Couples, Norman Name Captains' Assistants For The Presidents Cup 2011

Online, November 30, 2010 (Newswire.com) - Melbourne, Victoria, AUS - Today at Captains' Day at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia, which marks the official countdown to The Presidents Cup 2011, U.S. Team Captain Fred Couples named Jay Haas and Michael Jordan as his captain's assistants for next year's event, while International Team Captain Greg Norman named Frank Nobilo as one of his two captain's assistants, with the second person to be named next year. This marks the first time that each captain will have two official assistants, a change that was announced in March when Couples and Norman were named captains again for 2011.

"Jay and Michael were instrumental in the U.S. Team's success in 2009, and I knew as soon as I was asked to be captain again that I would need them both by my side to keep things running smoothly and ensure we have the best chance at retaining the Cup when we get to Melbourne," said Couples.

"Jay has been one of my closest friends in golf for many years, and I really respect his instincts and leadership qualities. Michael is, of course, one of the greatest athletes of all time, and to have a champion like him in the cabin to help motivate and inspire the team is such a tremendous asset. At the end of the day, win or lose, we're going to have a great time and make sure all the guys have a great Presidents Cup experience."

Norman said, "Frank has been a friend for so many years, and he was my right-hand man for the 2009 event. I couldn't have done it without him and I wouldn't want to do it again if he wasn't one of my two assistants. He shares with me the ultimate goal of winning The Presidents Cup for the first time since 1998, and what better time and place to do so than when we return to Melbourne for the 2011 event."

Haas, a nine-time winner on the PGA TOUR and a 14-time winner on the Champions Tour, represented the United States in The Presidents Cup in 1994 and 2003, where he was a captain's pick both times and compiled a 5-3-1 record.

"Being a part of the 2009 Presidents Cup was such a highlight of my career, and I'm thrilled that Fred asked me back as a captain's assistant for 2011," said Haas.

"I wasn't a part of the 1998 U.S. Team that went to Melbourne, so I'm really looking forward to making the trip next year and doing all I can to help Fred and the U.S. Team keep the Cup."

"I can't wait for the 2011 Presidents Cup," said Jordan.

"I had such a good time in San Francisco with Freddie, Jay and the team back in 2009. I love golf, the team atmosphere and, of course, competition, and to be in the locker room with some of the best golfers on the planet was a great experience. I'm glad to be coming back to help the U.S. Team win in Australia."

Jordan, who was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2009, owns six NBA Championship titles with the Chicago Bulls, five MVP awards, six NBA Finals MVP awards and numerous NBA scoring records. In 1999, he was named the greatest athlete of the 20th century by ESPN and was second to Babe Ruth on the Associated Press's list of athletes of the century. In 2010, Jordan became the first former NBA player to become a majority owner of an NBA franchise with his acquisition of the Charlotte Bobcats.

Nobilo, a veteran of several professional golf tours worldwide and a three-time International Presidents Cup Team member, serves as a Golf Channel analyst for the PGA TOUR and studio shows. Nobilo competed for in The Presidents Cup in 1994, 1996 and 1998 and contributed two points to the International Team's victory in the 1998 event in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.

"I will never forget what it felt like in 1998 at Royal Melbourne to be part of the first ever International Team to win The Presidents Cup, and being Greg's assistant last year rekindled those feelings even more," said Nobilo.

"To be able to combine the knowledge of last year with the memories of '98 and be given the opportunity to assist the Team in reclaiming The Presidents Cup will be the highlight of my year. I can't thank Greg enough for this opportunity."

The Presidents Cup is a biennial event that pits players from the United States and non-European countries in a team, match-play competition. The Presidents Cup 2011 returns to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club, November 17-20, 2011. The 2013 event will be staged at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. The Presidents Cup 2015 will be staged either in South Korea, Japan, India, South Africa or Argentina, which are all now going through a bid process.

The U.S. Team has claimed victory in five of the seven events played since the competition began in 1994 (the 2003 event resulted in a memorable tie when Tiger Woods and Ernie Els dueled into a twilight, sudden-death playoff).

http://www.pga.org.au/