Blog: Time to think hard about Captain's Picks

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Aug. 24, 2009

Hello again. It's been a while since I checked in -- a big thanks to my Captain's Assistant Frank Nobilo for filling in for me here at the Captain's Corner while he was at the British Open for GOLF CHANNEL. I'm glad you got to read some of his perspective, as well as U.S. Captain's Assistant Jay Haas a few weeks ago. I know Jay is just as vital to Fred and the U.S. Team and Frank is to me in the International Team's preparations.

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Norman speaks at National Golf Day on May 13.

PRESIDENTS CUP

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It's hard to believe we're less than two months away -- things are really heating up, especially with the top 10 members of the teams being finalized last week. Obviously, the team came together in a dramatic fashion at the PGA Championship. Y.E. Yang's win over Tiger Woods was absolutely phenomenal -- for him, for The Presidents Cup and for golf in Asia and worldwide. He's one of two "rookies" to qualify for the International Team -- along with Camilo Villegas -- and I'm very impressed. He showed no fear against Tiger and handled himself very, very well. That steely nerve will be valuable when he makes his Presidents Cup debut. I spoke to Y.E. right after his win. We talked about his victory and about The Presidents Cup, and the importance of what his victory did for the game of golf. He's very excited about all of it and is really thrilled to be a part of the International Team.

Aside from Camilo and Y.E., the top 10 players on my team have combined for 29 previous Presidents Cup appearances. So I've got a very well balanced, experienced team. And we still have the opportunity to add two Captain's Picks, which will be announced on Sept. 8.

I've got to look at someone like Rory Sabbatini, who was bounced out of the top 10 at the last minute due to Y.E.'s win. Rory was a very energetic part of that top 10 and a very enthusiastic supporter of where The Presidents Cup is going. But I also have to look at -- differently than Freddie -- the language barriers amongst our team, and who is going to be more comfortable playing with whom.

At the end of the day, I've got to make sure the team is balanced. I've got to make sure the team is excited and energetic about The Presidents Cup and their teammates. And I've got to be confident that the team is going to go out there and play their best golf. I'm being honest when I say I can go down to No. 40 [on the current points list] to try and find two guys that I really think are going to be supporting team members of my team. I'm really looking forward to the next few weeks to see who might make a last-minute move and show they are the right choice to round out the International Team.

But it's starting to come together. It's been a long road to get to this point. Freddie and I have given a lot of time and effort so far to make sure this Presidents Cup is going to be successful. And the growth of the event is in the forefront of both our minds.

I hope you are getting excited about the event, as well. The Presidents Cup is such a special event, because of the format, the players and -- most importantly -- the fans who get a chance to cheer and support their favorite players more so than in any other golf event. I hope if you have the opportunity to attend, you'll come out to Harding Park and experience what I know is going to be an amazing week.

The next time I check in with you, both teams will be finalized, and we'll be just a few weeks away from the Opening Ceremony. Thanks for your support thus far. Talk to you soon.

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Hello again. It's been a couple months since I last checked in, so I wanted to update everyone on what's been going on. It's been a busy stretch for me, acting as International Captain and playing more golf competitively. I've competed a couple times on the Champions Tour, including the year's first major at the Senior PGA Championship. More recently, Fred and I made a trip to Washington D.C. for National Golf Day and a Presidents Cup press conference.

Two weeks after Augusta, I played in the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf for the first time with my good friend, Keith Fergus. I hadn't planned on playing, but changed my mind after hearing from my colleagues what a great tournament it is and how much they look forward to going there. Although we did not play our best, it was great to catch up with Keith. I really did enjoy Savannah and have been fortunate to design several golf courses in the area, so it was great to get back.

My next event was the Senior PGA Championship outside Cleveland late last month. The golf course was set up pretty tough, but I still felt you could score. Unfortunately, I could not get into a rhythm, but I'm going to take some time off from competition the next couple weeks, so hopefully a fresh start later this summer will help me get back on track.

In between playing those two events, Fred and I were able to join Commissioner Finchem in Washington for a Presidents Cup press conference in conjunction with National Golf Day. We visited Capitol Hill in the morning and met with various politicians to discuss the golf industry, the economic challenges facing the game right now and the impact the game has on charities around the country. It was a wonderful opportunity to talk about The Presidents Cup and promote the game of golf, something I've always loved to do and done my entire career.

Speaking of what's going on in the game right now, I've been encouraged by the recent play of some of the golfers in contention to make the International team. Rory Sabbatini played fantastic golf in Dallas a couple weeks ago when he won the HP Byron Nelson Championship, and Retief Goosen, Camilo Villegas and Geoff Ogilvy all continue to perform at a high level. It was also great to see Vijay play so well at Colonial. Hopefully, they all continue their strong play leading in to The Presidents Cup.

I've said from the beginning that one of the biggest challenges I will face as Captain will be bringing a diverse group of people together and molding them into a team of one. As the International team captain, I am dealing with many different cultures and languages as opposed to the U.S. team, which has only one. My assistant captain, Frank Nobilo, and I are keeping a keen eye on the players competing to make the team and will continue to do so over the summer.

I've scheduled a player meeting at the Open Championship with 25-30 players who are in contention to make the Team, in order to go over some things and answer any questions they may have. It's hard to believe that will be the last meeting I have with the players before the teams are announced.

I'm really excited about getting to the Open Championship this year for a number of reasons, including the players' meeting. It will be great fun to be back in that environment after playing so well last year. In addition, The Open returns to Turnberry, a place that holds a very special place in my heart. I won my first Open Championship there in 1986, so I have a lot of fond memories. It's going to be great going back there 23 years later.

Until then, like many people, I will be on summer vacation. Chrissie and I are going to Australia for a month with the boys. We're going to Queensland, which is where I'm originally from, so that should be a lot of fun -- and hopefully relaxing! After that it will be off to the U.K. for The Open Championship and the Senior British Open.

So far so good from the Captain's chair...we'll talk again soon.

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Since I last checked in with you, I've been busy with some of the preparations as captain, but I've also had the opportunity to get out and compete a bit. I played three weeks in a row, including my first appearance at a non-major on the Champions Tour at the Cap Cana Championship, and then on the PGA TOUR at the Shell Houston Open and the Masters.

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Greg Norman was able to get a good feel -- up close -- for how his team is shaping up while playing at the Masters.

I had a once-in-a-lifetime chance to have my son, Gregory, serve as my caddie for the Masters. Returning to Augusta for the first time since 2002, and experiencing the week with him is something I will always cherish. Aside from the emotions of the week, I was proud of how Gregory prepared for the event from a professional standpoint. As for me, I played well in some stretches, and I could have played better in other stretches, but I came away feeling good about my performance, and I was able to interact with a lot of players up close, both old friends and new acquaintances. Although I was disappointed not to be playing on the weekend, I left Augusta National with great memories of the week. Undoubtedly, my hole-in-one during the Par 3 tournament with my wife Chrissie as my caddy was a memorable moment for us to share. It was great to be able to share the Masters week experience with her and our extended family and friends.

Part of my job as the Captain of the International Team is to not only shape this year's competition, but also recognize and encourage players who are the future for the International Team. Guys like Danny Lee and Ryo Ishikawa definitely fit that description, and I will be watching their performances for the rest of this year very closely.

I was extremely happy to see veteran Retief Goosen win the Transitions Championship in late March. That was a great shot in the arm for us because he's a guy who I know wants to be on the team. And, of course, I'll be looking for Retief's experience and capabilities come October. Of course, Angel Cabrera's victory at the Masters -- defeating two players who will most likely be on the U.S. Presidents Cup Team -- was fantastic. Angel has played in two previous Presidents Cups and has a solid record. He's now fifth in the standings, and he'll be a great addition to the Team. There are 17 players in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking who are eligible for the International Team. We're looking very strong for October already.

As Captain, I am very excited about our opportunity to put together a very eclectic team. I get a report every two weeks on my players, and I try to understand where they are playing, how they are playing, what they're working on. I have also set up an e-mail address where potential Team members can write to me, confidentially. I have asked them for any information or history that they have from past experiences in The Presidents Cup -- their likes and dislikes. It's a great outlet for them to give suggestions, but it also helps guide me in my first year as a captain. I won't be able to make everyone happy, but I can do my best to create the atmosphere for my team that will enable them to have fun -- and win, of course!

Aside from that, I'm happy to report that the International Team will wear clothes from the Greg Norman Collection during this year's Presidents Cup. I am proud of the outfits we've chosen for the players, and I'm confident they will be proud of how they look as a team. I can't reveal much until October, but we used a lot of black and white mixed with navy blues and golden yellow. The guys are going to look sharp.

Next up for me is the Liberty Mutual Legends of Golf in Savannah, Ga. I'm excited about this event, playing with my good friend Keith Fergus. It's a team competition, so even though it's official money, the atmosphere is a lot different than a standard Champions Tour event. It should be a lot of fun.

It's been over a year since Fred and I were named Captains, and I can truly say that it has been an honor each and every day so far. Thank you for following along on this journey.

Until next time ...

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Feb. 15, 2009
It's been a busy couple of months getting ready for the season and now watching the beginning of the year unfold. I had great fun over the holidays, especially teaming up with my son Gregory to win the ADT Skills Challenge in December. Of course, I was a proud dad watching him sneak a pitching wedge to within an inch of the cup in the final event to secure the win for us.

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Greg Norman will be paying close attention during the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship.

More: Couples' blog

The ADT Skills Challenge also gave me a chance to spend some time with U.S. Team Captain Fred Couples. Fred and I are great friends, and we are having a lot of fun ribbing each other as "opposing captains." I gave him some ammunition when he out-drove me in the long drive competition that week, but I told him I'd pay him back by stealing some team secrets at the Wendy's Champions Skins Game, where my teammate was none other than his assistant captain Jay Haas.

All kidding aside, what a great start to the season with Geoff Ogilvy's win at the Mercedes-Benz Championships. Geoff has proven that he is one of the world's best players with victories at the U.S. Open and World Golf Championships. His win in Hawaii reinforces what most of us already knew, that Geoff will be one of the leaders of this year's International Team.

Geoff made some great comments after his victory in Hawaii about being focused for this year's Presidents Cup. I have spoken to several players about this year's competition, and it is very clear to me that the International Team will be a focused, energetic and excited group of players. Everyone I talk to cannot wait to get to Harding Park in October.

I have been paying close attention to the success of some of our other International players. Some new faces have had good starts in 2009. Of course, there are some International Team mainstays like Ernie Els, Adam Scott and Vijay Singh, who are also well on their way to making the team.

The World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship will be exciting for me to watch. I'll be in Australia that week after having played the Johnnie Walker Classic, but you can bet that I'll have my eyes on the International players to see how they perform in a match play format.

October and San Francisco will be here before we know it. I look forward to checking in with you on occasion to update you on how things look from the Captain's chair.