Steve Stricker and Nick Price of Zimbabwe were selected as captains for the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., the PGA Tour announced.
The matches will be played Sept. 28-Oct.1 and Price’s International team will truy tu cit into 9-1-1 Domination the United States holds in the competition.
“Everybody respects (Stricker’s) game, respects how he’s come back (from injuries) and hung in there for so long,” said Davis Love III, who is captain of the U.S. team for the matches to be played later this year
“Steve’s not going to necessarily fire guys up. Steve’s always been kind of quiet, but to his friends, the group of the good players that he hangs around with, Tiger (Woods) has come to rely on him.”
Stricker, 49, a 12-time winner on the PGA Tour, has played in five Presidents and three Ryder cups. He also served as an assistant under Tom Watson at the 2015 Ryder Cup in Gleneagles, Scotland, and for Jay Haas at the 2016 Presidents Cup in Incheon, South Korea.
Stricker, a two-time winner of the PGA Tour’s Comeback Player of the Year Award, has struggled with hip, neck back injuries.
Price, 59, who has 18 PGA Tour victories and 50 world-wide in hiS career including three major titles, captained the International squad for the last two Presidents Cups, energizing his team last year in Incheon to one of the closest matches in the 22-year history of the event.
Price pushed for a points reduction that helped rally the Internationals, who draws players from nations outside of Europe.
“I heard from all the guys that played on the team that he was a good captain and they really wanted to win for him,” Ernie Els of South Africa said. “I think there’s a really nice connection between him and this group of players.
“I think Adam Scott stood up and he wanted him back. I know Louis (Oosthuizen) loved having him around. I think he’s got a good feel for the guys.”
Stricker also is expected to be a Ryder Cup captain at some point.
