	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

THE PRESIDENTS CUP MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 6, 2016

New York, New York, USA

LAURA NEAL: Thank you and good morning, ladies and gentlemen. On behalf of the PGA TOUR and The Presidents Cup, welcome to Presidents Cup Captains Day and thank you for joining us.

My name is Laura Neal. I'm with the PGA TOUR, and it is my pleasure to be here as part of the official one-year countdown to the 2017 event, which will be hosted right across the Hudson at beautiful Liberty National Golf Club.

We are just 358 days away from the first tee shots when the world's best players will go head-to-head in this exciting team match play competition, and the excitement is already building as you can tell.

Thanks in no small part to the stage that we have before us afforded by the New York / New Jersey Metropolitan area. The 2017 Presidents Cup promises to be the most memorable yet and today you'll hear one of the many reasons why.

But first, let's welcome the star of the show, one that will only shine brighter and brighter as we approach tournament week.

Please welcome Cameron Dawkins from The First Tee of Essex County who has the honor escorting The Presidents Cup trophy to the stage.

Cameron who is 15 years old has been an avid participant in The First Tee for five years. He is dedicated to his golf game and his studies, and he gives back as a junior coach and peer mentor to other participants in the chapter. Cameron has also been with the Paul and Dan Fireman Mentor Program over the last year. Thank you, Cameron.

It is now my pleasure to introduce the first speaker. He is the co-founder of Liberty National, and he has done so much for golf in this area over the years, including, along with his son, Dan, making a five-year, $5 million commitment to The First Tee, with half of that amount earmarked for programs in the New York / New Jersey area.

Ladies and gentlemen, please give a warm welcome to Mr. Paul Fireman.

PAUL FIREMAN: Thank you, Laura. It's certainly a thrill to be here today with all of you, to be part of this incredible kickoff for the 2017 Presidents Cup.

When I purchased the nearly one-mile long stretch of a neglected and decade New Jersey coastline, that would one day become Liberty National Golf Club, most people said I was crazy. But I dreamt of a championship golf course, surrounded by the New York skyline, and the Statue of Liberty and just couldn't say no.

I had the distinct pleasure and honor of working with two great architects, Bob Cupp and Tom Kite who patiently worked on this project for over 20 years dealing with all the local government and EPA regulations.

It is a shame that Bob, who lost his battle with cancer just a few weeks ago, will not have the opportunity to be present in 2017. However, we will surely honor his memory at that time.

My son, Dan, Bob, Tom, and so many others, worked relentlessly to open Liberty National Golf Club on July 4, 2006. The excitement of that day was matched nearly eight years later, when Liberty was named as the host of the 2017 Presidents Cup.

The Presidents Cup, although a thrilling worldwide competition is much more than a golf tournament. Now in its third decade, the Cup is a global convergence of golf, charity, sportsmanship, and international goodwill.

The 2017 Presidents Cup will be on display to more than one billion homes in 227 countries and territories, and broadcasted in 30 different languages showcasing New Jersey and New York in the middle of the world.

As the competition engages, the cameras will show unparalleled views of the Manhattan skyline, the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island, all amongst some of the world's most iconic sites. The Jersey City and metro New York markets will benefit by more than $60 million of economic growth.

One of the foundations of the PGA TOUR is its continuous interaction between the world of golf and charities. It has been the tradition since the Cup began in 19944 that the players, captains and captains assistants have all donated what would be their winning share to more than 450 charities and in 15 different countries worldwide.

Laura mentioned the $5 million commitment made by my family to The First Tee, including the local chapters. To kids like Cameron Dawkins, that means they have an opportunity to learn the game of golf, and through the programs, to learn more importantly the life skills that golf can impact on an individual, unlike any other sport.

To me, golf is a code of conduct, a way of life and a tremendous character builder. I first encountered the game of golf while I was caddying at a golf course named Thorny Lea in Brockton, Massachusetts. As a 12-year-old, I gained confidence by receiving acknowledgment and that of adults and their willingness to allow me to choose their club, give them guidance, sometimes tell them how a particular putt will break.

This has all added to my future and to the base of which I built my own character. Golf has brought me integrity and the integrity has brought me success.

Next year, The First Tee will celebrate its 20th anniversary which launched right here in New York City. Young boys and girls like Cameron have the wherewithal to change the world. It's amazing to think that the mission of The First Tee, which is, quote, impacting the lives of young people by providing educational programs that build character and instill life-enhancing values and promote healthy choices through the game of golf, will make this opportunity possible.

We look forward next -- for me, the game of golf has been a foundation for values for myself and for my family and for other people.

I'll just tell you that it has made a major difference in my life. I've actually made decisions on the basis of what I've learned in golf and what it's meant to me. I do think it's analgic to life and it's proven to be that for most people that play it. It's integrity and it's sincerity and it's all the things that make for a successful life.

Next year we will be hosting the event at Liberty National Golf Club, and we truly wish all of you a welcoming welcome to come join us at the event.

Thank you very much.

LAURA NEAL: At this time it is my pleasure to introduce PGA TOUR Deputy Commissioner Jay Monahan, who has some exciting announcements relative to the 2017 Presidents Cup.

JAY MONAHAN: Good morning, everyone, and thank you, Laura.

Thank you, Paul. Paul and Dan, we are extremely proud of you, of our 25-year partnership, and so thankful for your extraordinary philanthropy and your passion for the game. You are remarkable people.

It's also remarkable to think of what it must have been like 20 years ago when you first set foot on the property of what is now Liberty National Golf Club, and I hope you share the same amount of pride that we do as we stand here today knowing that The Presidents Cup will be here in just one year.

We are so proud to bring the Cup and the world's best players right here to New York and to New Jersey and to Liberty National, to showcase the international goodwill, sportsmanship and the charitable spirit that Paul talk about that is part of the essence of The Presidents Cup.

I'm going to say a few thank-yous, and I want to stress, these are sincere and heartfelt thank-yous. First, I want to start with our two global partners, Citi and Rolex. Citi, Tina Davis is here with us today. They have been partnered with The Presidents Cup since 2009. This is their home city, their headquarter city, and we are excited to share this Presidents Cup with the great people of New York and New Jersey with them.

Rolex, represented here today by Mauna Beckwall (ph) ball. Rolex is a prolific and great supporter of the game of golf. They have been involved with The Presidents Cup and PGA TOUR since 2005. You see their presence here in the Oculus, and we are very thankful for their great support.

I also want to recognize Vic Ganzi. Vic is the chairman of the PGA TOUR Policy Board. He has been in that capacity for nine years. He's been on our board for 30 years in totality and prior to that, he spent ten years working on a PGA TOUR business. That's 40 years. This man knows a lot about our business.

Jack Peter; Jack is president of the World Golf Hall of Fame. We will have a World Golf Hall of Fame induction ceremony here in New York City on Tuesday night of Presidents Cup. That will just add to the overall festivities of the week and kick off a full week of celebrations.

These two captains who you are going to hear from in a moment, they represent what's the absolute best in the game of golf. They are two heros, two great sportsmen and great leaders, and we are excited to have them step forward as captains of the 2017 Presidents Cup.

Finally I want to recognize Charlie Zink. Charlie is the chairman of the Presidents Cup, been with the PGA TOUR for 30 years, and along with the Firemans, has put his heart and soul in preparing for the 2017 P-Cup.

So I'm going to make a few announcements. We are very excited to lay out today, speaking of iconic settings, there's no better place than to start right here at the Oculus at the World Trade Center. This is a place of great purpose and great meaning and we are truly honored to be here.

And we're also truly honored that next year, starting on Tuesday through Sunday, the 300,000 commuters that walk through here each day, plus the thousands of international fans that will come in to experience The Presidents Cup, will have The Presidents Cup Fan Experience here at the Oculus in the area that we are now occupying all the way to the back.

We've thought very carefully about the activities that we'll present. I'll name a few. We are going to have a 44 Million Yard Challenge. We'll have simulated golf shots throughout New York / New Jersey, starting with the FedExCup Playoffs all the way through the end of the P-Cup itself. You're asking why 44 million yards? That is the equivalent of one lap around this great world we live in.

We also have a 4D Immersive Dome Experience. So you'll experience iconic landmarks from this great area from the perspective of a golf ball, from heights that we can't hit our golf ball. There will be a global tasting adventure.

We'll have menus featuring items from around the world and most notably, items representing the countries where the players on the International side come from and represent the week of The Presidents Cup.

We'll also have interactive programming throughout the week. We have great partners in NBC and Golf Channel. We'll have live updates here from Liberty National Golf Club. We'll have current players, past players, greats of the game that will be here in and around the Oculus for autograph signings and other great moments, so that we can bring the game of golf right here to the Oculus and we can bring the passion in the Oculus out to Liberty National Golf Club.

From a merchandise standpoint, the fan experience here at the Oculus will be the only place other than Liberty National Golf Club where fans can purchase Official Presidents Cup merchandise the week of The Presidents Cup.

I want to say a special thank you to Pat Foye. Pat is the Executive Director of the Port Authority of New York / New Jersey. We would not be here today without his great partnership and support and we would not be able to deliver what we are going to deliver next year without that support. So Pat, thanks to you and your team.

Speaking of merchandise, which I mentioned earlier, have some very exciting news. For the first time in Presidents Cup history, both teams will be partnering with one brand, and that brand, a great brand, is going to provide the apparel for the teams, as well as will help us to create a collection, a Presidents Cup collection, for our fans.

So with that said, I want to formally and officially welcome LACOSTE and the iconic crocodile logo to The Presidents Cup family as our Official Apparel Provider starting next year in 2017 all the way to 2025.

They are a fitting partner; no pun intended. If you go back to 1933 and you look to the great French tennis legend, RenÃ© Lacoste, they have a steep history and rich history in the game of golf. Both RenÃ© Lacoste's wife and daughter were champion golfers, and Chantaco is one of the most recognized clubs in all of France.

Today, there are over a hundred tennis and golf champions and ambassadors that proudly represent the LACOSTE brand coming from 20 countries and they sponsor and host a number of professional golf events.

We are honored to be joined today by Beryl Lacoste Hamilton, the president of Foundation LACOSTE, and the granddaughter of founder RenÃ© Lacoste; as well as Joelle Grunberg, president and CEO of LACOSTE North America who lives right here in New York City.

LACOSTE has an incredible sporting heritage. We look forward to a great long term partnership with them and to bring that rich sporting heritage to New York / New Jersey.

We talked earlier about our commitment to charitable and economic impact. Next year will involve the 20th anniversary of the establishment of The First Tee. The First Tee was established at Central Park with President Bush 41 and Commissioner Finchem and since that time has grown to be an organization that's impacting millions of young people's lives.

But from the growth of the game side, we are excited to announce that next year we will host the first-ever Junior Presidents Cup at Plainfield Country Club. This event will feature 24 of the best junior boys 19 years old and under with a team representing the U.S. and a team representing the international squad all around the world excluding Europe.

The two-day competition will be two teams of 12, and it will happen just days before The Presidents Cup. We'll use the same general criteria on the selection of the International Team that we use for The Presidents Cup.

And notably, these young men when they come and compete, or after they come and compete, will have the opportunity to experience The Presidents Cup with their families. We think it's going to be a thrilling, if not life-changing experience for these young men.

And that is further underscored by the fact that we have two legendary names serving as Honorary Captains. The U.S. Team will be led by Honorary Captain, Jack Nicklaus and the International Team will be led by Honorary Captain, Gary Player.

As you saw earlier going back to 2003, these gentlemen have been part of The Presidents Cup from the very outset, provided added inspiration and have really helped build The Presidents Cup to the position its in today. And both Honorary Captains will be supported by a captain.

The captain is going to be responsible for managing the teams and the daily pairings, no small task, and the captain for the U.S. squad will be David Toms, a four-time U.S. Presidents Cup Team member. And for the International squad, Trevor Immelman, who played in two Presidents Cups representing the International squad.

So again, it's going to be an incredible experience for these 24 young men, and a start to what we think will be a great tradition within the tradition of The Presidents Cup.

And I just want to close on that mark thanking Stephen Hamblin with the AJGA who has helped us get to this point and has been a great partner. And interestingly, when you look at the U.S. Presidents Cup team back in 2015, all the members of the U.S. Team were AJGA graduates.

I want to thank Plainfield Country Club. Plainfield has hosted two of our FedExCup Playoff events, will host a FedExCup Playoff event, another one in the future, has been a great partner and is opening these young men with open arms. So thank you to Plainfield.

So I've been talking a lot but there's a ton to be excited as we count down to the 20107 Presidents Cup. The P-Cup has come so far in a short period of time but to try and set a perspective on what's going to happen here next year: You have the world's best players coming into New York / New Jersey, to compete in a fierce competition, but in doing so, will demonstrate the essence of sportsmanship and goodwill. They are going to do it again here in New York / New Jersey as a great iconic golf course in Liberty National Golf Club.

We'll have a Hall of Fame induction ceremony on Tuesday night with Hall of Famers being inducted in countless other Hall of Famers in attendance. We will have a great presence and experience here at the Oculus throughout the week. We'll celebrate 20 years in The First Tee and talk about the next 20 years.

And it really is the perfect setting for the best Presidents Cup yet, which is a tradition we have each year, get better than the one that precedes it.

I want to thank all the media here for their coverage and support in advance, and with all that said, I want to now turn to the real focus of the event, which is the competition and the two great leaders we have, Nick Price representing the international squad and Steve Stricker representing the U.S. squad.

After you hear from them, I think you'll share in the great excitement that we all have as we look forward to the 2017 Presidents Cup. Thank you very much.

LAURA NEAL: As Jay said, at this time, with all due respect to our other speakers, it's time to bring up our true guests of honor. This is, in fact, Captain's Day.

So please join me in welcoming the captains for the 2017 Presidents Cup, Steve Stricker for the U.S. Team and Nick Price for the Internationals.

Thank you for joining us today. I know you, like everyone else involved in this incredible event, have been busy at work for preparations for next year's competition. I'm sure your enthusiasm is now buoyed by the exciting news that you've heard today and you've got some exciting news of your own to share.

But before we get to that, we'd like to hear some opening comments from you both. Perhaps talk about your excitement for the event itself, as well as the incredible setting of New York / New Jersey and Liberty National.

STEVE STRICKER: Thanks for having us, first of all. It's an exciting time for The Presidents Cup to be staged right here in a huge metropolitan area like New York City or New Jersey with the backdrop of Liberty National and the skyline of New York City, One World Trade Center.

So we are very excited to be here. Want to say thanks to Paul and Dan Fireman for hosting us next year, and we look forward to coming to your great course.

We've all enjoyed playing there over the years. We look forward to being there again. And obviously to Citi and Rolex, our global partners, couldn't do it without you, and we're excited to get it going.

You know, coming off The Ryder Cup, there's a lot of excitement but this has its own excitement and another flair for the dramatics as we saw last year with it coming down to the last match. A lot of it is exciting stuff and we're happy to be here today and get this thing going and get it kick started for next year.

NICK PRICE: He didn't leave me much to say. First off, I want to congratulate Steve. He and I go way back playing, but congratulate him on being nominated as The Presidents Cup captain. I know that he's done a few before; he's been involved with The Ryder Cup. But it's a very special event and I know you're going to love it and I know you and I are going to have a lot of fun together.

It's really wonderful for me to have been asked to come back for the third time. Second time I was obviously deeply honored by the third time they asked me to do it, in particular the players who were on the teams, I want to thank them from the bottom of my heart because Presidents Cup means an awful lot to me. I played in the first one and it's great.

But when I sit here or stand here and I look back behind here and I know we are all international, I wasn't born in this country, but I just want you guys to know that this is such a small world for all of us, and 15 years ago with the tragedy that happened, I think the world became a very small place and we were all one at that stage.

Even though we are here representing our respective countries, we are here to play golf and we are here to benefit the charities and the goodwill of the metropolitan area.

I want to thank our sponsors, too. Obviously Paul and Dan, thank you for hosting us. I think you're going to experience something that is very special, particularly as it warms up on Saturday and Sunday. To Citi and to Rolex, thank you for your continued, support and LACOSTE for coming in and supplying the clothes.

I just can't tell you how excited I am and how excited a lot of the guys who played on the last team are to be coming back, and particularly to the New York area. Looking forward to it very much.

LAURA NEAL: It's apparent you've both invested a lot of time in this event already and we, as you heard, have 358 days to go and a lot more work to do, but you have some help in that area.

As you know, the captains can select up to three captain's assistants to join them in the year leading up to the tournament, and then to obviously be by their side during tournament week.

We are excited that the captains are both ready to share their three assistant captains for each team. Steve, let's start with you. Walk us through your three assistant captains and maybe talk about what you hope each will bring to the team.

STEVE STRICKER: I'm going to be leaning on all three guys.

My first one is Freddie Couples. I've played with Freddie. I've played for Freddie. I've been a friend of his over the years. He is Mr. Presidents Cup when it comes to this competition. He's participated in a number of them and he's captained three of them. So I'm very happy and delighted to announce Freddie Couples as an assistant captain, and I couldn't be happier to have him be a part of our team.

Everybody wants to be Freddie Couples, don't they? He's just got that personality that you want to be around and he's had a tremendous amount of experience in The Presidents Cup. He is my first assistant captain.

My next one is Davis Love III. Coming off last week, and spending a lot of time with him, he brings an amount of, or I should say, the presence of and the knowledge of someone who has been in this situation a lot, as well. Davis and I are also friends. I played with him over the years and played under him as an assistant captain and captain of Ryder Cups, so we bring him on to the team and very excited about him saying yes.

I don't know if he was going to say yes because of what he was going through with The Ryder Cup but he was very excited and happy to be helping out, as well.

And my last one is Tiger Woods. Tiger, we hope, will be playing as a competitor for The Presidents Cup, but if he is not, he will be there as an assistant captain. Tiger and I, as well, have played together, been teammates on Presidents Cup, Ryder Cup teams together, have been friends over the years.

And he, too, as he's shown last week, he has invested in this team competition as an assistant last week, but he brings a wealth of knowledge, as well, and a camaraderie with the players that I saw last week that was very impressive.

So we are happy to have him on there, as well. Those are my three.

LAURA NEAL: Nick, you've done this twice before but I understand you've changed your lineup a bit this time.

NICK PRICE: Well, I have two out of my three assistants who may make the team, so I may be in a quandary if they both play well next year, but I think we'll cross that bridge when if it happens.

My first pick is my good friend and someone I've admired an awful lot, probably one of the best match players who ever played the game, and it's Ernie Els.

I know that he's going to have his turn at being a captain in the future, and as much as he loves match play and as much as he's been a part of Presidents Cup from the get-go, it was an obvious choice for me. I'm really looking forward to having his knowledge and his experience besides me.

My next pick is Tony Johnstone, who is a childhood friend of mine, grew up on the British PGA, played in Europe for many years and he's been an assistant to me over the last two Presidents Cups. So he's doing it for the third time, as well. A dogged competitor and an incredibly well-read person who understands the minute, all departments of the game, so I'm really happy to have him back with me.

And my third pick is Geoff Ogilvy from Australia, former U.S. Open Champion, who is also a wonderful match player, and also will bring a nice international flavor to the captain.

So we're looking forward to it. But like I say, I think maybe two of those guys still might qualify, so I've got a couple of reserves just in case. But those are my picks.

LAURA NEAL: Those are exciting names for both teams. At this time, it's my pleasure to open it up to questions from the floor.

Q. How do you differentiate this from playing on The Ryder Cup?
STEVE STRICKER: It's pretty much a corresponding event. They are both international team competitions. You have to make sure your players are paired with the correct player.

The one unique thing and the interesting thing about The Presidents Cup, and I think it's probably the coolest thing is that when we have to make pairings and you actually get to pair your team up against somebody that Nick puts down. And then we put down a name, and he pairs it against who we put down.

So I think that adds to the excitement level of the event. It makes it a little more challenging for us as captains, as I found out last year over there with Jay Haas, but very similar. I mean, the guys, both teams really want to win. They get extremely excited and fired up to be playing for their country, and those emotions come out. So very similar events.

Q. Couldn't go five minutes last week without hearing the two words task force between Davis and all you guys and players and fans. But it seems there may be a little symbiosis between what you guys have been so successful at in this competition, The Presidents Cup and a plan moving forward for The Ryder Cup. What is the relationship like with the two events and the people involved with them?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, we've had discussions, at least I have, with Tim over the years; just last year about that we could balance these two events out together and give people and captains in the position of being captains and assistants year after year to get that experience, because it is, it's different.

Each event is different. But it comes down to communication with your players and making sure they are happy and putting them in a position to play good golf. I think that's what we saw last week.

So I think the two of them are starting to go hand in hand, I really do. I believe that it's important that they go hand in hand, and that's kind of the advantage that we have as the U.S. Team. They are playing it every other year, international competition. We get to play it every year.

So our players play it more. You know, the captains get to experience that side of things a lot more, which makes it a little bit tougher I think for those guys and I think you would probably agree with that; that we have just a slight advantage because we are doing it more often and get to do the pairing process more and being with our players more often.

Q. How much momentum do you think The Ryder Cup victory this week will carry over to next year and how tempting is it to keep the same squad for next year's Presidents Cup?
STEVE STRICKER: I wish I could have the same 12. The way they gelled together as a team, it was cool to see. And that momentum will surely carry over to next year.

My phone has been blowing up for three days since The Ryder Cup ended from all the guys still talking, the captain still talking; a lot of jabs back and forth.

But they were so close last week. It was really cool to see and I think that's why they played well. They were loose, but we'll take that. There will be probably six, eight guys, maybe more, I'm hoping more, maybe eight or ten guys from this Ryder Cup Team that will be playing on The Presidents Cup team.

So they will take that experience from this last week and use it to when we play against Nick and his team next year for sure.

Q. Can you explain your philosophy on captain's picks? It seems to me like the veterans that have been shown recently show more wear and tear on the tires and more towards rookies that are coming in that are younger. The second question is Justin Rose made the comment that Hazeltine was set up as a Pro-Am course. What's your take on how the preparation should be for Liberty National in next year's Presidents Cup?
NICK PRICE: Well, first off, you know, everybody has to play the same golf course, so you can look at that both ways. I thought the golf was extremely exciting on Sunday. It was probably set up a little easier to make more birdies, and be more entertaining, which is fine.

But like I say, you know, you both have to play the same golf course. And well, the great thing about match play is the guy you're playing with plays in exactly the same weather and conditions that you do.

So you know, you don't have sort of a thunderstorm in the morning and one guy is shooting 68 and the other guy is shooting 75 in the afternoon or whatever. You know, I think the more birdies that are out there, be it The Presidents Cup or The Ryder Cup, the more theatre there is and more exciting it becomes.

With regard to the picks, I sort of will look at the team that I have that qualified. I get two picks; I have ten guys, and then I will try and balance the team out either with if I'm short on experience, I might go for a little more experience. But my most important thing is that I get the players who are playing their very best at that time.

So my two picks on both occasions in 2013 and last year were based on those guys that had played best out of the six or seven that made the short list in the two or three, four months previously. And I think that's really, really key.

STEVE STRICKER: Pretty much the same as what Nick just said there.

The course setup last week and going forward to Liberty National, however it's going to be set up, is fair. Like you said, both guys are going have to play it. Conditions are going to be exactly the same. It's whoever can golf their ball the best day that or that match.

As far as captain's picks, we had a tough time, as everyone could imagine, to figure out who our last pick was going to be for The Ryder Cup. I imagine the same scenario. You want the guy that's playing the best. Ryan Moore was playing the best we thought leading up to The Ryder Cup, and we picked him, and he proved to have the clinching point which is a pretty cool scenario for him and the team.

But I imagine come next year when it comes down to picking the guys, it's a tough process. I've been through it with the other captains the last three years, and it's really a tough process. It's hard, because you don't want it let anybody down. But when it comes to it, you've got to pick the guy that's playing the best I think and who is going to add the most to your team.

Q. You were so close last year in the competition. What do you think is going to be that extra push that is going to get you a win for the International Team going into 2017?
NICK PRICE: It's a good point. I think each Presidents Cup, each one I've been involved, I learn a little bit more about it. But as Steve spoke about earlier, which was matching the players together, is very, very important. You want a compatibility. You don't always want a guy who hits the ball a long way playing with another guy who hits the ball a long way. It doesn't always work; that similar games will work in a team competition.

You know, they have a little bit of an edge for us, as he also said earlier because he's going to have a lot of players on The Presidents Cup team next year that were on The Ryder Cup, so there might be some automatic pairings that they will do, like Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth. That may be an automatic.

So for us, it's a little bit different. Also, we're dealing with a bit of a language barrier at times, which makes it difficult.

But to be honest, what we did so well last time is that we had a camaraderie and a team spirit that started much earlier in the week. Normally it only happens toward the end of the week because everyone sort of feels a little uncomfortable. The first time I had the whole team in one room, is on the Monday; that's the only time they are ever really together.

So we do a lot of communicating early with the guys to try and figure out the best way to get that camraderie. I think if you look at The Ryder Cup, both of those teams this year had incredible spirit and you see that come out in the competition. We see it also in The Presidents Cup. And I think the more closely contested it is, the more I think that spirit is really fired up.

Q. Even though the competition is in the United States next year, this is one of the most international cities in the world. How do you think that will help lend to the welcoming and to the excitement for your players?
NICK PRICE: There's so many of my team or the team, the International Team, live here and play this tour. We may be representing different flags and that but we all play golf here in the United States.

We totally understand that it will be one-sided with the crowd but we will have a lot of our fans out there, too. So I think that's going to be a good thing. But I think the other thing is, it's a little bit different spirit than The Ryder Cup. There's not quite the -- I don't make any comparison, but it's different. The Presidents Cup is different to The Ryder Cup, you know and I hope the fans understand that.

We have such great fans in golf and there's always a few that make it uncomfortable. Our guys are used to playing in foreign condition -- in foreign countries, but if you ask any one of them, outside of their homes where they were born, this is their home. A lot of them married American girls, so we feel partial, anyway.

Q. Can you explain more about picking up Tiger Woods as a vice captain? I guess he was good for you guys at The Ryder Cup. Well, would he play? What is your guess about that?
STEVE STRICKER: Yeah, it's a great pickup for us on our side to have him commit to be at least an assistant captain. Like I said before, I hope he's playing.

But what he showed last week was pretty impressive, as well. He really got invested in the team. He was working on pairings weeks, and maybe even a month ahead of time, possible pairings, depending on who we were going to pick as the other players on the team.

The guys loved having him around there. He was perfect. I don't know any other way of saying it. He was really good. And he spent a lot of time and energy in trying to help out Davis and the team.

So we're lucky. We're lucky he will do it. I think for us, again, and like I said, hopefully he'll be playing. Hopefully he'll be a part of the team as a player. I mean, guys were ribbing him last week and he takes it and gives it back. I mean, it was a great bonding week for us as a team and he was a big part of that. Going forward, that can only help us as a team.

Q. You've had questions about the format of this event. You've raised that. Are you comfortable with the format of this particular event, or do you want to see possible changes down the line either in terms of total amount of players or how many matches are played, etc., etc.
NICK PRICE: You know, I still think the point issue is something that will change down the road. A lot of people didn't realize that there were six extra points in The Presidents Cup; 34, as opposed to 28. The Ryder Cup has been around since the 20s and they have gone through five changes of points. They have done -- they have changed the qualification criteria by going from Great Britain and Ireland to Europe.

So they made all those changes over the years to stimulate the interest, and I think we want to keep ourselves a little separate to The Ryder Cup, there's no doubt about that. But I think from an apples-to-apples basis, I would like to see down the road that it went to the 28-point system. I think it's a system that makes it more competitive. It just means that out of your 12 players, you're putting your eight best forward the first four matches, which I think improves the quality and the competitiveness of it.

But last year, I think it was very, very close. If it continues to be close, we may not need to change, but I honestly believe down the road, we'll probably change it to 28.

LAURA NEAL: Captains, I can't thank you enough for spending some time with us this morning. It's evident you both have a tremendous passion for The Presidents Cup, not only about winning but what happens outside the ropes, as well, and we'd like to thank you for that.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297