Golf: United States Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples has handed an official role on his team to basketball legend Michael Jordan for next year's match against the International team.
Jordan has been a regular spectator at both Ryder and Presidents Cups over the past decade and was inside the ropes at Valhalla last month when Paul Azinger's American team regained the Samuel Ryder Trophy with a 16.5-11.5 victory over Europe.
After recently naming Jay Haas as his assistant, Couples told a captains' press conference at the hosting Harding Park in San Francisco yesterday that he was formalising Jordan's role within the US set-up.
"Michael Jordan is an assistant, assistant," Couples said. "He's been at every Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup that I've played in, he's extremely passionate about the game of golf. There are a lot of people passionate about the game of golf but I believe in my mind that he can bring something to our team.
"He's won six NBA championships and been an MVP in his league forever. He's dealt with team-mates that were phenomenal players and maybe team-mates that could not play for another team. When you get 12 guys playing, I think he may be able to instil quite a bit to our team."
On being unveiled as the USA captain for the 2009 Presidents Cup, Couples had suggested bringing in comedian Robin Williams to his support staff and he reiterated his desire to see the star also contributing to the American cause.
"I've been on nine teams, and a lot of times, it's not the most exciting time at night and I think Robin would come and loosen us up," Couples added.
"It's not mentioned loosely. It's not mentioned to be smart alecky. The players want to relax and he's just one of my all-time favourites. We just haven't got him to commit yet."
While Couples turns to superstars Jordan and Williams, his opposite number Greg Norman explained why he would be leaning on his recently announced assistant captain Frank Nobilo, the New Zealand former pro turned Golf Channel television analyst.
"Frank's connection with his knowledge of where the game of golf is right now is going to be paramount to a lot of our success," Norman said. "He has the ability on a week-to-week basis, day-to-day basis to actually go down to the driving range and walk around there and have a chat with the guys and have a chat with the caddies, which is just as important as far as I'm concerned as talking to the players, and get insight of what really is going on.
"My schedule will be increased just a little bit coming into the 2009 season, specifically, because I'm playing in a couple of events and importantly, I need to get out there, too, and talk to a couple of these players and get engage with them."
Norman added that the hard part of his captaincy was only just beginning.
"Our moment starts today," he said. "Our biggest decision to date was finding who would be our assistant captains. I'm sure Freddie felt the same way, because there are a lot of just good individuals out there, not just good golfers out there, but good people we could have chosen for that task.
"Now that that's been put aside, we can focus on our next big step is making sure the 12 members of the team are in a very good, cohesive mind-set going into this time next year."
