J.B. Holmes excited to step in for U.S. team at Presidents Cup

INCHEON CITY, Korea – J.B. Holmes was all set to do his best couch potato and just kick back for two weeks after his long season ended at The Tour Championship in Coca-Cola.

Then the phone rang.

Next thing he knew, he was flying to Korea.

The big-hitting Kentuckian is a last-minute replacement for the injured Jim Furyk for the Presidents Cup that begins Thursday at the Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea. Holmes, who was 2-0-1 in the 2008 Ryder Cup, will make his first appearance in the Presidents Cup instead of playing with his dog at his home in Florida, hanging with his wife and playing the role of Guardian, defenders of Earth’s last safe city, in the video game Destiny.

“I was just going to sit at home and play some video games and just relax. It's been a long year. It was a great year for me. The first week off for sure I was just going to take a break and just hang out with my wife and the dog and play some games, go eat dinner and just relax,” Holmes, 33, said Tuesday after playing a practice round. “That only lasted a day.”

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Furyk, who withdrew from the BMW Championship and Tour Championship because of a wrist injury, was hoping his wrist would heel enough to play this week. U.S. captain Jay Haas called Holmes last Tuesday and told him to be on call, so Holmes started to practice a bit. On Friday, Furyk, 45, decided he couldn’t play this week, Haas made the call and Holmes started packing.

“Being No. 12 on the (points) list, it was hard to pass him up initially,” said Haas, who chose his son, Bill, and Phil Mickelson as his two captain’s picks. Furyk’s injury gave him another pick and it became much harder to pass on Holmes this time around after Holmes finished in a tie for fourth in the BMW Championship and a tie for eighth in The Tour Championship.

“I think that pretty much answered any questions there,” Haas said. “ … As Jim said, we've certainly gotten younger and longer. And this course looks good to his eye. J.B., obviously he's excited about being here in the first place. You know, he certainly has the length and length is never a bad thing on any golf course, but I think it pays good dividends here. Young guy, energetic, ready to go. This time last week, he wasn't on the team, so he's excited.”

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This time last week Holmes was playing Destiny. This year he had seven top-10 finishes, including a win in the Shell Houston Open and two runner-up performances in the spring.

“One of my goals this year was to make the Presidents Cup team. It was obviously disappointing when I didn't get in there. But I feel bad for Jim,” Holmes said. “Obviously I know how much he loves to play in these things, but I was excited for the opportunity to get to go.”