Hunter Mahan is only 31 years old, but he’s a Presidents Cup veteran by any measurement. Unlike some of his contemporaries, Mahan has been lighting it up on the PGA Tour for more than six years now, regularly qualifying or getting chosen for a spot on both the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup teams. This will be his fourth straight Presidents Cup appearance, and after he just missed out on automatic qualifying for the Ryder Cup last year, Tom Watson cited Mahan as the main reason for culling down captain’s picks and adding more qualifying spots for 2014. Watson was almost incredulous that Mahan was not a part of the team -- he’s become that much of a mainstay and fixture in these competitions.
2013 Presidents Cup: Hunter Mahan is back after Ryder Cup snub
After a 2012 Ryder Cup snub, one of the constants on the American team in these match play competitions is back and in form to reel off several points in Columbus.
Player previews for both 12-man teams
As Presidents Cup week continues, we'll roll individual previews for all 24 players competing in Columbus. Do the Internationals have the depth to make this competitive again? But Mahan was not sharp through the second half of the 2012 season, and there were more deserving captain’s choices for Davis Love III last fall. Mahan, however, left nothing to chance this season and was back in form, contending on almost a weekly basis and playing in the final Sunday pairing at both the U.S. Open and British Open. He did not have a win this year, but he did finish in the top 25 a total of 16 times, and missed the cut in just three of 25 events.
Mahan is pretty versatile at this point, capable of playing with almost anyone on the roster and having a history with many of the other veterans. He could also be considered a match play ace, given his recent success in the WGC Match Play event -- he won it last year and made it all the way through to the finals this year before falling to Matt Kuchar. This is his fifth overall team appearance, and after missing last fall’s Ryder Cup, Mahan is likely to continue his 2013 form and take out a couple International two-man teams, regardless of who he’s paired with.
World Ranking: 26
Qualified: Automatic spot No. 9 of 10
Presidents Cup Match Play Record: 8-5-1 (2007, 2009, 2011)
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