Fred Couples: Has He Taken a Bigger Risk by Making Tiger Woods Play Fall Series?

Any way you look at it, Fred Couples has taken a massive risk by selecting Tiger Woods as one of his two captain's picks for the 2011 U.S. Presidents Cup team.

Woods has played just three tournaments since the Masters. In those tournaments he has one withdraw, tied for 37th place, and most recently he missed the cut at the PGA Championship.

Couples had been flip-flopping on the whole Woods saga for weeks. 

Six weeks ago Couples told the Golf Channel that "[Woods] is the best player in the world for a long time. He has slipped a little in rankings maybe, the way he is shooting scores, but he is still Tiger, and if I am captain, I will pretty much take him anytime we go."

Two weeks prior to the PGA Championship, Couples reiterated his stance on Woods by telling the Golf Channel’s Tim Rosaforte that "Tiger's a guy I want on my team. I can't imagine not having him on the team. If he has to be picked there will be somebody upset, because they probably had an incredible year. He'll be great to have on the team."

Then Woods somehow managed to find 23 bunkers and 5 lakes during the course of two rounds at the Atlanta Athletic Club, which needless to say, had him slamming his trunk at the half way mark of the year’s final major.

Predictably, Couples had changed his view on the matter by the time he arrived at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship the following week. 

“[Woods] can't just show up the week before in Australia,” Couples Said.

''I have made it clear that whoever I picked will be playing the Australian tournament the week before. But I need him to play more than just there. There's quite a few tournaments after the Tour Championship.''

Couples then told Golf Digest, ''From what I see, he's looking to turn it around quicker, but not playing much golf. He may read that and say, 'Screw him.' I mean he's my favorite player. But to get better, you gotta play. I just don't know how he can sit there and think his game is going to improve.”

“Freddie Cool” was clearly in the process of negotiating a deal with Woods at that time – play an event before your trip to Australia and you’ll have a spot on the Presidents Cup team.

Last week at the Boeing Classic, Couples flip-flopped for what would appear to be the final time when he said "I've told him that he's going to be on the team. There is no reason for me to wait till Sept. 26 to pick Tiger. He's the best player in the world forever."

When Woods officially committed to the Frys.com Open earlier this week (which will be held October 6 - 9 in San Martin California), it became clear that the two men had reached an agreement. 

Most would concur that Woods needs to play more golf.  After all, the guy has played just 23 competitive rounds in the past eight months.

However, one could also make the argument that Couples’ little ultimatum may have been an even riskier move than simply putting Woods on the team to begin with.

Everyone knows that Woods is searching for his game right now.  That being said, no one would have been overly surprised if Couples selected Woods for the Presidents Cup team based solely on his past success.  

Corey Pavin made a similar decision last year when he selected Woods for the Ryder Cup team and Woods proceeded to go 3-1-0 and earn 3 points for the American side.

By “forcing” Woods to attend a PGA Tour fall series event, Couples now runs the risk of looking like a complete fool, for lack of a better term.

Suppose Woods shows up at the Frys.com Open in October, shoots 76-74 and misses the cut at what many would view as a second tier professional event?

What happens then?

Woods would have already been selected to the team, so there’d be no turning back unless Woods himself quits thus allowing Couples an additional captain's pick.

Three years ago such a thought would have seemed utterly ridiculous.  But this is the new Woods.  Tiger 2.0, Tiger 2.5, Tiger 3.0, whatever, I’ve lost track of which comeback he’s on now.  Anyway, when it comes to the “new” Woods, missing the cut at the Frys.com Open is a very real possibility.

Of course there is another potential scenario – Woods goes out and wins the event, thus making Couples look like a genius.

And if you believe former British Open Champion and CBS Sports announcer Ian Baker-Finch’s recent account of a round he played with Woods, Freddie Cool may escape this whole ordeal scott free.

"He was 75 yards by me off the tee, he never missed a shot and was seven or eight-under par," Baker-Finch told the Herald Sun after his round with Woods in Florida.

"Tiger's unbelievable. He seems to be in a really good frame of mind, despite all the stuff that's been going on in his life and what he's been dealing with," Baker-Finch said. "He's a schmuck - he brought it on himself, we've all talked about it.”

"But when it comes to golf, he's on track. He'll be back as good as you could imagine."

Couples has certainly taken a risk by selecting Woods to the Presidents Cup Team, and some might even say he’s taken an even bigger risk by making Woods play a fall series event prior to his trip over to Australia.  But all Couples can do now is sit back and see how this whole thing plays out.

If Woods crashes and burns at the Frys.com Open, Couples's decision will look quite foolish. 

But if Woods goes out and wins, or at least plays well, Couples will ride off into the sunset with his head held high, which somehow always seems to be the case when it comes to Freddie Cool.

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