Sluman chooses pairings for bed-ridden Nicklaus

JEFF SLUMAN found out quickly that being the assistant captain for the US team at the Presidents Cup was hardly an honorary position.

Sluman, the former PGA champion who has never played in a Ryder Cup or a Presidents Cup, was in charge of the opening-round pairings Wednesday, while Jack Nicklaus was confined to his bed with flu-like symptoms.

"Jack looked at me at 3:30pm and said, 'I trust your judgement. You know what you're doing, you know the players'," Sluman said.

Matching the American players was not a problem.

Sluman said the teams have been set for weeks, and all he had to do was put them in order against the international team.

Davis Love III, who has played on every US cup team since 1993, offered to come along for support.

Nicklaus came out to the Links Course at Fancourt briefly during the final day of practice, standing weekly on the 10th tee as his final four players came through.

He said the illness was probably from something he ate at the team barbecue.

Instead of a blind draw, captains in the Presidents Cup make one selection at a time, giving the captain a chance to match up the teams.

The United States had the first pick.

The only instruction Nicklaus left for Sluman was to defer to the international team.

"At least I got one thing right," Sluman said.