United States captain Brandt Snedeker has insisted he wants JJ Spaun to make him look like an idiot after omitting the former US Open champion from his team for the Presidents Cup at Medinah Country Club.
Snedeker spoke after Spaun responded to his exclusion by winning the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, playing with what the American described as a huge chip on his shoulder after missing out on the squad.
Spaun became only the third American golfer in history to win the DP World Tour flagship event in Virginia Water, joining Arnold Palmer and Billy Horschel. The 36-year-old is also the first player to win the tournament on his debut since Byeong-hun An achieved the feat in 2015.
The Presidents Cup is a biennial match-play tournament pitting the top golfers from the United States against an International Team representing the rest of the world outside Europe. Medinah Country Club in Illinois hosts this year's edition, which is broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf starting on Thursday.
Snedeker defends captain picks
Addressing his selection decisions, Snedeker acknowledged the difficulty of finalizing his 12-man roster for the match-play event. The captain stated that leaving out high-performing players was an unavoidable part of managing the American squad.
"Being a captain, you have to make tough decisions, unfortunately, and we had 15 or 16 guys that we were really looking at," Snedeker said. He explained that advice from fellow professionals and coaches convinced him to rely on his intuition during deliberations.
"You're going to have to make these tough decisions and the best advice I got from all the guys I talked to, even coaches, is you got to trust your gut," Snedeker added. "My gut was telling me one thing."
Snedeker revealed that Ryan Gerard, Akshay Bhatia and Gary Woodland were also among the close calls during discussions over the final spots. Woodland, a former US Open winner, is serving as a vice-captain for Team USA at Medinah Country Club this year.
Controversy over roster selection
The selection process raised questions after Spaun was overlooked despite finishing 10th in the Presidents Cup points standings. Qualification for the American team rewards performance across the PGA Tour season, with top points earners competing for automatic inclusion alongside captain selections.
Snedeker chose 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun and Ryder Cup veteran Patrick Cantlay for his 12-man team, despite both players finishing outside the top 12 in the points standings. Cantlay has extensive international experience for the United States, while Koivun earns his debut after a standout rookie year on tour.
Spaun revealed he had positive conversations with Snedeker throughout the qualification period and expected to be included in the team for Medinah. However, he received the news during a brief telephone conversation after the season-ending Tour Championship.
"It was like a 45-second phone call," Spaun said during his press conference. "Just said I wasn't on the team and said I was the odd man out. I wished him luck and that was it." He added that prior discussions had led him to believe that he would make the team.
Point to prove at Wentworth
Spaun entered the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth determined to prove a point following his omission. The victory marked another major achievement in a season that also included a victory on the PGA Tour at the Valero Texas Open, following his Team USA debut at last September's Ryder Cup.
The victory at Wentworth unfolded dramatically on the final hole when Manuel Elvira carded a nightmare seven, allowing Spaun to take control of the leaderboard and secure the title.
Speaking after the win, Spaun reflected on the hard work required throughout his career. "I was pretty determined this week to kind of prove something," Spaun said. "My whole career, I've kind of had to do that."
"I wasn't given scholarships. I had to earn my PGA Tour card the hard way," Spaun added. "I was never given sponsor invite opportunities, I just had to do everything the hard way."
Spaun acknowledged that while he was disappointed to be omitted from the team, he accepted the decision. "Being left off was obviously for a reason," he said. "I don't know what that reason was, but I'm here now and there was a reason why we're here. My caddie kept telling me that and it's crazy how this has happened."
The Presidents Cup begins on Thursday at Medinah Country Club, where the United States team will defend their title against the International Team in four days of match-play competition live on Sky Sports Golf.
