Tuesday’s press conference with PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem and Captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples can be seen in its entirety here.
Below are some of Fred’s comments from the press conference as well as comments from Fred’s friend Davis Love III.
“It’s kind of nerve-wracking to say you’re following Jack Nicklaus after three years,” Couples admitted. “But I think I’ll do a great job, and I’ll certainly have a great time.”
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“Playing in it was great,” Couples said. “But being captain, I think it’s a great time in my life to be able to take the U.S. Team to have to San Francisco. … And then to be going against Greg, who I played a lot of golf with and admire what he does, it’s just going to be fabulous.”
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Norman said he hadn’t decided who his assistant captain would be. Later, though, the Aussie said he was “going to have my assistant automatically, because I’m going to be marrying my assistant,” tennis great Chris Evert, who was in the audience Tuesday as the announcement was made.
Couples, on the other hand, said “I do have a player in mind, a great, great friend,” as well as Michael Jordan, who was in the gallery supporting the U.S. at the Ryder Cup two years ago in Ireland, and comedian Robin Williams.
“I love Michael Jordan,” Couples said. “A lot of our players know him. He’s at these events, so that’s why I bring his name up — because as a team player, there’s no one any better.
“And now the challenging part is when you’re sitting around and you’ve got nothing but time. I would like a guy like Robin Williams there to keep us loose, and that’s why I say that.”
Couples later admitted he didn’t know Williams, “so he may laugh at me. … But I’ll tell you, it is a battle in these rooms, and just to get you in the right frame of mind. I don’t expect guys to sit around and listen to me at night.
“But we’re going to be playing and doing things you hear, ping-pong and fighting and wrestling against each other and getting rid of some of the tenseness before the morning starts.”
Davis Love III, a long-time friend and frequent partner for Couples at the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, said the new U.S. captain “will be a lot of fun.” At the same time, though, Love expects the normally laid-back Couples to be more than just a leader by example.
“He’s made a couple of really passionate speeches at the last few Cups,” Love said. “He’s surprised a lot of people with his ability to get up and talk about what it means to win one of these.” Couples, who missed most of last season with that lingering back injury, was already looking forward to competing on the PGA TOUR in 2007, Love said. “This will give him a new reason to be around and get to know some of the younger players.
