MELBOURNE – International team captain Ernie Els on Sunday picked Australian Geoff Ogilvy to be one of his assistants for next year's Presidents Cup at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
The South African is in the city to "scout" the course layout a year out from the tournament and said he was determined to release America's stranglehold on the event, with Ogilvy's local knowledge a key asset.
"Geoff is the perfect selection for our team," Els said on the sidelines of the World Cup at Melbourne's Metropolitan Golf Club.
"His love for the Presidents Cup is only matched by his love for Australia and the Royal Melbourne Golf Club."
Ogilvy was a member of the losing International team at Royal Melbourne – Australia's oldest golf club – in 2011, along with Els.
"Playing in the Presidents Cup is a highlight of my career," said the Australian, who was also an assistant at the 2017 event to captain Nick Price.
"It will be special to return in front of the best sports fans at one of the greatest courses in the world."
The US team won the last Presidents Cup in Jersey City in 2017 by 19-11, their seventh straight triumph.
The only win by the Internationals in the biennial event's 25-year history was in Melbourne in 1998, when they were captained by Peter Thomson.
Els, who still holds the course record 60 at Royal Melbourne, said it was important for the Australian crowd to get behind the Internationals from the first shot of next year's event, from December 12-15.
"We want to make it uncomfortable for the US," he said.
"It is important to show sportsmanship. When the US team holes a putt we want polite applause. But we want the Australian crowd to lift the lid off it for the International team."
Tiger Woods skippers the US team.