by Jeff Skinner
Fred Couples decided he had enough of the questions surrounding Tiger Woods and his selection to the Presidents Cup team. Yesterday he announced that Woods would be on the team and he told Tiger so.
“I’ve told him that he’s going to be on the team. There is no reason for me to wait till Sept. 26 to pick Tiger. He’s the best player in the world forever.”
Hmmm, best player in the world forever? I’ll take issue with that statement another day but today Fred has to know he made a mistake. His mistake isn’t in picking Tiger, although that certainly is up for heated debate, his mistake is in selecting him now.
The planned date for announcing The Presidents Cup Team is September 26th and a dozen players are doing their best to climb up the ranks and impress their captain. What good can come of him breaking protocol and naming Woods now? None, absolutely none.
Does The PGA Tour and NBC Television need ten weeks to pump up ads for the Cup, six weeks isn’t enough? Did Fred feel pressure from outside sources? Of course he did, but why announce it now? He should have kept his selections to himself and announced the two of them after The BMW as planned. (Keegan Bradley has to be the other.) Fred will be taking two kinds of heat for this: choosing an undeserving Woods on the one hand and announcing his selection early.
Couples has done a disservice to The Presidents Cup, to his captaincy, to all the PGA Tour players vying for a spot and yes, even to Tiger Woods. Freddy may exude coolness and confidence on the course but he blew it here.
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