiger has been one of the most transcendent athletes the sport has ever seen. These two have served, and will continue to serve, as a bridge between past team members and captains who laid the foundation for the Presidents Cup and the stars of today who are embracing the hallmarks of the event – golf on a global stage, a love and passion for the game and the impact the Presidents Cup has in emerging markets and through charity.”
In 2018, Melbourne will also host the 59th edition of the World Cup of Golf at The Metropolitan Golf Club from November 21-25.
To learn more about the Presidents Cup, information on travel packages, to sign up to jump the queue when tickets go on sale or sign up for the Presidents Cup e-newsletter, visit www.presidentscup.com.
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