Top 10 International, U.S. Players Qualify For Presidents Cup

MELBOURNE, Victoria, Australia -- The top 10 players for the International and U.S. Teams who will compete in The Presidents Cup 2011 were determined earlier with the conclusion of the BMW Championship. The two team captains, Fred Couples for the U.S. Team and Greg Norman for the International Team, will each make two captain's selections on Sept. 27 to round out their 12-man teams. The ninth Presidents Cup will be held Nov. 15-20 at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

The top-10 U.S. players who earned the most official PGA TOUR money from the 2009 Wyndham Championship through the 2011 BMW Championship (with money earned in 2011 counting as double) automatically made the U.S. Team. The top-10 international players (excluding those eligible for the European Ryder Cup Team) from the Official World Golf Ranking after the conclusion of the BMW Championship automatically made the International Team.

The 10 Automatic Qualifers For The U.S. Team

Geoff Ogilvy was projected to need a 25th-place finish or better in order to maintain his position as No. 10 in the International Team standings. The Aussie native, who has a home at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, did better than that, finishing third to not only qualify for his third Presidents Cup appearance (at No. 7), but also to advance to the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola. Fellow Aussie John Senden was projected to need at least a victory at the BMW Championship in order to move from 23rd in the standings into the top 10.

The 10 Automatic Qualifers For The International Team

He gave himself a chance by heading into the final round in a tie for second and playing in the final group with Justin Rose. But Rose's four-shot lead was too much for Senden to overcome and he finished two back and solo-second; at the end of the day, Ogilvy's third-place finish would have kept Senden out of the top 10 regardless. Senden is now No. 17 in the standings.

The makeup of the U.S. Team also did not change after the BMW Championship. David Toms, who was on the bubble at 10th heading into this week, finished T10 to move up to eighth and qualify for his fourth Presidents Cup. Jim Furyk carded a final-round 76 to miss advancing to next week's TOUR Championship, but his T22 finish was enough to hold onto the last automatic spot (he was No. 9 entering the week).

Bill Haas looked to have a great chance to play his way onto the U.S Team, of which his dad, Jay, is one of Couples' captain's assistants. He was T3 heading into the final round of the BMW Championship, but a 78 (+7) on Sunday left him in T16 and well shy of the money needed to jump into the final qualifying spot. As it turns out, a 73 (+2) and T6 finish would have been enough for Haas to qualify for his first Presidents Cup appearance. He was one-over-par after the turn, but played the back nine at six-over-par. Haas finishes at No. 12 in the standings.

Unless Vijay Singh gets one of Norman's captain's picks, Phil Mickelson (No. 6) will be the only player in event history to compete in every Presidents Cup. The five "rookies" automatically qualifying for the U.S. Team are the most to do so in event history (not including 1994, the first year of The Presidents Cup): Matt Kuchar; Dustin Johnson; Webb Simpson; Nick Watney; Bubba Watson.

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