Snedeker defends Presidents Cup picks after Spaun's BMW PGA win

U.S. captain Brandt Snedeker responded to questions about leaving J.J. Spaun off the Presidents Cup team after Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

United States Presidents Cup captain Brandt Snedeker faced questions Tuesday about leaving J.J. Spaun off his squad, two days before the matches begin at Medinah Country Club in Illinois.

Spaun won the BMW PGA Championship, the DP World Tour's flagship event, at Wentworth over the weekend. After the victory, he said he was the "odd man out" and that his omission from the team was not related to the injury that forced him to withdraw from the Tour Championship. He added that he played with a chip on his shoulder and wanted to prove he deserved a spot, saying he took care of his business and would be watching the team at Medinah.

Speaking at his press conference, Snedeker praised Spaun's closing stretch at Wentworth and called himself a big fan of the player, but said the captaincy required difficult decisions with roughly 15 or 16 players under consideration. He said advice he received from former captains and coaches was to trust his gut, and that he felt awful for Spaun, whom he described as a great person.

Snedeker said he expected players left off the team to make him "look like an idiot as quick as possible," noting that top golfers respond when given something to aim at. He also said he would be shocked if Spaun is not on the U.S. Ryder Cup team in Ireland next year.

Ryan Gerard was also mentioned as having a strong case for selection, according to the report.