Pavin & Roberts committed to Ryder Cup role

In 1995, Corey Pavin and Loren Roberts were teammates on a U.S. Ryder Cup Team that incurred a disappointing one-point defeat to Europe at Oak Hill Country Club in Rochester, N.Y.

Pavin and Roberts will team again in Ryder Cup competition, but this time behind the gallery ropes supporting a U.S. Team led by Captain Tom Lehman. The 36th Ryder Cup Matches will be conducted Sept. 22-24, 2006, at The K Club in Straffan, County Kildare, Ireland. The Matches will be the first conducted in Ireland, and Lehman's charges will bid to become the first American team since 1993 to win in Europe.

"It's a great honor to be selected to help Tom," said Roberts, who with Pavin competed in last week's Sony Open in Hawaii. "Probably the best thing that ever happened to me in golf was being a member of the '95 Ryder Cup Team. This is a close second. I just feel so honored and I'm looking forward to being out there and experiencing it.

"We haven't really talked a whole lot yet about my duties. There have been a few preliminary ideas thrown out there, but I'm just there to do whatever he needs me to do," he added. "Whatever he asks, I'm ready to help the team. We talked a little bit about it, but it still caught me off guard a little. I didn't even tell my wife yet because I really didn't know what was going to happen. Obviously, I couldn't be happier about it. We've been friends a long time, and I think Tom has some faith in me and the things I can bring to the team. He knows that Corey and I will be totally honest when it comes to expressing ourselves."

Pavin earned a team-high four points in five matches during the 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 defeat at Oak Hill.

"I think Tom is going to be a great captain and I just want to be there in support of him and do whatever he asks me to do," said Pavin. "Hopefully I can bring something to the table that is going to make a difference for us and help the team. I want to be useful to Tom and to the team. We're all good friends and I think that's helpful. We haven't talked a lot yet about any kind of particular assignments. One day soon I'm sure we will; it's still a long ways away.

"We're such good friends that we can say whatever we want to each other and speak our minds and we're not going to offend one another. Whatever we say is going to be constructive. There was no hesitation on my part. I'm just glad to be a part of the Ryder Cup. It will be interesting to see how it is on the other side of the ropes and I'm looking forward to it."

Pavin admitted that he hopes the assistant captain's role will be invaluable to him in later years.

"Hopefully, down the road, I'll be considered for the captaincy," he said. "I know I would love to do it. If I should end up one day being selected, then the experience of an assistant captain is going to help. I should be able to learn a lot about that side of the deal."

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