Presidents Cup captains ready to play roles of motivator, listener
With the 2015 Presidents Cup around the corner, captains for both the International and the U.S. Teams said Tuesday they’re looking forward to exerting their leadership during the match play competition.
The Presidents Cup, pitting the Americans against non-European stars every other year, will be played in Asia for the first time at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, west of Seoul, from Thursday to Sunday.
At a press conference on the course Tuesday, International Team captain Nick Price and his U.S. counterpart, Jay Haas, both spoke of their leadership philosophies.
Price, who also captained the team at the 2013 Presidents Cup, said his role will be that of a motivator.
“I can’t tell them how to play golf. The only thing I can do is to motivate them and get them excited about playing,” he said.
“Some veterans who’ve played in numerous Presidents Cups have had a tough time in the past because it’s been a bit one-sided.”
That is a bit of an understatement, given that the U.S. Team has won eight of the first 10 Presidents Cups so far. The combined score in the Americans’ eight victories is 153-113. They’ve won the last five Cups by 95-75, with a victory margin of at least three points each time.
Price said the reduction in total points from 34 to 30 this year should favor his team. Having fewer matches on Thursday and Friday means the International Team could afford to sit out lower-ranked or out-of-form players, and let its top guns, such as world No. 2 Jason Day, handle the business.
“The guys are looking forward to this more than any of the previous two or three Cups,” he added. “I think we’ve seen in the past that the Presidents Cup needs more excitement. It needs to be more closely contested.”
For Haas, motivation may be less of an issue, given the Americans’ success in recent competitions. This year, the U.S. Team features five of the world’s top-10 ranked players, led by the No. 1-ranked Jordan Spieth.
Haas, who served as an assistant captain in 2013, said he will try to keep his ears open throughout the week.
“I will do a lot of listening, and let guys talk about who they like to play with (in foursomes and four-balls),” he said. “I am trying to keep them loose, joking with them a bit. It’s certainly not ‘my way or the highway.’ And this has been a successful formula when Fred Couples was the captain the last three times (all U.S. victories).”
Aside from giving the players pep talks or listening to their ideas, both captains will have plenty of strategizing to do with the pairings for foursomes and four-balls.
In foursomes, also known as alternate shot, team members take turns in hitting shots until they finish the hole. In fourballs, teammates each play their own ball and the better score of the two is recorded as that team’s score for the hole. This format is also known as better ball.
Players’ chemistry is considered important in foursomes, and the International Team has often struggled there because its players are from several different countries based on different tours who don’t get to see each other during the season.
Price said he will do the best he can to avoid a repeat of the same history.
“There are two things to look at in pairings: first, are they compatible as individuals?” he said. “The second thing you look at is how their games match up together. Are they better at foursomes or fourballs? You have to talk to the guys and find out who they may feel comfortable playing with, and we (captain and assistants) are the ones to make the decisions.”
Haas may have a bit more wiggle room in pairings, given the depth of talent on his team. Also, all the U.S. players are playing on the PGA Tour and are familiar with each other. Top American players have much more experience in international match play than the International Team members, because they also play the Ryder Cups in the even-numbered years. (Yonhap)
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