Justin Leonard reveals why Jim Furyk left Akshay Bhatia and Justin Thomas out of Team USA for the Presidents Cup

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The Presidents Cup is just a few weeks away now and the two teams are now set in stone after Team USA finalised their picks.

Captain Jim Furyk made the tough decisions and now, Team USA is ready to go and play out the tournament in Montreal.

Of course, Furyk has had to leave out some big names. Billy Horschel admitted he’d not been surprised at being left out, while Furyk himself revealed how Justin Thomas reacted to being left out.

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Thomas is one of the bigger names to be dropped by Furyk, but another top young player, Akshay Bhatia, can also call himself unlucky after a stellar 2024.

Bhatia had a fine year and is very much emerging as one of the top names on the PGA Tour.

However, one of Furyk’s assistant captains, Justin Leonard, has revealed that while Bhatia and Thomas were considered, there was reasoning behind them being left out.

Justin Leonard on why Justin Thomas and Akshay Bhatia weren’t picked for the Presidents Cup

Speaking to the Golf Channel on YouTube, Leonard admitted there had been some tough decisions to make but that ultimately, Furyk and the rest of the captains were set in the end.

“It’s hard leaving Justin Thomas off a team, you know. Because what he’s meant to the USA in Ryder Cups and Presidents Cups,” Leonard said.

“It’s hard leaving out a brilliant young player like Akshay (Bhatia). Who I think by all accounts would pair very well with a number of guys but it we just didn’t feel it was the right time.

“We felt with the 12 we’ve got, we’ve got a great team room and some pairings that just jump out.”

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Thomas, who snuck into the FedEx top 30 in the final event of the season, is probably content with the decision.

Indeed, Thomas has already sent his well-wishes and admitted he’ll be having some down time before getting ready for 2025.

As for Bhatia, his time will surely come at some point. And with the Ryder Cup around the corner in 2025, Bhatia could well end up being in contention for that.