Three Aussies earn Cup spots but not Day August 19, 2019 by AAP / Evin Priest

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, AAP - Three Australian golfers have secured International team spots for December's Presidents Cup contest in Melbourne but former world No.1 Jason Day is not among them.

The top-eight automatic qualifiers for the International and American teams were finalised on Sunday after the US PGA Tour's BMW Championship and the slumping Day missed out.

However Day seems certain to secure one of four captain's picks from non-playing skipper Ernie Els to face off against a Tiger Woods-led US team at Royal Melbourne.

Veterans Adam Scott and Marc Leishman, as well as Cup debutant Cameron Smith, ensured Australia was the highest-represented nation among the International qualifiers.

They are joined by fellow automatics Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa) and Hideki Matsuyama (Japan) as well as debutants Abraham Ancer (Mexico), Haotong Li (China) and C.T. Pan (Taiwan).

The captains' picks will be made in early November, but Day is only scheduled to play one tournament before that - the US PGA Tour's new event in Japan.

Scott has no doubt Els will extend 12-time US PGA Tour winner Day selection for a fifth Cup appearance.

"Of course we want Jason on the team; you'd have to think he will be a pick," Scott told AAP.

"I'd be shocked if he doesn't perform well enough in the next three months to justify a wildcard."

Scott will become the record-holder for most International team appearances (nine).

"I'm glad I qualified because leaving the (2017) Presidents Cup (loss to the US), I was struggling with my game.

"I have definitely turned it around since then and I'm playing solid.

"Of course, I feel comfortable going to Royal Melbourne because I know the course so well."

The American team is stacked full of world-class talent.

Their qualifiers are by world No.1 Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar and Bryson DeChambeau.

Woods has stated that he has every intention of picking himself among the wildcards, a move which will delight Australian fans.

Seven of the eight Americans are higher on the world rankings than world No.15 Scott, who is currently the International's top-ranked golfer.

The Internationals have won just once in the Cup's 25-year history - at Royal Melbourne in 1998.

"The American team is stacked, so we need to get things going our way," Scott said.

"It's a long way before we fill our team now; so the message to the other guys is play hard and make sure Ernie has to pick you."