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Fred Couples Must Pick Jordan Spieth

by Jeff Skinner

Presidents Cup Captain Fred Couples will round out the 2013 Presidents Cup Team with his two captain’s picks tomorrow at 2:00pm EST (you can watch it on The Golf Channel.)  Freddy has made his way through his 33 year professional with a silky smooth swing and an even smoother attitude.Presidents Cup.2013

If you’re looking for cool, calm and comfortable Fred Couples is your man.  But now it’s time for Captain Comfortable to step outside his comfort zone.  Contrary to those commercials for Mitsubishi Electric where he promotes “not getting caught out of your comfort zone” it is time for Freddy to take a step outside the box.

It won’t be comfortable as he normally likes it.  It won’t be predictable…but it will be the right decision.  Capt. Comfy needs to select Jordan Spieth for The Presidents Cup.

Freddy has to picks to add to his team of ten players that earned their way on gathering points over the last two PGA Tour seasons.

His team includes Tiger, Sneds, Phil, Kuch, Dufner, Keegan, Strick, Haas, Mahan and Zach.  It’s a formidable team but would be so much better with a young, hot Spieth wearing the red, white and blue.

To many it’s an obvious pick but it may not be the most comfortable one.  Freddy likes comfortable.  And comfortable would be picking Webb Simpson who just got nudged down to eleventh on the points list as Zach Johnson earned his way on.  Comfortable would be picking Dustin Johnson who sits in twelfth place or even more comfortable would be choosing his old stalwart Jim Furyk who has played very well lately.

Any one of those picks would be acceptable but not two of them  Fred has to choose Spieth and can fill out the roster with either Webb, DJ or Furyk.

Jordan SpiethTrue, Spieth is only in 22nd place on the points list but he has accumulated those points in one season, one amazing season, not two like the rest of the players.

The only knock that anyone could possibly use against Spieth is his youth and inexperience.  And I say that isn’t a negative, it’s a positive.  The old guard needs a bit of fire and enthusiasm to go with all the “older and experienced” players.  Davis Love III had plenty of “experience” on his Ryder Cup Team.  How did that work out?

No player among the four is playing better than Spieth right now.  Simpson has yet to win this season, only one second place finish this season and zero top tens in his last four starts.  Johnson has one win, back in January, one second and one top ten in his last four tournaments.  Furyk is the greatest challenge to Spieth in results.  He has no wins but a second at the PGA and thee solid top tens in his last four starts.

Spieth earned his first PGA Tour win in July at The John Deere, has two second place finishes and two top tens in his last four starts including a sizzling 62 to finish off his T4 at The Deutsche Bank.

To me it’s obvious: Spieth is the pick.  But Couples likes comfortable and comfortable would be two of the established names.  But a pairing of Spieth and Mickelson or Spieth and Bradley or maybe even a Tiger-Spieth pairing would fire up that team and certainly add some much needed enthusiasm to this Presidents Cup.

Step outside your comfort zone Freddy and make the team that much better: take Spieth.

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