Charlotte, NC - Only hours after the conclusion of the 2009 Pineapple Cup draft, Captain Yates announced that teammate Stephen Riddick will take on the role of Assistant Playing Captain for the team and Commander of Team Yates’ Satellite Training Facility/Forward Operating Base in Atlanta. In a well attending press conference, Captain Yates commented,
“Stephen’s leadership and experience leading a team to victory last year is an invaluable resource to our team and something that I wanted to formalize. I have asked that he help me with logistics, coordinating events and providing on-course reporting. Most importantly, however, is he will act as mentor to our 4 rookies and help usher them through the pressures of their first Pineapple Cup.
I am delighted to have not only the only winning captain in Pineapple Cup history on our team, but also to have him serve in a leadership position on our team. I can think of no one better to fill this position.”
Stephen Riddick was equally excited about the challenge,
“It is an honor, and with great pleasure, that I formally accept Captain Yates' offer to serve as his Assistant Captain. I'm humbled, yet also confident that our shared leadership values will propel this team to greatness. I will obviously always defer to the Mr. Yates' judgment, but I truly believe that my experience as winning captain in 2008 can provide valuable insight and leadership into the rigors of winning a Pineapple Cup.
I appreciate the way that Captain Yates was not distracted by the fanfare surrounding the opposing camp's draft, but quietly and methodically built this dominant team. I share a very similar leadership style and am truly excited to work alongside two former Pineapple Cup Champions who approach the Cup in the same light. I believe this combination of experience (all former champions) and rookie naivety; strokes and scratch golfers; and quiet, but deeply competitive participants will come together to form a dominant squad. It's an honor to be a part of it.”