NORTON, Mass. — Kevin Chappell was out, then he was in, qualifying for his first Presidents Cup by a slim margin after Monday’s final round of the Dell Technologies Championship. He didn’t realize just how much it meant to him until he had trouble sleeping the night before. But Chappell was probably going to be on the team anyway even if he didn’t nab the final spot in the top 10.
On Wednesday at 5 p.m. Steve Stricker will announce his two captain’s picks for the United States team, and Nick Price will do the same for the International squad that will be playing at Liberty National Golf Club outside New York City at the end of the month.
With Chappell in, it means Charley Hoffman is out … for now. He didn’t look too stressed about the whole thing as he enjoyed a beer and a cigar on the terrace of the TPC Boston clubhouse late Monday afternoon, having finished up T-47 in the tournament. Nor should he be.
Though Hoffman doesn’t have a win this season, he does have a half-dozen top-10s and has been in contention a number of times. Yes, he didn’t close out any of those opportunities, but at No. 11 on the points list, No. 22 in the World Rankings and a birdie machine who is also in the top 25 in total strokes gained, it’s hard to imagine Stricker passing on him.