With just over 100 days to go until the Presidents Cup returns to The Royal Montreal Golf Club in Montreal, Canada, Japanese star Hideki Matsuyama and Korean trio – Tom Kim, Byeong Hun An and Sungjae Im – are well poised to automatically qualify for the International Team.
The Asian quartet are presently ranked first, third, fourth and fifth respectively on the International Team rankings following the conclusion of the Memorial Tournament present by Workday, with the top-6 earning places in Mike Weir’s team following the conclusion of the BMW Championship. Weir will have six captain’s picks to round up his 12-man team to face the United States Team.
Australia’s Jason Day (2nd) and Nick Taylor of Canada (6th) currently occupy the automatic spots as the race to qualify for the Presidents Cup, scheduled from September 24-29, heats up.
Matsuyama, who has made every International Team since his debut appearance in 2013, cemented his top-ranked position following a tied eighth finish at the Memorial Tournament last week while Im, who also finished equal eighth, rose one rung to fifth as he seeks a third team appearance.
“If I get to join the International Team again, it will be my third Presidents Cup. I will try my best to help secure a win over Team USA. I’m proud of being part of the Presidents Cup,” said Im, who is a two-time PGA TOUR winner.
After bursting onto the scene with a fiery debut in 2022 at Quail Hollow where he contributed two points, Tom Kim, a three-time PGA TOUR winner, will be fighting hard to stay remain in the top-6 while Byeong Hun An, who has one appearance in 2019, has enjoyed a stellar season with five top-10s as he looks to return to the prestigious team competition.
Another Korean, Si Woo Kim, who featured in the 2017 and 2022 editions, sits in 10th place while Japan’s Keita Nakajima, who won the Hero Indian Open on the DP World Tour in March, is ranked 19th.
Min Woo Lee of Australia, who has one runner-up finish and five top-30s in his first full season so far on the PGA TOUR, and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox, who has three top-10s, presently rank eighth and 13th respectively on the standings as they chase their first International Team appearance.
“I wanted to make it (the Presidents Cup) a couple of years ago and felt like I just missed out by maybe a couple of people, so had a little bit of fire in my belly,” said Lee. “Just want to represent Australia, the International Team and just play some team sports. It would be good to have a locker room and to be with guys that I really get along with.”
Australia’s Adam Scott, who will be making his 92nd consecutive major appearance at the U.S. Open this week, is currently 14th as he seeks to represent the International Team for the 11th consecutive occasion since his debut in 2003.
Canadian Adam Hadwin, who finished third at the Memorial Tournament last week, made the biggest move this week. The third-place finish marked his fifth top-10 on the season, and his best effort on the PGA TOUR since a runner-up at the Shriners Children’s Open last October. More importantly, the week pushed him up six spots to No. 7 in the International Team standings, which now has six Canadian players inside the top 20.
Top-6 International Team standings:
- Hideki Matsuyama
- Jason Day
- Tom Kim
- Byeong Hun An
- Sungjae Im
- Nick Taylor
For American World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, an incredible 2024 season added another chapter at the Memorial Tournament when he his fifth win of the season. While Scheffler remained firmly planted atop the U.S. Team standings, the runner-up finish from Collin Morikawa moved him from No. 4 to No. 3 in the standings. The solo-second marked his third top-five finish in as many starts on TOUR (T4/PGA Championship, 4th/Charles Schwab Challenge).
Scheffler and Morikawa are looking to make their second career appearances in the Presidents Cup after representing the U.S. Team in 2022, compiling 0-3-1 and 2-1-0 records, respectively.
The 2024 U.S. Team will be comprised of six (6) automatic qualifiers and six (6) Captain’s picks, with a weighted system based on FedExCup Points from January 1, 2023, through August 25, 2024. The automatic qualifiers will be the top six eligible U.S. players in the OWGR after completion of the 2024 BMW Championship.
Top-6 U.S. Team standings:
- Scottie Scheffler
- Xander Schauffele
- Collin Morikawa
- Wyndham Clark
- Sahith Theegala
- Max Homa
To view the complete 2024 Presidents Cup standings for both teams, please click here.
For more information about the Presidents Cup, please visit PresidentsCup.com.
