Couples, Price name assistants for 2013 Prez Cup

• By Golf Channel Digital
• Oct 2, 2012 1:35 PM ET

Marking the one-year countdown to the 2013 Presidents Cup, U.S. captain Fred Couples and International captain Nick Price on Tuesday named their assistants for next year’s matches at Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio.

Couples said that Haas will serve a third term (2009, ’11) as one of his assistant captains, and additional announcement will be made in a few months. (Couples has also asked Michael Jordan and Jack Nicklaus to be assistants, The Associated Press reported.) This is the first time that each captain can name three official assistants.

Price, meanwhile, will turn to Shigeki Maruyama, Mark McNulty and Tony Johnstone.

The event will be held on Oct. 3-6, 2013. The United States has won seven of the past nine competitions.

Said Couples, “Jay has really been my right-hand man these past two Presidents Cups, and I know I couldn't do my job as captain without him. Jay has been one of my closest friends for many years. I rely on his leadership qualities, organizational skills and ability to help bring the team together to play their best, but also have a great time in the process. I’m really looking forward to next year’s event, and I know Jay feels the same way, as we look to make it 3-0 for the U.S. team.”

“Choosing my three captain's assistants was really very easy for me,” Price said in a release. “I grew up playing golf back home with Tony Johnstone and Mark McNulty. The three of us have enjoyed a friendship and rivalry that has lasted more than 40 years, and having played on many teams together during that time, they were an obvious choice for me.

“They bring an incredible amount of match-play experience and knowledge to this team, and I know they are as excited as I am to be a part of the Presidents Cup again. Maruyama was an inspiration to all of us in every Presidents Cup team he played on. His enthusiasm, dogged competiveness and incredible team spirit are things I will never forget. He has a wonderful sense of humor, is always quick to smile and I am so looking forward to having him as a captain’s assistant. His presence and confidence are going to be a huge asset for our team.”