As the 2023 Ryder Cup draws near, the teams for the competition are steadily shaping up. Luke Donald’s Team Europe will be hosting Zach Johnson’s Team USA at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club near Rome from September 29 – October 1 later this year.

Earlier, Johnson had appointed three seasoned pros as vice captains for Team USA. On Wednesday, another legend of the game was added to the roster, stirring diverse reactions from fans.

Fans react as Fred Couples gets appointed as Team USA’s vice-captain

Only a handful of golfers have a career as illustrious as that of Fred Couples. The former World No. 1 has over 60 professional tournament wins, which include the 1992 Masters win. Just last month, Couples also made history after he became the oldest person to make the cut at the Augusta National.

Now, the 63-year-old has achieved another sensational feat as Zach Johnson appointed him as the fourth vice captain of Team USA for the 2023 Ryder Cup. The captain is clearly on the lookout for leadership and experience, as he earlier named golfers Steve Stricker, Davis Love III, and Jim Furyk as the team’s vice-captains.

Couples’ appointment has greatly delighted his fans, with one saying, “Smooth Freddie is an awesome choice… well deserved and earned. And I’m Canadian!“. “Great choice,” voiced another Instagram user.

“He’s way overdue to be THE Captain. Please make this happen in ‘25,” wrote a fan. The 15-time PGA Tour winner had previously served as vice captain in 2012 and 2020. He has also played in the Ryder Cup five times between 1989 and 1997. “Freddie’s the man should have been captain,” read another comment.

Read More: ‘Excited to Help’: PGA Tour Legend Expresses His Delight As Zach Johnson Announces 2023 Ryder Cup’s Team USA’s Vice Captain

“I think we (Europe) are screwed. But it’s all good, it’s only golf no?” commented one Team Europe supporter.

But it seems like the announcement hasn’t sat well with all the golf enthusiasts, with one writing, “Great, we’ll get to hear more of his ignorant comments about the LIV guys. Dude needs to take a hard look in the mirror.” In the past, Couples has spoken out against golfers who have defected to the Saudi-backed LIV Golf. However, as Johnson shared last month, LIV pros may still be part of Team USA down the road.

Team USA Ryder Cup captain speaks out about LIV’s fate

The 44th edition of the Ryder Cup is just a few months away from kicking off in Italy. Despite good outings at last month’s Masters and LIV tournaments, little is known about whether LIV players will get to appear in the showpiece event.

However, a sliver of hope came in the form of Team USA captain Zach Johnson last month. Ahead of the Zurich Classic, the 47-year-old had said, “There’s still a lot of time left in that regard, and so many fluid factors involved.” This means that the likes of Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, and Patrick Reed aren’t out of contention just yet.

The Ryder Cup teams will have six players who qualify through a points system and six more who will be picked at the discretion of the team captains.

Watch This Story: ‘The Greatest Player I’ve Ever Seen’: After Having Played With Both Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus, Veteran Icon Fred Couples Gives a Subtle Nod to His Goat

What do you think of Fred Couples’ appointment as Team USA vice captain? Let us know in the comments!