By Brian Wacker, PGAOTUR.COM

BETHESDA, Md. — Davis Love III confirmed on Wednesday perhaps the worst-kept secret in golf: That Fred Couples will be one of his assistant captains at the Ryder Cup Sept. 28-30 at Medinah Country Club.

Joining Couples as an assistant is Mike Hulbert.

“I’ve talked to Fred a lot since he’s done so well the last couple years with the Presidents Cup team,” said Love, who has yet to name his other assistants. “I talked to him a lot, gotten a lot of advice from him, been surprised at his level of detail and his commitment to the Presidents Cup. And I know that’s why the guys are lobbying for him to do it over and over again, because he really has put a lot into it.”

Couples has captained the last two Presidents Cup teams — and is the captain for 2013, too — and led the U.S. to victory both times.

“People see Freddie, he makes it look so easy and he’s got this nice swing and he’s always smiling and waving,” Love continued. “But what’s going on in his head, I think, is completely different. He really has a lot of pride in his game. It doesn’t show, but he tries very, very hard.”

As for Hulbert, he came with a pretty impressive recommendation of sorts.

One of the first calls Love received after he was named captain was from Curtis Strange, who told love that Hulbert was “the best assistant captain in the history of the Ryder Cup.”

Hulbert was an assistant captain under Strange in 2002. He has also long been one of Love’s closest friends, even before Love played his first round on the PGA TOUR as an amateur and was paired with Hulbert.

“He knows a lot of guys out here and a lot of guys know him,” Love said. “He’s one of those kind of the favorite hang guys around the TOUR.”

As for Couples’ other two assistants?

”Those two were my natural choices,” Love said. “My next two are going to be harder.”