Fred Couples in doldrums for picking Tiger Woods for the President’s Cup
Fred Couples, the current American captain in the President’s Cup, is perhaps having his worst nightmares for the moment. Leading the coveted American team in this year’s event scheduled in November, Couples has still to decide of the two probable players
who will be part of the team alongside the rest of the contenders who have made it on merit.
The decision would not have been a difficult one for couples, if the legendary Tiger Woods would have also made it into the event on merit. Couples is currently lurking between the proverbial “between devil and the deep sea” scenario as he cannot let down
his old friend and compatriot who had been on the President’s Cup team since the year 1998.
“I'm the captain, and he wants to be on the team,” Couples said. “This is my chance to hold my rank above him one time. And I'm going to do it. Look, he has carried this tour for a long time. If somebody looks at it wrong, if I end up picking him - which
I probably will - they would be crazy. He doesn't want to go there and lose. He hates to lose. So he's going to do his best.”
Couples had made it evident long before Woods’ participation in the WGC Bridgestone Invitational and the PGA Championship that he will be watching him closely and would make a decision based on his performance. Woods fell for the worst score in the PGA Championship
and failed to make the cut, triggering a whole new debate of whether the former world number one deserves to be on the team where so many of the young players have done splendidly well in the season.
Couples, although still inclined to pull in Woods in the team, has also made it quite clear that Woods will have to be playing more competitive golf rather just wait for the Australian Open a week before the President’s Cup. Couples even went the extra mile
to personally contact Woods agent Mark Steinberg to discuss possibilities that Woods might want to play in a few events before the Australian Open.
“He can't just show up the week before in Australia,” Couples said. “I have made it clear that whoever I picked will be playing the Australian tournament the week before.”
The 14-major-winner after a terrible fall in the PGA Championship, has decided to utilize the six weeks break that he has just landed himself into and concentrate more on his sport. Woods did not qualify to play at the FedExCup Playoffs and for the first
time has also missed a chance to play in the WGC HSBC Championship later in the year.
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