Aussie gun key to ending 30-year drought

Electric Australian star Min Woo Lee has been labelled a “captain’s dream” ahead of his likely Presidents Cup debut and a September showdown with a US team led by rampant world No.1 Scottie Scheffler.

Former US Open champion Geoff Ogilvy has been confirmed as an assistant to captain Mike Weir and said the reinclusion of Jason Day also loomed as crucial in a bid to end nearly three decades of American dominance in the biennial contest.

Based on current standings, Lee and Day would be the only two automatic Australian qualifiers for the 12-man Internationals team that has won the competition just once, at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

Weir has made it clear that he won’t be picking LIV stars, which means there’s no place for Cam Smith at Royal Montreal Golf Club from September 24-29,

The strength of the US team for the event is unquestionable, with Masters champ Scheffler amid a stunning run and the Americans stirred by a Ryder Cup defeat in Italy last year.

Ogilvy said the capacity for Lee, now the world No.32, to engage the crowd, and thrive, was ideal for the cauldron of a cutthroat competition.

“I would’ve thought he’d be a captain’s dream bringing in what he brings,” Ogilvy said.

“Everybody saw at home at the PGA last year at Royal Queensland how he can take the crowd along with him. He’s that sort of guy.

Aussie gun key to ending 30-year drought

“He brings such enthusiasm with an unbelievable game as well. He’s clearly world class, one of the best young players in the world, but he’s going to bring excitement and the fist pumps and all that sort of stuff.

“When the other players see that, even if they’re not in the same group, the messages get around the golf course. If Min is getting excited and doing his thing, it inspires other groups and other players to do the same thing.

“He’s tailor-made for something like this.”

Day, who has turned his career around in the past 18 months after slipping outside the world’s top 150 and is now ranked 22nd, has put his hand up to go to the Paris Olympics and reinserted himself in the Presidents Cup activities with a view to playing in September.

He missed both the 2021 and 2019 editions but Ogilvy said he would be a welcome addition to the 2024 team.

“It is great to have him back. It looks like he’s set to be back,” Ogilvy added.

“He brings a lot of experience and in these things, experience is quite important. It’s not everything, but it’s quite important.

“Clearly, he’d be happy to be sent out against anybody. He’s not going to be intimidated playing against anybody.

“His body seems to be back and he seems to have a bit of a lighter sort of feeling on the golf course.

“I think it got a bit heavy for him, but he seems to be in a really good spot.”