Kevin Na on the Presidents Cup team

Is it just me or do other people think Kevin Na would be a killer on this upcoming presidents cup team. Dude is ice cold on the greens and has a great wedge game. Plus I like his attitude and I think he would get other players off their rocker. He seems to be good friends with Tiger, so hopefully this will happen.

Love it

Doubt if you even believe it, lol.

we should also get charlie hoffman ... i mean, i like charlie ... he's got a killer attitude ... just like na ...

seriousness aside, i like me some na just as much as the next guy, but there's a reason he's not in the top 20 for the prez cup ... reed and kisner are miles better than na at this point, among others ...

biggest news about this event is the fact that tiger will be the first captain not to pick phil ... hopefully, anyways ...

He's come a long way through the valley and the low. Personal issue and injury.....

I'll be looking forward to watch the President's Cup.

Gotta support my contingent of SoCal Korean pals. Big fan of Kevin Na.

I find Na entertaining, but he's #22 and not better than anyone but Chez Reavie and Andrew Putnam ahead of him in the standings. I think TW will go straight off the standings, but if he benches Reed, I suspect Sneds or Kisner will get the call up because RM is all about the greens, and those guys can flat out putt.

Bringing this thread back after K Na's victory yesterday.

I hope TW leans towards picking top putters and guys who can play in the wind. If he can find a guy who can do both then take him.

I'd pick him. Dude can putt as well as anyone.

Crazy to think that he unassumingly started his career at about the same time and same age as Ty Tryon. Only he survived and continues to do well.

Wow tough competition if Na wins 3 times in the last 30 events or so and is 22nd. I'd like to see him on the team. Hopefully he earns his way on the team. He would be a good captain's pick along with many others. It's a testament to the strength of the PGA Tour.

Na has perseverance. Take that over talent any day of the week. Plenty of super talented guys on the tour who are yet to sniff wins in 30 tries.

Plus, he has a personality. Love their games, but, if Koepke and Cantlay want to up their appeal, they need to speak with enthusiasm and inflection!

Guys on the list having better years or have performed in team play. I think tiger goes the route of not picking na.

If he doesn’t make the US team...could his heritage leave him open for a selection to the International team?

I think he'd have to have dual citizenship for the option, but also think he would have already had to declare an intention if that was the case as to which team he was going to try and qualify for.

Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole or 72 hole scoring average.

auto point for the world team

> @umassgolfer said:

> Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole

Birdies gets us three guys anywhere from 120ish to 170ish OWGR based on 2019.

Wins are obvious, teams are a reward for excellence not trying to sort through hundreds of different stats and subjectively guessing whose game is suited to a course. They could probably deem some formula to be controlling, but doubt players would want that or the Tour. Win and perform in competition and you play. Easiest and most identifiable metric and incentive.

i’d take Na over Kisner, because Kisner is boring

Take Na and Kisner, both guys can putt and are good match play players.

> @BottleCap said:

> i’d take Na over Kisner, because Kisner is boring

No respect for the World matchplay champion Kisner! :lol:

> @iBanesto said:

> > @BottleCap said:

> > i’d take Na over Kisner, because Kisner is boring

>

> No respect for the World matchplay champion Kisner! :lol:

He won that?

> @Hawkeye77 said:

> > @umassgolfer said:

> > Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole

>

> Birdies gets us three guys anywhere from 120ish to 170ish OWGR based on 2019.

>

> Wins are obvious, teams are a reward for excellence not trying to sort through hundreds of different stats and subjectively guessing whose game is suited to a course. They could probably deem some formula to be controlling, but doubt players would want that or the Tour. Win and perform in competition and you play. Easiest and most identifiable metric and incentive.

If you view selection as a reward for prior play then ok. But if you see Pres Cup/Ryder Cup as a competition and want to win it, I don't know how you can take that stance. For Presidents Cup, who cares...wouldn't be surprised if the TOUR controlled it all and it's based on Q Score anyways.

But for Ryder Cup, where US has struggled of late, I'd love to see some more thought put into the selection than "they won a couple tournaments the past two years playing a completely different format on completely different courses than what we're picking him to play".

Maybe Birdie percentage isn't the right stat. Maybe the captain/committee should take a look at guys who have had a history of success and see what common characteristics contribute to their success and what current players those profiles align with. With as much information as is available, why willfully disregard that?

> @umassgolfer said:

> > @Hawkeye77 said:

> > > @umassgolfer said:

> > > Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole

> >

> > Birdies gets us three guys anywhere from 120ish to 170ish OWGR based on 2019.

> >

> > Wins are obvious, teams are a reward for excellence not trying to sort through hundreds of different stats and subjectively guessing whose game is suited to a course. They could probably deem some formula to be controlling, but doubt players would want that or the Tour. Win and perform in competition and you play. Easiest and most identifiable metric and incentive.

>

> If you view selection as a reward for prior play then ok. But if you see Pres Cup/Ryder Cup as a competition and want to win it, I don't know how you can take that stance. For Presidents Cup, who cares...wouldn't be surprised if the TOUR controlled it all and it's based on Q Score anyways.

>

> But for Ryder Cup, where US has struggled of late, I'd love to see some more thought put into the selection than "they won a couple tournaments the past two years playing a completely different format on completely different courses than what we're picking him to play".

>

> Maybe Birdie percentage isn't the right stat. Maybe the captain/committee should take a look at guys who have had a history of success and see what common characteristics contribute to their success and what current players those profiles align with. With as much information as is available, why willfully disregard that?

I don’t think there’s a common criteria between each of the captains from year to year. They also seem to use team chemistry and input from the qualified players.

Winning tournaments and playing well in the ones you don’t win is how you get on the team automatically regardless of your game is suited for that course or not. So why wouldn’t it make sense for a captain to look at performance as a main criteria for their picks. They could just make every spot on the team an automatic qualified spot by finishing in the top 12 spots then it doesn’t matter what someone like na in 22nd spot because he’s 10 spots below the last qualified person

Thanks for all the great responses on here. Some of you are right that Presidents Cup criteria is less exacting and the team would win no matter who they pick. Ryder Cup needs to do something to field a better squad but I do not know what.

I have been following K Na for a while and I just think the dude has what it takes to compete and bring energy at that level. He is one of the best putters on the planet with a world class short game. Dude also has an intensity that I think making the team would only fire up more. The presidents Cup this year also has a wack formula cutting off the US player standings almost four months before the event. Dudes can fall really quick or gain steam really quick in that timeframe.

> @QuigleyDU said:

> Crazy to think that he unassumingly started his career at about the same time and same age as Ty Tryon. Only he survived and continues to do well.

He also overcame the inability to hit a golf shot for a while. Faced that head on with the media and his fellow pros and worked his way through it. Really enjoyed the fact that he owned up to everything with that and have rooted for him since.

> @GoGoErky said:

> > @umassgolfer said:

> > > @Hawkeye77 said:

> > > > @umassgolfer said:

> > > > Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole

> > >

> > > Birdies gets us three guys anywhere from 120ish to 170ish OWGR based on 2019.

> > >

> > > Wins are obvious, teams are a reward for excellence not trying to sort through hundreds of different stats and subjectively guessing whose game is suited to a course. They could probably deem some formula to be controlling, but doubt players would want that or the Tour. Win and perform in competition and you play. Easiest and most identifiable metric and incentive.

> >

> > If you view selection as a reward for prior play then ok. But if you see Pres Cup/Ryder Cup as a competition and want to win it, I don't know how you can take that stance. For Presidents Cup, who cares...wouldn't be surprised if the TOUR controlled it all and it's based on Q Score anyways.

> >

> > But for Ryder Cup, where US has struggled of late, I'd love to see some more thought put into the selection than "they won a couple tournaments the past two years playing a completely different format on completely different courses than what we're picking him to play".

> >

> > Maybe Birdie percentage isn't the right stat. Maybe the captain/committee should take a look at guys who have had a history of success and see what common characteristics contribute to their success and what current players those profiles align with. With as much information as is available, why willfully disregard that?

>

> Winning tournaments and playing well in the ones you don’t win is how you get on the team automatically regardless of your game is suited for that course or not. So why wouldn’t it make sense for a captain to look at performance as a main criteria for their picks.

>

That's a bit like saying the batting average leader should be in the home run derby, no?

> @MidwestGolfBum said:

> > @QuigleyDU said:

> > Crazy to think that he unassumingly started his career at about the same time and same age as Ty Tryon. Only he survived and continues to do well.

>

> He also overcame the inability to hit a golf shot for a while. Faced that head on with the media and his fellow pros and worked his way through it. Really enjoyed the fact that he owned up to everything with that and have rooted for him since.

Totally agree.

> @umassgolfer said:

> > @GoGoErky said:

> > > @umassgolfer said:

> > > > @Hawkeye77 said:

> > > > > @umassgolfer said:

> > > > > Never understood why tournament wins matter in the team selection process. I guess it proves someone can close things out? Seem to me In a format of alternate shot/matchplay, etc., you'd want the guy with the skills for the course and the best birdie percentage, not the best 18 hole

> > > >

> > > > Birdies gets us three guys anywhere from 120ish to 170ish OWGR based on 2019.

> > > >

> > > > Wins are obvious, teams are a reward for excellence not trying to sort through hundreds of different stats and subjectively guessing whose game is suited to a course. They could probably deem some formula to be controlling, but doubt players would want that or the Tour. Win and perform in competition and you play. Easiest and most identifiable metric and incentive.

> > >

> > > If you view selection as a reward for prior play then ok. But if you see Pres Cup/Ryder Cup as a competition and want to win it, I don't know how you can take that stance. For Presidents Cup, who cares...wouldn't be surprised if the TOUR controlled it all and it's based on Q Score anyways.

> > >

> > > But for Ryder Cup, where US has struggled of late, I'd love to see some more thought put into the selection than "they won a couple tournaments the past two years playing a completely different format on completely different courses than what we're picking him to play".

> > >

> > > Maybe Birdie percentage isn't the right stat. Maybe the captain/committee should take a look at guys who have had a history of success and see what common characteristics contribute to their success and what current players those profiles align with. With as much information as is available, why willfully disregard that?

> >

> > Winning tournaments and playing well in the ones you don’t win is how you get on the team automatically regardless of your game is suited for that course or not. So why wouldn’t it make sense for a captain to look at performance as a main criteria for their picks.

> >

>

> That's a bit like saying the batting average leader should be in the home run derby, no?

LOL, no - it's like saying the teams that win the most get in the playoffs.