SYDNEY: Australian major winner Hannah Green has called for women to play in the Presidents Cup to make it more competitive, saying the concept has been spoken about in the locker room.
The United States won a 10th consecutive Presidents Cup last week in Canada, with the International team, made up of non-European players, not tasting victory since Royal Melbourne in 1998.
World number seven Green, a two-time LPGA Tour winner this season, said golf’s power brokers should seriously consider creating a mixed event or a women-only version.
“Obviously the International team has struggled the last 10 cups,” she said on a call confirming she will play in next month’s Australian Open, a tournament where men and women tee off in alternating groups on the same course.
“I think having the women involved would be really competitive, I think it could even out do a Solheim Cup or a Ryder Cup.”
This year’s 12-player International team featured just one golfer inside the world’s top 10 – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. In contrast, the Americans boasted four of the world’s top six.
It is a different story among women, where players from Asia, Australia or New Zealand fill eight of the world’s top 10.
“Between players it’s kind of been spoken about,” said Green of the potential for a new mixed event.
“But we don’t know if that’s even on the cards, if anyone is possibly thinking about making that an event.
US grabs 11-7 lead over International team at Presidents Cup
“Even if it was just the women … it’d be very competitive if it was Asia-Pacific versus Europe. Perhaps someone could pick that up, that’d be really nice.”
The Grant Thornton Invitational is currently golf’s only mixed teams event.
The biennial Solheim Cup is the women’s equivalent of the men’s Ryder Cup, pitting Europe against the USA.
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