Presidents Cup: Spieth announced as USA captain's pick

Presidents Cup: Spieth announced as USA captain's pick

Fred Couples and Nick Price have announced their respective USA and International wildcard picks for next month's Presidents Cup at Muirfield village in Ohio.

Couples selected 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and 2012 US Open champion Webb Simpson as his two selections.

Price, meanwhile, opted for two debutants in Zimbabwean Brendon de Jonge and Australian Marc Leishman.

Couples was expected to choose Simpson, but the pre-selection debate centred on whether he would go for youth in the form of Spieth, or experience in the shape of seven-time Presidents Cup stalwart Jim Furyk.

"To pick Jordan was the right move and he is having an incredible year. He is one of our top players, even though he is 20. I'm excited to have a young kid on the team," Couples told Golf Channel.

On Furyk, he added: "I told him last night that he wasn't on the team through a text and would talk to him today because I just couldn't handle it, to be honest with you."

International captain Price admitted he was torn between de Jonge, Leishman and diminutive South African Tim Clark.

"Yesterday was probably one of the toughest days of my life. I had it down to three guys, and to try and separate them and only pick two was an exceptionally difficult task."

The teams for the President Cup, which takes place at Muirfield Village from October 3-6:

USA: Tiger Woods, Brandt Snedeker, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Keegan Bradley, Jason Dufner, Steve Stricker, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, Zach Johnson, Webb Simpson and Jordan Spieth. International: Adam Scott, Charl Schwartzel, Jason Day, Ernie Els, Louis Oosthuizen, Hideki Matsuyama, Branden Grace, Graham DeLaet, Richard Sterne, Angel Cabrera, Brendon de Jonge, Marc Leishman.