Fred Couples definitely wants Tiger Woods for Presidents Cup

There was some good-natured ribbing between Tiger Woods and Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples recently after Couples sent Woods a text message congratulating him on his dramatic victory at Arnie’s Invitational at Bay Hill.

According to Couples, Woods’ response was that his one-stroke win got him a lot of Ryder Cup points. No doubt, that was tongue-in-cheek on a couple different levels, one of which was talk last year that the victorious U.S. squad might have been better off without Woods, who couldn’t play because of knee surgery after the U.S. Open.

Couples, of course, doesn’t buy into that theory, but he did remind Woods that this isn’t a Ryder Cup year. “It’s the Presidents Cup year,” Couples told him via text.

“I know, I know what year it is,” Woods responded, according to Couples.

Also according to Couples, who Wednesday played a practice round with opposing captain Greg Norman at the Shell Houston Open at Redstone Golf Club, Woods replied: “Do you want me on your team? My knee can be bad that week. You guys won the Ryder Cup (without me).”

Given that Norman will have some pretty good firepower of his own ? countrymen like Adam Scott and Geoff Ogilvy, for example ? Couples is certainly hoping Woods will be ready to go Oct. 6-12 at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco.

“It’s all fun stuff, but I need him on the team,” Couples said.