The scores and rankings may not justify it, but Fred Couples added Tiger Woods to the 12-member Presidents Cup team anyway.

For a week now, there has been much debate about whether or not Couples should add the struggling Woods to the team with one of his two picks for captain. The world’s former No.1 golfer is currently ranked 28th on the Presidents Cup list and only the top 10 players are automatic invites.

But Couples decided to take the guessing and debating out of it by appointing Woods now.

“I’ve told him that he’s going to be on the team,” Couples told the Associated Press Thursday. “There is no reason for me to wait till Sept. 26 to pick Tiger. He’s the best player in the world forever.”

The problem is that Woods hasn’t exactly played like he is in a couple of years. The former "world’s greatest golfer" struggled in his two tournament appearances this summer following a three-month injury layoff. Woods finished 37th at the Bridgestone Invitational earlier this month and then didn’t make the cut during the PGA Championship the following week to end his 2011 season.

The Presidents Cup team will face a team of non-European International players at Royal Melbourne in Australia Nov. 14-20.

“Is he playing well right now? No. [But] he almost won [the Masters] four months ago so you don’t do that by playing poor golf,” Couples said. “In my opinion, when you’re the best player in the world for 12 straight years and you’re not on a team, there’s something wrong.

“Everyone else can have their opinion, but as far as I know Jay Haas and myself are the captains and we want him on this team.”

Contact Terrance Harris at terrancefharris@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter @Terranceharris

(Photo: AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)