Team USA Adds Tiger Woods & Bill Haas To Presidents Cup Team
The Presidents Cup is less than two months away and with a buzz in the air, Team USA captain Fred Couples and International Team captain Greg Norman made their two captains picks. This year the biggest question was if Fred Couples would select the struggling Tiger Woods to join team USA. On Tuesday, the question was answered.
(Tiger Woods & Team USA at the 201o Ryder Cup. Photo: Zimbio)
Fred Couples announced Tiger Woods and recent FedEx Cup champion Bill Haas will be joining Team USA as the final two pieces when the Americans look to continue their Presidents Cup unbeaten streak which dates back to 1998. Haas finished 12th in the President Cup standings and Woods finished in 29th.
What good is a captains pick without controversy? While the pick of Bill Haas may seem like is was made based on the TOUR Championship, we should remember the season as a whole. In 26 events, Haas made the cut 22 times including seven top 10 finishes. His first win came just a few days ago but he added two second place finishes, both losses coming in a playoff tiebreak. His $4 million in earnings (excluding the $10 million FedEx Cup) has him ranked 5th in earnings this season. If the Presidents Cup standings are important, his 12th place finish (Brandt Snedeker finished 11th) makes him a safe choice.
Now the controversy can begin. Over the next month we will hear about Tiger and if he was a good pick. If we use the Bill Haas model, based on standings, numbers, and recent play, Tiger is less than an ideal choice. In eight events this seasons, Tiger made the cut in six and finished in the top 10 twice. He earned just over $625,000 and finished 132nd in the FedEx Cup Standings. In the Presidents Cup standings he finished 29th which out him behind Keegan Bradley, winner of the PGA Championship and the HP Byron Nelson Championship.
This will be the 7th Presidents Cup for Tiger and the first for Haas. They will be joined by Matt Kuchar , Steve Stricker, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Nick Watney, Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson, David Toms, Hunter Mahan and Jim Furyk.
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