Brandt Snedeker said he wants JJ Spaun “to make me look like an idiot” after leaving the former US Open champion out of his Presidents Cup side.
Spaun became just the third American to win the BMW PGA Championship, joining Arnold Palmer and Billy Horschel, and the first player to claim the title on their debut since Byeong-hun An in 2015.
The 36-year-old was controversially overlooked by Snedeker for a place in his side to face the International Team in the biennial match-play event, which pits the best golfers from the United States against the top international players at Medinah Country Club and is live from Thursday on Sky Sports.
Spaun admitted he played with a “huge chip on his shoulder” at Wentworth, saying he had a point to prove and that missing out on the Presidents Cup had added fuel to his fire.
“Being a captain, you have to make tough decisions, unfortunately, and we had 15 or 16 guys that we were really looking at,” said Snedeker, who also named Ryan Gerard, Akshay Bhatia and Gary Woodland – a US team vice-captain at this year’s Presidents Cup – as close calls during his deliberations over the captain’s picks.
“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.”
Was Spaun ignored for selection?
The 12-man US team includes 21-year-old PGA Tour rookie Jackson Koivun and Ryder Cup veteran Patrick Cantlay, despite both finishing outside the top 12 in the Presidents Cup points standings. Last year’s US Open champion Spaun, 36, was overlooked despite finishing 10th.
The American also won on the PGA Tour earlier this season at the Valero Texas Open, having made his Team USA debut at last September’s Ryder Cup.
Spaun said he had good conversations with Snedeker during the qualification campaign and believed he would feature at Medinah, but was handed the unwanted news in a brief phone call after the season-ending Tour Championship.
“It was like a 45-second phone call,” Spaun revealed in 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.
“It [past conversations] led me to believe that I would make the team.”
JJ Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship after Manuel Elvira carded a nightmare seven on the final hole of the tournament
Spaun added: “I was pretty determined this week to kind of prove something. 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. I was never given sponsor invite opportunities – I just had to do everything the hard way.
“Being left off was obviously for a reason. 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.”
Who will win the Presidents Cup? Watch the United States take on the International Team exclusively live on Sky Sports, with all four days live from Thursday on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf and more with no contract.
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