American team

• Hunter Mahan because Freddie Couples has pretty much said he’s in the team, so it’s not a difficult call.
• Lucas Glover because it just can’t hurt to have an extra Major winner in the team. (Yes, he’s the guy who won the US Open.)

International team

• Rory Sabbatini would have automatically been part of the team if he hadn’t been ‘Yanged’ in the PGA. He’s also a good choice just to speed up play, and may be quite useful if things get a bit physical at the clubhouse.
• In keeping with the nepotistic tradition of The Presidents Cup, you’d have to guess Mathew Goggin will be top of Norman’s list.

PS The Mole thought Adam Scott was a shoo-in, but apparently he has other things on his mind at the moment (ie Ana Ivanovic). Who can blame him?

But those choices may not really make for sensational TV viewing, so the Mole thinks the captains should be a bit braver in their choice:

American team

• For purely psychological reasons The Wild Thing has to be in the team – just imagine being the guy who lost to John Daly in The Presidents Cup! The pressure on whoever plays against Big John will be huge. It may also be useful to get Daly involved in the outfit committee. The Mole would love to see Tiger in Daly pants! And, of course, TV ratings would soar – so would beer sales – and middle America would actually tune into The Presidents Cup for a change.
• Tom Watson. Really, need the Mole say more?

International team

• Gary Player – because he says so.

• Currently sitting in 75th place, there couldn’t be a braver selection than the Boksburg bomber, Hennie Otto.

Finally, if the sky was the limit, the Mole’s pics for a marketing dream team:

American team

• Michelle Wie. She’s desperately wanted to play on the men’s tour, why not give her the chance?
• Barack Obama. He’s a phone call away from nuclear war with North Korea at any given moment – talk about pressure – so you’d have to back him with a three-foot putt to win the cup. Heck, throw in the governor of California, Arnold Schwarzenegger as caddie, and you’ve got a winning team.

International team

• Caster Semenya – just because it will shut up Julius Malema for once. And can you imagine Caster in a playoff against Tiger? Talk about a media sensation.
• Ryo Ishikawa. If the Far East is the new prince of golf, this would certainly make a statement.

So the Mole’s gone out on a limb – if you were making the wild card picks, who would you choose?