Presidents Cup Assistant Picks Focus on Continuity for Future
Stricker & Price both look to the future as they pick 2017 Presidents Cup assistant captains.
According to 2017 US Presidents Cup Captain Steve Stricker, continuity of leadership is one of the keys to the success of US Presidents Cup teams over the last 20 years.
Stricker explained in a press conference announcement on Golf Channel.
"“What we’re striving for is to provide an environment that the players are relaxed in and can know what to expect from one team event to the next.”"
He was referring to the rotation of familiar faces in captains and assistants at recent Presidents Cups, including Fred Couples, Davis Love and Jay Haas.
The reason for the press conference, however, was to announce a fourth assistant captain for each team. Stricker picked Jim Furyk for the U.S. and International Team Captain Nick Price picked Mike Weir. In the past there have been three assistants. Stricker learned from being an assistant at the Ryder Cup, took the initiative and went to Price to ask if Price would be interested in requesting another assistant.
Stricker’s Ryder Cup Lessons
Stricker explained what the Ryder Cup experience had taught him.
"“What we did at the Ryder Cup team last year, with four assistant captains, along with the captain himself, we were able to be with every group out on the golf course. You get a special insight that way, instead of not having somebody around if we’re short somebody.”"
Stricker did not go into further detail, but it’s possible that having an assistant there in case of a golf emergency can be helpful. A golf emergency can be anything from needing a different sweater to needing a bottle of water to just needing an atta boy.
Furyk has already been tapped to be US Ryder Cup team captain in 2018, so having him at both settings may help both teams.
Furyk talked about the carryover from his Presidents Cup experience.
"“I’ve played in seven. I served as an assistant captain last time. Jay (Haas) was nice enough to bring me on when I was hurt (in 2015), and I wasn’t able to compete.”"
While Furyk was glad to be added to the mix, he explained that he could not fault Stricker’s first three assistant picks of Fred Couples, Davis Love III and Jay Haas.
"“The three choices he made– Davis Love, probably the best captain I’ve ever played for; Tiger Woods, the best player ever; and Freddie Couples, who I think he captained three teams that won in this event — he couldn’t have made three better choices.”"
Assistant Captains Will Take Teams Forward
Speaking for the International Team, Nick Price said he was looking to the future as well as tending to the immediate needs of the team.
"“One of the things we’re trying to do on our side for The Presidents Cup was to make sure that we got guys who were in the future going to be captains. And there’s no better example than this guy, Mike Weir.”"
The 2015 Presidents Cup came down to the last putt on the last hole in the last match, which is exactly what both squads have hoped would happen for years.
Reflecting on the 2015 matches that were played in South Korea, Price said.
"“You know, Bill Haas just played the last hole perfectly. He didn’t really give Sangmoon Bae much of an opportunity.”"
Rule Changes Improve Competition
However, Price felt that because of the narrowness of the loss, 2015 was a real building block for the future of the International Teams. In addition, it proved that his lobbying for a format change after 2013 was right. He and the international team requested modifications that they believed would make the event more competitive. The US side, according to former PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem, did not want to make the changes, but in the end, Finchem said he had to make a decision as to what would be best for the matches for the immediate future.
To be clear, there is no one rule or one way to play team matches. Ryder Cup, for instance, has had a variety of methods and point structures over the decades.
After thoughtful deliberation, Finchem decided to reduce the number of total points from 34 to 30, to have five team matches in day one and day two, eight team matches in day three – a morning session and an afternoon session – and 12 singles matches in day four. In addition, each player would be required to play in two of the first four sessions plus singles. It would be four fewer points at stake in the first three days.
European Strategy Will Change
In requesting changes, the International Team may have looked back to Ryder Cup play of the mid-1980s when Europe finally found success by unabashedly sitting golfers with thinner resumes while the likes of Bernhard Langer, Seve Ballesteros, Sandy Lyle and, later, Colin Montgomerie, Nick Faldo and Ian Woosnam played every match. That strategy, plus continuity of leadership, paying attention to pairings and selection of courses were the main keys to how the Europeans learned to defeat the US Teams.
However, the stipulated play rule for Presidents Cup, requiring all golfers to play at least twice in the first three rounds, countered the method the Europeans had sometimes used when, on a few occasions, a golfer did not play until Sunday.
This year the Presidents Cup will be played at Liberty National GC in New Jersey, Sept. 28-Oct. 1. With exciting play by several International team members like Hideki Matsuyama and Emiliano Grillo, plus stalwarts like Adam Scott, Jason Day and Louis Oosthuizen, the Internationals may field a very strong team to go against the U.S.
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