Price, speaking at a news conference in Incheon on Wednesday,
said it was difficult to build cohesiveness when players from
different tours on different continents, and who speak different
languages, had only days to prepare together for the biennial event.
Since the Cup was first staged in 1994, the United States have won
eight and tied one of the 10 events.
Price's International team will again have their work cut out to
halt the slide when the event comes to South Korea next year at the
Jack Nicklaus Golf Club from Oct. 8-11.
Price, who has played in the event five times, said he had attempted
to overcome the logistical difficulties as captain ahead of the 2013
event by traveling around the world to meet potential players and
formulate a strategy.
"In 2012 I made a concerted effort to go out and meet all the
players in the 15 months preceding the event and started talking to
them," he said.
"Especially the veterans, Adam Scott, Ernie Els, Jason Day, guys who
had played in multiple Presidents Cups, and asked them what they
felt was lacking. Or what was going to be the best way for us to
motivate the team and get them fired up to play against the
Americans in America."
Price's team for the 2013 Cup at Muirfield Village in Ohio consisted
of players from his home country of Zimbabwe as well as South
Africa, Australia, Argentina, Canada and Japan.
"The unusual thing was that the only time we were all in the same
room together for the first time was on the Monday before the
event," he added.
"But the cohesiveness of that team, and the morale and team spirit
was so evident in that first meeting, they were so keen and had the
mindset that this was going to be the one that we were going to turn
it around."
TRICK UP HIS SLEEVE?
Unfortunately, the International team could not translate that
confidence off the course to success on it, losing for the fifth
straight time.
"What happened over the next five, six days can only be surmised by
saying: 'That's golf.' I don't know how best to explain it. Those
guys played their hearts out, they played their tails off, did
everything they possibly could on the course to stop the Americans
from winning again. But we lost.
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"So it leaves me in a bit of a dilemma as to how to approach the
2015 Presidents Cup," added Price, who won three majors in the early
1990s.
"I think I'm going to do a lot of the same things -- travel and
spend time and have dinners with them. There's a lot of work ahead
of us, coming up with a team that can take on the might of America.
But I have a few tricks up my sleeve this year."
Like Price, U.S. team captain Jay Haas played in the very first
Presidents Cup in 1994 and was a winning assistant captain to Fred
Couples for the last three editions.
"It sure doesn't seem like 20 years has passed since that first
Presidents Cup," he said. "Being here the last couple of days, the
magnitude of the event has hit home."
Haas said playing in the 1994 and 2003 competitions had been some of
the best moments of his career.
"This is about pride, this about country, team, the individual side
is put aside and you are striving to do your best for your team," he
added.
"And that's something on a personal level that's probably been the
greatest gift given to me in my career as a golfer.
"The camaraderie, the sportsmanship... there's no other sport like
it. It brings the world together."
While Haas and Price remained firm friends off the course, the
American said he would be going all out to record yet another win
over the Internationals in 11 months' time.
"I can assure you we will do our best to uncover just what is up
Nick's sleeve, the tricks that he has in store for us," he added.
(Editing by Sudipto Ganguly)
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