Couples names Woods and Haas as Presidents wild cards

FedEx Cup winner Bill Haas and 14-time major champion Tiger Woods have been named by American team captain Fred Couples as his wild card picks for the Presidents Cup next month.

The pair join the 10 qualifiers via the PGA Tour for the biennial tournament against the International team at the Royal Melbourne Golf Club on November 17-20.

Meanwhile, International captain Greg Norman has selected Australian pair Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby as his choices for the tournament, which the Americans have dominated in previous years.

There is no place in the American side for U.S. PGA winner Keegan Bradley, although a left arm injury to Steve Stricker could still hand Bradley a place in the side.

The Americans have a superb record in the event, winning seven of the nine previous meetings with one draw and one victory for the International side, in 1998.

“My team know they have lost the tournament every year apart from two and they want to win it this time around. The Australian players are keen to do it in their own backyard,” Norman told reporters.

Woods has already confirmed he will play in next week’s Frys.com Open, after Couples said he wanted to see him play again before the Presidents Cup.

It will be the first tournament for Woods with his new caddie, Joe LaCava, who used to carry the bag for both Couples and Presidents Cup teammate Dustin Johnson.

Woods told reporters: “We are going to wing it on the fly at the Frys. I hit the ball shorter than Dustin so he will have to get used to that.”

Teams for the Presidents Cup:

United States:

Dustin Johnson
Phil Mickelson
Jim Furyk
Matt Kuchar
Webb Simpson
Nick Watney
David Toms
Bunna Watson
Hunter Mahan
Steve Stricker
Tiger Woods
Bill Haas

Internationals:

Adam Scott
Jason Day
Geoff Ogilvy
Charl Schwartzel
Retief Goosen
Ernie Els
Ryo Ishikawa
K.J. Choi
Yang Yong-Eun
Kim Kyung-tae
Aaron Baddeley
Robert Allenby