North Myrtle Beach, S.C. (AP) -
For Immediate Release - January 21, 2009
The Committee announced that Alex Yates and Buck Williams will lead opposing teams in the 2009 Pineapple Cup. The match up pits two longtime rivals and former teammates against one another. Additionally, it pairs two contrasting styles of play and management: ice water versus fire!
Yates is a thinker, a plotter and a strategist. Yates has a bit more Pineapple Cup captaincy experience than Williams. Living with Tucker during 2008, Yates saw up close the pressure and torment the captaincy brings to bear upon a losing effort. Whether Yates will draw upon this experience remains to be seen. One experience upon which Yates will likely draw is his 2007 campaign, in which he won the Pineapple Cup by wearing down the other opponents. In fact, after his 2007 triumph, Yates gave the Pineapple Cup its current form by attaching it (and breaking it) to a block of wood. Truly genius! Indeed, Yates is known for his ability to wear opponents down over the course of a round with his machine-like ball striking. He used this consistency to dominate several matches in 2007 and to build large leads in 2008. However, in 2008, his Achilles turned out to be his ability to close matches against a surging opponent. Expect Yates to be a quiet, constant leader.
On more than one occasion, that surging opponent in 2008 was Buck Williams. Buck is fiery and plays with his heart on his sleeve. Williams' forte is the short game, reported to be deadly with the putter in his hands. He's been called the "best green reader in the land." Additionally, Williams' fire for competitive golf is almost unmatched. As an example of that fire, most remember Buck's divot on the 17th green on Sunday. Despite this unfortunate episode, most people would agree that Williams is a modern day renaissance man. He was quick to show gourmet cooking skills during the 2008 Pineapple Cup. Also, he frequently takes time off from divinity school to host golf camps for Atlanta youth. As a captain in 2009, success for Williams may depend on whether he can manage his temper and fire in a way that produces positive results. Williams has had success molding the fire into successful results on past occasions. At some point in 2004, Williams harnessed the fire during a 48-hour poker binge and won a handsome sum of money. He parlayed his winnings by successfully investing in rare wines. Accordingly, expect Williams to exude a more upfront, loud leadership style.
Interestingly, the long time rivals have squared off against one another on several occasions. In 2007, Yates defeated Williams handily on Sunday. However, 2008 was a watershed year for the two captains. The captains played each other three out of a total of four matches over the weekend. In each of the matches on Friday, Williams roared back to either win or tie the matches. More importantly, during Sunday Singles, Williams whooped his old foe when Yates was trying to clinch the Cup for his teammates. Yates has intentionally distanced himself from that day. However, make no mistake about it, Yates will have to deal with old memories during the entire 2009 weekend, and especially during the captains' match on the final day of the cup in 2009. How he responds to the challenge will tell us a great deal about him.
