With just one month to go until the start of the 2022 PGA Cup, we caught up with Great Britain & Ireland Captain David Russell to check in on how his plans are going for the eagerly anticipated event at Foxhills Club & Resort in Surrey.
David Russell ranks leading Great Britain & Ireland as Captain into a PGA Cup clash against the United States as one of the highest points in his career in golf.
Russell is a two-time winner on the European Tour (now DP World Tour), has finished tied 11th in an Open Championship, he has served as a Ryder Cup Vice-Captain in 2006 and he is also a highly respected golf course architect.
Captaining his country in a PGA Cup match will be right up there with his greatest achievements and DJ is confident Great Britain & Ireland can regain the Llandudno International Trophy at Foxhills Club & Resort when they face the United States from 16-18th September.
“I’ve been very fortunate in my career in golf and this is very much a high point in my career,” said Russell, who will be supported by his son Chris as a Vice-Captain for the PGA Cup matches at Foxhills.
“I’m honoured to be Captain of Great Britain & Ireland in a PGA Cup and what a team of lads I’ve got. Honestly, I couldn’t have asked for 10 nicer lads who are also exceptionally good golfers. I think we’ll certainly carry our weight in the matches.”
Russell, Chris and his Great Britain & Ireland team all met at Foxhills Club & Resort in July for an official PGA Cup ‘team get-together’. It was an opportunity to get familiar with the host venue, play the Longcross Course and, perhaps more importantly, bond together as a team, something Russell feels is key to success against the United States.
“It’s very important to get all of the lads together and just get a feel of the golf course, get to know each other better and the team played some beautiful golf at Foxhills,” Russell continued.
“The team get-together is a very important part of the process. I was watching how they all got on with each other so I can see how I can put similar characters together and see how they get on. It’s a very important part of the whole experience to get them together.”
Russell now has a difficult task in selecting the right partnerships for the foursome and fourball matches on the Friday and Saturday, before the event finishes with singles matches on the Sunday, the same format as a Ryder Cup.
Russell added: “I’ve got a feel for what partnerships I might go for in PGA Cup week. The week of the matches will be another important process, through the Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, finding the foursomes partnerships and see who’s more suited to play with each other.
“Foxhills is a very tight golf course so some players are more suited to foursome play rather than fourball play. They’re all suited to singles play that’s for sure.”
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