Shark: "Wasn't any premeditation by" Tiger-Stevie Pairing; "Had to be done"

The Presidents Cup Thursday foursomes pairing presser (groupings here) opened with the Battleship style draft and quickly snowballed into a comical Congressional testimony session where the Captain's wheeled out some whopping fibs before the probing questions even started!

Let's pick things up with five pairings out of six set.

JAY HAAS:  Who is left?  (Laughter).

    FRED COUPLES:  We'll go Tiger and Stricker.

    GREG NORMAN:  And obviously Adam Scott and K.J. Choi.

    FRED COUPLES:  Nice work.

So there we have it, the much anticipated Tiger-Stevie reunion and miracle of all miracles, in the final slot! Praise the Golfing Gods for such a fortuitous pairing.

Norman then said a few words about his wonderful team, its balance and how he came about his pairings.

I'm going to make a comment about the last pairing.  I think it's great for the tournament, No. 1. 

Really, stop now while you're ahead Shark!

It needed to be done.  It played out the way it played out.  There wasn't any premeditation by it. 

Yes, and you really are a reincarnated Great White Shark.

Funny, but the shock and surprise of this not-premeditated pairing failed to stop Norman from sharing his premeditated reflections...

I think at the end of the day, the guys in that last group will be the consummate professionals and go out and play the game of golf representing their International Team and the U.S. Team the way they should do.

I think the spirit of the competition, it is what it is; it's extremely high.  There's a lot of good intensity going on between all of the players on both teams.  I'm looking forward to it.  The alternate‑shot is the real true test of your moxy when you go out there with your playing partner, and we are going to have some fun watching the game of golf tomorrow.

Then Captain Couples joined in on the trench digging...

FRED COUPLES:  Yes, I think Greg hit it right on the button.  We did not plan anything.  But I think it worked out awesome for everybody involved to have Adam and Tiger play.  As we said all along, they are still very good friends, and I think it's an exciting match.

And the Japanese didn't plan to invade Pearl Harbor.

Q.  A couple of questions, one for Greg.  You indicated that "it had to be done."  Can you elaborate on what you meant by "it had to be done?"  And you both said it wasn't premeditated, the last pairing, but yet most of us would say that would almost be impossible.  Did you talk to your players ahead of time with the possibility that Adam would play against Tiger and Freddie, that Tiger would play against Adam?

GREG NORMAN:  Well, I didn't talk to my players.  I talked to Adam.  Obviously as a captain, because you don't know how the pairings will play out.  I will say that it is not premeditated.  I have never had a coverings with Freddie or with John or with Jay about it.

And just a sentence later....

We talked about it as the three of us to say, okay, if we had to diffuse anything and just get this thing over and done with, wouldn't you rather have it sooner than later.  Because I personally wouldn't have wanted to be sitting down at the singles and everybody is playing a really tight match and it comes down to the last group or the second to last group, and all of this pressure is coming on because it's the first time the two met.

Your honor, could I have a word with my client?

I am in complete agreement with Freddie.  Adam and Tiger are good friends.  It's got nothing to do with Adam and Tiger, and at the end of the day, the atmosphere that will exist walking to the first tee will be exactly the same it would be if none of this took place in the past week.

So, you know, from The Presidents Cup standpoint, I think it's the best move that it played out this way.

Just amazing how he had time to reflect on something that wasn't premeditated!

Couples, meanwhile, dug the hole a little deeper.

You know, there's more to this thing than where you slot the players.  Like Greg said, and we were right here, we were writing down cards and it's just the way it felt, and I think it would be worse if we hid this deal.

So I'll end it with that, because I could easily never pair Tiger and Adam together. 

But you weren't thinking or talking about it in advance.