US Team Captain Tiger Woods has announced Fred Couples, Zach Johnson and Steve Stricker as three of his captain’s assistants for the 2019 Presidents Cup, which will return to The Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Melbourne, Australia for a third time from December 9-15, 2019. Woods has the option to name one final assistant prior to the competition.

 

 

 

 

Couples led the U.S. Team as captain three consecutive times (2009, 2011, 2013) and is set to serve as a captain’s assistant for a third time after being tabbed by captains Jay Haas and Sticker in 2015 and 2017, respectively. Woods and Couples were Presidents Cup teammates in 1998 and 2005 and partnered up in Woods’ first-ever match where the two defeated Ernie Els and Vijay Singh, 5 and 4, at Royal Melbourne.

 

 

 

Woods competed on each team that Couples captained, including the 2011 event at Royal Melbourne where Woods was a captain’s pick. The two were both captain’s assistants for Stricker in 2017 at Liberty National.

 

 

 

“I’ve enjoyed being a captain’s assistant for the past two Presidents Cups, and to support Tiger in his first captaincy is going to be a very special experience,” Couples said. “Plus, to return to one of my favorite venues, Royal Melbourne, is going to be a real treat. The fans in Australia really know their golf and create an unbelievable atmosphere for the players, so I’m excited to return and help this team win.”

 

 

 

 

Couples is a four-time Presidents Cup participant (1994, 1996, 1998, 2005) with an overall record of 9-5-2. He helped lead the U.S. Team to victory as a player in the first two editions of the Presidents Cup in 1994 and 1996, where Couples combined for a 6-1-0 record at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Freddie and I go way back in the Presidents Cup,” Woods said. “And we’re basically coming full circle at Royal Melbourne. He and I teamed up in one of our matches in ’98, I was a captain’s pick in ‘11 and now we get to return there as two leaders of this team. We’re going to have some fun, but we’re there to win.”