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Price is Right: Presidents Cup captain would like to see a Korean player on his roster

August 5, 2015
Nick Price, right, sure wishes K.J. Choi was playing better. (Yonhap)

Nick Price, right, sure wishes K.J. Choi was playing better. (Yonhap)

By Brian Han

With the Presidents Cup coming to South Korea in October, International Team Captain Nick Price hopes to have someone from the country on his roster whether that’s by a captain’s pick or by automatic qualification.

He expressed interest in what many believed to be the front runner in Bae Sang-moon, but with the two-time PGA Tour winner facing military conscription by the end of the season, it may not even be an option.

Despite the logistical difficulties, Bae seems like a suitable choice especially because he has already won twice on the Korean PGA Tour at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea where the Presidents Cup will be held.

But Bae has also been struggling recently and Price is fully aware of his declining performance.

“He loves the golf course, but his form the last six weeks, eight weeks has not been very good,” Price told the Golf Channel on Tuesday. “I’m hoping that he plays well the next couple weeks, the next four or five weeks. I still haven’t spoken to him as to when he has to go and start his service.”

Another likely candidate for a spot on the team is 23-year-old An Byeong-hun who won the BMW PGA Championship earlier this year to significantly boost his world rankings.

“(An) is a hell of a player. He’s a very, very strong player,” Price said. “As far as I’m concerned, it would be sad if we don’t get a Korean on the team. It really would. But that’s a decision we’re going to have to make Sept. 8.”

Lastly, there’s Danny Lee who is in the middle of a career year. Coming off of his first win and six top-10 finishes this season, Lee is currently positioned at 11th in the FedEx Cup rankings. Although Lee identifies as a New Zealander, he was born in South Korea.

If Lee and An both play well in the remaining events, they may both qualify for the team by default if they finish the season within the top-10 non-U.S. player rankings. Lee and An are currently 11th and 13th on the list, respectively.