Perfect Storm Sinks USA Ryder Cup 2014 Team. A lot of blame is going around in “how to” fix the US Ryder Cup Team, but the truth is they ran into a perfect storm that no other team could weather.
PGA decides to shake things up with an “Old School” Captain. Three of the top nine players didn’t play or make the USA team. Dustin Johnson, Jason Duffner, and Tiger Woods. Selection of the three Captain’s picks on the team was before the end of the FedEx Cup and didn’t get the hottest players. Euros were a better team with the number one and three players in the world, they were playing on home soil, and threw 110 under par at the Americans!
“Old School” Tom Watson simply thought he had 12 guys on his team that should be able to perform when they were called upon, and with whom Watson had chosen for them to play with, without anyone second guessing his command and decisions. Watson stated after the Ryder Cup that he was proud of his team and they were beaten by a team that played better golf. 110 under par to 78 under par. However, there did appear to be a lack of communication and players starting to question Captain Watson’s decision making. When Spieth and Reed trounced their opponents Friday morning, and were more rambunctious than two five year olds, didn’t they play their way into the afternoon foursomes? If Phil Mickelson told Watson that he was tired and didn’t want to play Saturday morning, why didn’t Watson tell him then, that it was play Saturday morning or possibly sit out the day? The tide turned Saturday afternoon and swept the Americans all the way back to the Jersey Shore.
There hasn’t been a lot of mention this past week about Dustin Johnson and Jason Duffner, remember those two, but it certainly didn’t help the USA team’s chances when they eliminated themselves from making the team. Throw in former world number one Tiger Woods being hurt and sidelined most of the year and it was three strikes against the USA Team before they crossed the Atlantic.
So what’s the answer for the USA team going forward?
Select the three captain’s picks after the FedEx Cup. If that was the case do you think Watson would have picked the same three guys? Bring back Azinger and the POD system and mentor several assistant coaches to the program that will be future Ryder Cup Captains. Azinger tweeted, “I can’t rule that out.” Have better communication and get the players involved in the decision making process including who the captain will be and who his captain’s picks will be. Have to get better at foursomes so have the team play matches that mean something before the Ryder Cup. The PGA Tour used to have a team event in December. The Americans simply need to play better and get the job done. 110 under would have been a hard score for any prior USA team to beat that has ever been assembled in the Ryder Cup.