Couples and Norman: Cool personified as captains

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They are two of the coolest guys on the planet.

Not just in golf, mind you. But anywhere.

PRESIDENTS CUP

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Tell me you wouldn't want to hang out with Greg Norman or Fred Couples. Or both.

Have a beer. Throw something on the grill. Talk sports. Or business. Or politics. Watch a little football.

Maybe, just be.

The chill time with Michael Jordan or the ATV ride of your life across a breathtaking ranch? Just a little window dressing, really; things that come with the territory.

If these two aren't somewhere on your dream foursome list, they should be. They may be the essence of cool, but they really are just two of the guys. Real. Funny. Engaging. Honest -- sometimes brutally so. Snappy dressers, too. Even boat shoes or an surprise wrinkle looks cool.

But the best thing? They haven't changed in the thirtysomething years I've known them.

We've watched them win and lose with grace. We've seen their ups and downs on the golf course; the bumps and bruises in their personal lives. And it only makes us like them even more.

Just ask their players.

Norman and Couples are the larger-than-life guys they've looked up to since they were kids. They've been in awe of them, played along side them, beaten them and lost to them. Now they're playing for them.

So what does make these two Presidents Cup captains so special? What doesn't?

Think about it.

They're players who have been there and done an awful lot of that. Couples has won a major and two PLAYERS and knows the meaning of playing through pain. Even today at 52, he can tee it up with the kids and give them a run. And Norman? He's won worldwide, has a pair of Claret Jugs, a PLAYERS and the cruel record of having lost all four majors in playoffs.

They've played through injuries, divorces and swing slumps. They've won with brilliant shots and lost on brilliant ones from others. They learned the game from Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer and, honestly, they're still -- at fiftysomething -- two of the biggest draws in the game.

Where would Australian golf be without Norman? His successes and failures fueled the game Down Under and gave us players like Adam Scott, Jason Day, Geoff Ogilvy, Aaron Baddeley and Robert Allenby. They grew up watching him win British Opens and have his heart ripped out at Augusta National. They saw his passion, his drive and popularity.

Where would the Presidents Cup be without Couples? He gave the Cup street cred in those early days with brilliant shots that took your breath away and gave the U.S. two quick wins. The 156-yard approach at the 18th that curled down to tap-in range for an American win in the inaugural event in 1994. The birdie putt on the in 1996 that clinched the Cup again.

And 1998? It was Norman who led the charge Down Under when the International team routed the U.S. 20-11 for their only win in Cup history.

Today, it's Norman who is playing the congenial host and Australian ambassador. He's also the guy who put the Cup into perspective when he reminded his team to check their friendships at the door and get ready to rumble. Be prepared, he told his players, to cut out the guy's heart.

He speaks, they listen. They also have a heck of a lot of fun. He's pulled four countries together into a team and opened the week with a team dinner that ended with ... Norman, shirt sleeves rolled up, directing late-night traffic on a narrow Melbourne street after his team bus got stuck.

Couples? He's playing this one with Jordan stateside, working on NBA issues. We kid about his couch potato moments and that he-doesn't-answer-the-phone-because-someone-might-be-on-the-line quote mumblesome years ago, but we don't give him enough credit for being an organized leader. Or a thoughtful guest who dressed his team in Australian green shirts Monday, then donated the signed shirts to two Aussie football charities for auction.

At the same time, he made us chuckle when he mentioned pairing Nick Watney and Bill Haas because when you put them in matching outfits and add the cap, you can't tell who's who.

This is the second time around for both them. The played for, then followed legends Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player, but they never wanted to be mirror images of the last two captains.

Both listen to their players and their own guts. Both see that it isn't always about stats or records; both have allowed their hearts, at times, to take the lead.

In 2009, Norman surprised everyone by making Scott, who was struggling, a captain's pick. It was so Norman. He didn't care who criticized his decision, it was made. And, as it turned out, it was just the confidence boost his old friend needed.

This year, it was Couples' turn. He made Tiger Woods an early captain's choice, then just shook his head at critics. His team, his decision. And after Tiger's performance at last week's Australian Open, people are wondering if the pick might be prescient.

Norman wasn't himself in 2009. His personal life was in upheaval, he was wearing a sling after shoulder surgery and he wasn't Norman. This time around, he's vowed to be more assertive -- that he'll give more advice than he takes. But always with an arm thrown around a player.

When you see them, you can't help but flash back to their playing days. Norman with his long blond hair flowing below his collar; Couples tugging at the shoulder seam of his shirt as he ambled down the fairways.

Now they're watching their players from behind. They're taking stock of swings and putting strokes and mixing-and-matching personalities and games. They're seeing the game they play so well from another side.

Both Norman and Couples have said this is it. They really doubt they'll return for third stints as captains. Two-and-done is good. Even if the 2013 Cup will be at Nicklaus' Muirfield Village, where they've both won.

It would be a hell of a lot of fun, Couples said, but ... the honest truth is there are a lot of captains-in-waiting on both sides and they can't stack up too deep.

But ... admit it, you don't want to see them go.

No matter how this one ends, we know both teams will be talking about their week under these guys for years to come.

Wouldn't you?

After all, playing for one of the coolest guys on the planet? That's priceless.

Melanie Hauser is a columnist for PGATOUR.COM and can be reached at melaniehauser@gmail.com. Her views do not necessarily represent the views of the PGA TOUR. Follow her on Twitter @melaniehauser.