At a press conference in Melbourne nearly one year prior to the 2019 Presidents Cup, International team captain Ernie Els announced Victorian Geoff Ogilvy as his first captain’s assistant. The 2019 Presidents Cup returns to Royal Melbourne Golf Club from December 12-15, 2019.
Ogilvy will join 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 Melburnian has eight career US PGA Tour victories, including the 2006 US Open and three World Golf Championships events. Ogilvy also won two of 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 honour 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,” Ogilvy said. “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 World Cup of Golf being held in Melbourne 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,” Els said. “His love for the Presidents Cup is only matched by his love for Australia and 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 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 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’ US team, 20.5 to 11.5. In 2011, Fred Couples led the US 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 Australia.
