Turns out that sudden-death playoff won by Bill Haas at East Lake was worth more than $11.44 million. It earned him a spot in the Presidents Cup.
U.S. captain Fred Couples used his two picks Tuesday on Tiger Woods and Haas, who won the Tour Championship for his first victory of the year.
Couples took Haas, the son of vice captain Jay Haas, over Keegan Bradley, whose two wins this year include the PGA Championship.
International captain Greg Norman took Robert Allenby and Aaron Baddeley, both of whom grew up in Melbourne.
“Bill Haas knew he had to win last week, and he did it,” Couples said. “I could not leave him off the team after that.”
Couples said if Haas had lost the playoff at East Lake and Bradley had finished fourth or fifth — he wound up tied for 11th — then Bradley would have been the pick.
Couples added that if Steve Stricker cannot play because of an injury, then Bradley would be chosen to replace him. Stricker had an MRI on Tuesday because of weakness in his left arm, although results were not immediately disclosed.
The Associated Press
