U.S. Presidents Cup Picks: Tough Calls Coming For Captain Jim Furyk

There’s nothing like a good futures bet. Find a price with some value, hold onto your ticket and play the long game as hope springs eternal.

There’s just one teeny, tiny thing I like to know before placing such wagers.

Which competitors are actually competing.

You probably wouldn’t make a Super Bowl bet right now if you didn’t have some innate knowledge about the main cast of players that will be playing for each team.

By the same token, I’ve always found it a bit difficult to buy into golf’s international team competitions before at least knowing a decent portion of each roster.

Good news for those who feel the same way: We now have confirmation on half of the 12-man rosters for both the United States and International squads.

Owners of a dominant 12-1-1 overall record at this biennial competition, the U.S. is currently -250 in Presidents Cup odds to claim a 13th victory next month at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Not that many of these guys are a surprise – or any, considering there was no movement during the final week of qualification – but the first six automatic selections to Jim Furyk’s team are Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, Wyndham Clark, Patrick Cantlay and Sahith Theegala.

You could stop reading here, not interested in whom the other half-dozen players might be, nor whom they might play against, and bet the farm on the faves. History shows you probably won’t be wrong.

Let’s keep going anyway.

After his victory at the BMW Championship, it’s tough to believe Keegan Bradley – already tabbed as an assistant captain for this event – won’t be one of Furyk’s wildcard picks. In fact, the last man out for last year’s Ryder Cup might very well be the first man this time around.

After that, the calls get tougher.

Sam Burns and Tony Finau have each been playing some consistently high-level golf and bring experience to this roster. With one week left for players to prove themselves, they’ve got to have an inside track on making the team.

Brian Harman, Russell Henley and Chris Kirk are all literal Bulldogs from the University of Georgia and potentially bulldogs in a match play format.

As a Gator, Billy Horschel wouldn’t appreciate being lumped in with that previous characterization, but he certainly fits the profile.

Akshay Bhatia and Nick Dunlap could provide some new blood and energy on a team that could probably use it.

Max Homa and Justin Thomas are part of the presumed in-crowd, but their games have been on the outs for a while now.

The truth is, the jostling to make the International team might be even more intriguing.

A massive underdog at +1400, the team already boasts Hideki Matsuyama, Tom Kim, Sungjae Im, Jason Day, Adam Scott and Byeong Hun An as qualified players on Mike Weir’s roster, offering a nice blend of experience and high-level talent.

It wouldn’t be a shock if the Canadian captain sought out some home-country players amongst his next six, with Corey Conners clearly having an inside track and Nick Taylor, Adam Hadwin, Taylor Pendrith and Mackenzie Hughes each making a case.

Min Woo Lee and Cam Davis would similarly be worthy choices to join the pair of Australians already on the squad.

Christiaan Bezuidenhout reached the Tour Championship, which offers him another chance to show off, while Si Woo Kim and Erik van Rooyen would each bring a specific skillset to the proceedings.

With just a month left before the festivities begin, we now have a greater feel for the teams, which can in turn help us make those futures bets.

You’ll have to pay a premium to bet the favorite here, but a wager on the underdog is a hope that we’ll have a different result in this competition for the first time in 26 years.