Jay Haas backed his decision to give a Presidents Cup captain’s pick to off-form veteran Phil Mickelson on Tuesday, saying the five-time Major winner offered something “intangible” to his US team. As the players headed out for their first full day of practice at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea, Haas strongly defended his decision to choose Mickelson as one of two picks in his 12-man team after finishing only 30th in the US qualifying list. “I don’t think there were any negatives to any of the players that we passed over,” said Haas in a news conference. “I think Phil (and) the intangible that he brought to the team maybe put him over the top.” The amiable “Lefty”, who is the only man to play at every Presidents Cup since its inception in 1994, has shown little form recently, registering just two top-10 finishes and falling to 24th in the world.
