Nicklaus and Player named 2005 Presidents Cup captains
BY iseekgolf.com | US PGA Tour | 2005 The Presidents Cup | General | 04 May 2004
The PGA TOUR recently announced via a teleconference that Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player will return as Captains of the United States and International Teams, respectively, for The Presidents Cup in 2005.
The biennial international team match-play competition will return to the United States for the fourth time when the event is held September 19-25, 2005 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club on Lake Manassas in Prince William County, Virginia.
Following are highlights from the teleconference:
Jack Nicklaus on impact of the 2003 Presidents Cup
“I think it was the most exciting and rewarding event that I have ever been involved with in the game of golf. I won a lot of golf tournaments, but I’ve never had one that I enjoyed more and enjoyed being a part of for what it did for the game of golf, what it did for South Africa and in general bringing the golfers of the world together. It was sensational.”
Gary Player on what the 2003 Presidents Cup meant to him
“I think one measures golf by different yard sticks, and sometimes you can say winning golf tournaments, or whatever category you want to put classify the game as, but what happened in South Africa was something that I will never forget in my life. I put it as one of my three greatest moments in my career as a golfer.”
Tim Finchem on the teams sharing The Presidents Cup in case of a tie
“The reaction that we got after the matches was very, very positive. Fifty years from now I think it will be good when people look back and say ’how did this come about?’ and everybody will still talk about what happened at Fancourt as the beginning of that particular tradition. It’s a great piece of history for future discussions on the history of the matches.”
Jack Nicklaus on the spirit on display at The Presidents Cup
“I think that the spirit in which the matches were played last time, and the outcome, was exactly the way it should have been. There should not have been a loser, and there wasn’t. That was great. The name of the game is international goodwill and competition, and we’ll do our best to try to bring the best of both to our teams.”
Gary Player on the impact the 2003 Presidents Cup had on South Africa
“The whole thing that took place in South Africa, besides the golf, was something that for our country, being young in the international arena, was vitally important. It was far more important than the golf.”
Source – The Presidents Cup
