Jay Haas was selected as captain of the United States team and Nick Price of Zimbabwe was chosen to lead the Internationals in the 11th Presidents Cup matches next year at Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea in Incheon, South Korea.
The 57-year-old Price was captain for the International team last year, when the Americans scored an 18 1/2-15 1/2 victory at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio. Price selected K.J. Choi of South Korea as a vice captain.
Haas, 60, has been a vice captain under Fred Couples in the last three matches, all U.S. victories, and Haas chose his friend Couples as a vice captain. Haas had nine victories on the PGA Tour and has added 16 on the Champions Tour, including three majors.
“I’m pretty overwhelmed, honored and excited to be chosen as Presidents Cup captain,” said Haas, who recorded a 5-3-1 record as a player in two Presidents Cup matches, including 2003 when he was the oldest player in the history of the event at 49 years, 353 days.
“When I was a player and a vice captain, I never thought of being captain. I have never done this before, but having been a vice captain the last three times gives me some comfort.
“I played a Champions Tour event in South Korea and I can’t wait to go back there.”
Price, who won 18 times on the PGA Tour, including three majors, and has added four more titles on the senior circuit, was 8-11-4 in five Presidents Cup.
He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2003 and was No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings for a total of 43 weeks in 1993 and 1994, when he captured the Open Championship at Turnberry and the PGA Championship at Southern Hills.
“Obviously, I’m delighted to be asked to do this again,” said Price, who also won the PGA Championship in 1992 at Bellerive. “I want to thank the players on last year’s team for being here, because I know they were polled on this.
“They were a great bunch of guys, who came together quickly, and I guess I must have done something right. I’m looking forward to taking next year’s team to South Korea, because I know the Presidents Cup is going to be huge there.”
The Internationals badly need a victory, trailing in the series, 8-1-1, with their only victory coming in 1998 at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
