At a press conference in Melbourne, Australia, nearly one year prior to the 2019 Presidents Cup, International Team Captain Ernie Els announced Australian Geoff Ogilvy as his first captain’s assistant. The 2019 Presidents Cup returns to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 9-15, 2019.

Ogilvy will join Captain Els for a second tour as a captain’s assistant, after being selected by Nick Price for the 2017 event. Ogilvy played on three consecutive International Presidents Cup Teams (2007, 2009, 2011), where he accumulated a 7-6-1 record. The local Melburnian has eight career PGA TOUR victories, including the 2006 U.S. Open and three World Golf Championships events. Ogilvy also won two of his native Australia’s biggest titles, the Australian PGA in 2008 and the Australian Open in 2010.

“I was a member of the 2011 International Team the last time the Presidents Cup was played here in Melbourne, and although we lost, it was an honor to play alongside Ernie Els. It will be special to return in front of the best sports fans at one of the greatest courses in the world in Royal Melbourne,” said Ogilvy. “Playing in the Presidents Cup is a highlight of my career. It is a special week to share the team room and the unique atmosphere with the players of the International Team.  Ernie represents everything that the International Team and the Presidents Cup stand for as our captain. His Hall of Fame career speaks for itself as one of the best to ever play the game. He has been an incredible teammate off the course and his charitable efforts extend far beyond the ropes. It will be an honor to be one of his assistants.”

Els will select two additional captain’s assistants in the spring of 2019. With the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf being held in Melbourne, Australia, and Els visiting Melbourne to mark the one-year countdown to the 2019 event, it was fitting to make the announcement that Ogivly will be joining the team’s leadership.

“Geoff is the perfect selection as a captain’s assistant for our team,” said Els. “His love for the Presidents Cup is only matched by his love for Australia and The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. His knowledge of the golf course, his experience with this team, his relationships with our players and his overall passion for the game will be vital. This is an important time for the International Team, and Geoff will be an invaluable key to our success.”

The return to Melbourne, Australia, will mark the third time in the biennial event’s 25-year history it has been held at the renowned Sandbelt course, as the event was previously held in Melbourne in 1998 and 2011 at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

Melbourne also holds the distinction as the site of the lone International Team’s victory in 1998, which saw Peter Thomson’s International Team defeat Jack Nicklaus’ U.S. Team, 20.5 to 11.5.  In 2011, Fred Couples led the U.S. Team to a 19-15 win over Greg Norman and the Internationals. The 1998 event was also held in December, a date that traditionally works well with other golf tournaments held in the country.

The 2019 Presidents Cup will bring the very best for fans interested in world-class team competition with the top 12 players from the United States taking on the top 12 from across the globe, excluding Europe. While golf fans can expect an incredible atmosphere and unmatched access to the competition, the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne will be a social, lifestyle and business gathering that will bring all backgrounds and interests together to enjoy a week-long festival atmosphere. On the course, players from across the world will be celebrated for their achievements, sportsmanship and love of the game. Off the course, fans will be able to find culinary options from around the world as well as hospitality and fan venues to match all levels of spectating and socializing, all while enjoying the very best in Australian culture.

The oldest golf club in Australia, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club was founded in 1891 and moved to its current location in 1926, becoming the anchor of what is now known as the Sandbelt. The gem of Australian golf, The Royal Melbourne Golf Club has two courses, both ranked in the World’s Top 100, which were designed by the legendary Alister MacKenzie. In 1959, in order to host the first of many international tournaments, 12 holes of the West Course and six from the East Course were combined to create what is known as the Composite Course, which also hosted the 2013 World Cup of Golf, won by Jason Day and Adam Scott.

The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money.  Players are not paid for their participation, but each competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his choice.  Since the event’s inception, more than $49.1 million has been raised for charity from event proceeds, as well as contributions made on behalf of the Presidents Cup, including a record charitable donation of $10.7 million from the 2017 event alone.

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