Jim Furyk’s 12-man Presidents Cup team has been confirmed, and out-of-form Max Homa was the surprise inclusion.
Homa, along with Brian Harman, Keegan Bradley, Tony Finau, Sam Burns and Russell Henley, were added to those who had automatically qualified.
Justin Thomas wanted to make the team but was the highest-profile omission from Furyk’s plans. Akshay Bhatia was another who will feel hard done by after a consistent 2024 PGA Tour season.
Furyk has since been asked why he left Bhatia and Thomas out, and the 54-year-old delivered a bullish response.
Jim Furyk reacts to Akshay Bhatia and Justin Thomas Presidents Cup question
Speaking during his press conference on Tuesday, Furyk refused to compare Thomas and Bhatia to players he had picked.
A reporter asked: “Why did you pick Max Homa over Justin Thomas and Akshay, two guys who kind of outplayed Max pretty significantly throughout the summer?”
Furyk replied: “Yeah, I definitely don’t want this to be about why one person was picked over another.
“I don’t know if the right way to look at it is why this guy versus that guy. I look at Max’s attributes and look at how he’s played the last two years. Undefeated record in Charlotte, our best record last year in Rome, and I think then you go to a lot of the intangibles, as well, as far as — I guess when I say an emotional leader, I also look at kind of the glue, a guy that pulls the team room together.”
Furyk added: “That doesn’t mean he’s the most popular. It just means it comes very natural to Max, whether it’s his social media presence, the way he interacts with fans, his take on things, all golf related. He has a way of drawing folks into him.
“He’s kind of the glue on a team, so ultimately that weighed into the situation.
I think there are parts of his game that have been very strong statistically, even through a little bit of a rough break this summer, and I think we can utilize those in Royal Montreal and find a way to make him very productive.”
Max Homa under pressure after Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia Presidents Cup snubs
Homa finished 46th in the FedEx Cup standings and saw his season end after the BMW Championship.
For Homa, however, the damage was done at the St Jude Championship, where he finished bottom of the field on 11 over.
The 33-year-old’s second half of 2024 has been far from ideal after finishing over par in six events, including the US Open, Scottish Open and Open Championship.
Furyk has shown a massive show of faith in his compatriot, and the 54-year-old will be hoping Homa can rediscover his form in a match-play environment.
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