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MELBOURNE. — Australia’s Steven Bowditch had to endure a nerve-racking 24-hour wait before International team captain Nick Price played fairy godmother on Tuesday by granting him a place in the International team for next month’s Presidents Cup in South Korea. Bowditch, 32, had missed qualifying automatically for the 12-man team by a fraction of a point but Price showed faith in the big Australian who is having one of his best years on the US Tour, highlighted by his victory in the Byron Nelson in May.
“I think he has played exceptionally well this summer,” Price, the Zimbabwe golfing legend, said. “I think he’s just hitting his stride as a player.’’
Bowditch is one of four Australians in this year’s International team, joining his fellow Kooralbyn International School alumni Jason Day and Adam Scott, as well as Marc Leishman.
“I’m very humble and honoured,’’ Bowditch said. “It’s just been a dream of mine for a long time, and now to be led by (world No 3) Jason Day … I’m just over the moon and so excited to get there.’’
It has been a long and difficult path for Bowditch, who suffers from clinical depression, to reach the elite end of his sport. But on Tuesday he was celebrating one of his greatest accomplishments. “It’s been a very interesting 24 hours to say the least,’’ he said. “It was a pretty nervous feeling. I guess I’ve always wondered what the feeling was with the guys in the draft, waiting for the draft pick, and I guess now I know.’’
Price revealed that another in-form Australian Matt Jones was in contention for his second captain’s pick but he had ultimately decided on South Korea’s Sang-Moon Bae, who has twice won on the host course, at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon.
US team captain Jay Haas selected veteran Phil Mickelson and his son Bill Haas as his two picks. — The Australian.
Online Reporter