THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, September 16, 1994 TAG: 9409160677
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: GAINESVILLE, VA. LENGTH: Long : 120 lines
If the creators of this weekend's Presidents Cup are lucky, someone will reach for The Envelope on Sunday afternoon, triggering a unique settlement to a unique event.
Inside the envelope are two names - an American golfer selected by U.S. co-captain Hale Irwin, and a player chosen by international captain David Graham. Thirty-two matches will have been played. Each team will have won 16 of them.
The envelope will be opened, the names will be announced and the two men will return to the Robert Trent Jones course for a sudden-death playoff. It never has been done before in team competition, precisely why the format was selected for this inaugural event.
First, though, the 32 matches, beginning today. The format is relatively simple. Both today and Saturday, there will be five four-ball and five foursome matches.
In four-ball, two-man teams play each other, with only the team's better score counting on each hole. Two-man teams also compete in foursomes, with players alternating shots. On Sunday, all 24 players will compete in one-on-one matches. Each match is worth one point.
As for sudden death, the international team's choice is as close to a lock as possible: Nick Price, the world's No. 1 player.
``Of course, I'd want my name in the envelope,'' Price said. ``You want to play the best with the most at stake.''
Others aren't so sure.
``There's no rhyme or reason to have to pick one guy to win the whole match,'' American Fred Couples countered. ``The first few years, anyway, it wouldn't be the end of the world if the Presidents Cup ended in a tie.''
There's one thing that members on both sides agree upon. The Presidents Cup exhibits none of the animosity and bickering that has marked recent Ryder Cup competitions.
``From the players' standpoint, I think this is going to be more fun,'' American Corey Pavin said. ``I think it will be a little lighter than the Ryder Cup.''
Price went so far as to implore that both sides compete ``in the true spirit of the game.''
``You play to the rules, which means you applaud your opponent's good shots, and there's no animosity if he happens to get a good break,'' he said.
Couples said he thought the atmosphere among the fans would be markedly different than at the Ryder Cup, even though the same nationalistic flavor exists.
``I think the public enjoys watching Nick Price as much as me and Corey Pavin,'' he said. ``It would be fun to get a planeload of Australians over here to support the Australian players. There might be some chitter-chatter then.
``The animosity (at Ryder Cup) comes from people yelling at you for missing a putt or something. I don't see that happening here.''
The international team will be without one of its most popular players, Greg Norman, ranked No. 2 in the world. He is recovering from surgery. Fellow Australian Bradley Hughes takes his place.
``It's really disappointing because he would have enhanced this event,'' Price said. ``I also think he would have been good for two, maybe three, points in the matches he played. We'll have to work harder, no mistake about it.''
Pavin said he would have liked the chance to go against the world's two top-ranked players: ``It would have been fun; those opportunities don't come up often. Of course, it's fun to win them, not fun to lose those matches. I don't mind beating anyone, but I get more out of it when the guy is No. 2 or No. 1 in the world.''
Sounds like the perfect candidate for the envelope. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS
The international, left, and American teams make their entrance
during opening ceremonies of the Presidents Cup.
CUP GLANCE
What: The Presidents Cup.
When: Today, Saturday and Sunday.
Where: The Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Lake Manassas, Va.
Who: Two 12-man teams, one representing the United States, the
other an international squad excluding Europeans, will play 32
matches.
The U.S. playing captain is Hale Irwin. Paul Azinger is the
honorary co-captain. The rest of the squad is Fred Couples, Jim
Gallagher Jr., Jay Haas, Scott Hoch, John Huston, Tom Lehman, Davis
Love III, Jeff Maggert, Phil Mickelson, Corey Pavin and Loren
Roberts.
The international team is captained by David Graham, who will not
play. The squad has Fulton Allem of South Africa, Robert Allenby of
Australia, Steve Elkington of Australia, David Frost of South
Africa, Bradley Hughes of Australia, Mark McNulty of Zimbabwe, Frank
Nobilo of New Zealand, Craig Parry of Australia, Nick Price of
Zimbabwe, Peter Senior of Australia, Vijay Singh of Fiji and Tsukasa
Watanabe of Japan.
How selected: The U.S. team was determined by the top 10 American
players on a PGA Tour money list from the 1993 Greater Milwaukee
Open through the 1994 NEC World Series of Golf, along with two
captain's choices.
The international team was determined by the position of
non-European international players on the Sony World Rankings, along
with two captain's choices.
Purse: None. Net revenues will be divided equally among the 26
players and captains. Every player has designated a charity or
golf-related project to receive his share.
Schedule:
Today
8 a.m. - Four-man best balls (5 matches).
1:30 p.m. - Alternate-shot foursomes (5 matches).
Saturday
8 a.m. - Four-man best balls (5 matches).
1:30 p.m. - Alternate-shot foursomes (5 matches).
Sunday
12:15 p.m. - 12 singles matches.
TV: Friday: 8 a.m.-noon and 1:30-6 p.m., ESPN.
Saturday: 3-6 p.m., CBS.
Sunday: 2-6 p.m., CBS.
Tickets: Call (703) 754-1110 for information. No tickets will be
sold on the course grounds.
by CNB