Something has to change. Heck, if nothing changes the Ryder Cup might not even be worth watching anymore because the U.S. is not competitive. The U.S. has now lost eight of the last ten. That is a whooping of biblical proportions.
As you know by now Phil Mickelson has outlined what he thinks we should do to stem the tide. There are arguments that the timing of Phil’s message was bad, but to that I say hogwash. The American side needs to face up to the challenge. It must accept that it has change its ways in order to start winning. We can no longer show up with an honorary captain who is there because he was a great golfer in his day. We need to think about changing everything.
I have a plan for the U.S. team. I want to make big changes.
First, I propose we hire a Ryder Cup Commissioner. Stop this honorary captain nonsense. Just because you were a pretty good golfer who once won a PGA Championship doesn’t mean you get to be a captain some day. It can certainly be a résumé booster, but it should not be the only requirement for the job as it is now. I want someone who will keep the job for more than the year that the current captain gets and will keep the job until they quit or they are fired just like a normal CEO or Commissioner.
Second, this Commissioner will pick the twelve men that will be on his team. No points system where guys like Bubba Watson who was playing extremely well in April makes the team at a time when he is struggling with his game. Yes, you heard me right: twelve captain’s (or commissioner’s) picks that will be made one week before the event. Now the hottest guys get to play in the event. Guys like Bubba are replaced with guys like Billy Horschel. Players who are playing their best. The points list can still exist. It can be a guide for the commissioner to help make his decision but he is not bound by this list as the captain is now. The biggest benefit of this strategy is that commissioners can target guys who are not only hot, but are good match play golfers. Some golfers are not very good match play players, other such as Ryan Moore do not have great individual records but perform well in match play events.
Putting a person like a CEO who can run the team is closer to how most sports teams are set up. Many of the coaches in the NFL are not former players. Some are, and those who have may have a slight advantage over those that did not, but it is not a prerequisite. The coach stays with the team and finds who he can rely on, study who pairs well together and can operate without the restriction that this will be their only year doing this. Finding a great partner for Tiger only happened with certain guys, this may mean that guys who are on the fringe are picked because they pair well with the best player on the planet.
Lastly if the PGA wanted they could still name a non-playing history figure like Tom Watson to be an honorary captain who could offer advice but not be ultimately responsible for the decisions. This could still keep with the tradition of honoring the great Ryder Cup golfers, but not make guys who are not natural leaders lead our team onto the course. Maybe this honorary captain could pick the outfits for the week?
So who would make for a great Ryder Cup Commissioner? It must be someone strong who is close to the game, strong, and knows how to win. This is a key selection because this person will have this job for at least four years to make sure that there is continuity into the next session. I nominate Chris DiMarco. Yes, he was probably on a short list to be the captain in 2016 but I vote to give him the nomination for the first American Ryder Cup Commissioner. Chris knows the players and has the skills politically to be in a commissioner role. This is an outstanding fit. We can even name Ray Floyd as the honorary captain.
I know what you are saying. The Europeans don’t need a commissioner and they are winning. True, but they are doing more than winning, they are dominating. They are more passionate about the Ryder Cup for whatever reason. They seem to have a system that is more organized than ours and they seem to do a better job breeding captains than we do. I fully expect to see Darren Clarke as the European captain and he will be extremely tough as a captain. Even though the matches are at home (in the U.S.) I fear we are already one down because of Darren Clarke. I think the Europeans will be very happy to let us leave everything just as it is, because they are killing us. In their eyes, the fewer changes we make, the better. Let’s give them some shock and awe.
Something must be done. 2012 was gut wrenching to watch. Losing the lead was a terrible feeling. This year was over after Saturday’s four ball. Yes, the American’s starting making a run early, but the back nine was owned by the Europeans in singles and then ended up winning handily. These have been painful to watch. We need to make a change and a CEO adds accountability as it does to all well run companies.
I think the PGA already made an error by naming a task force too soon. Two weeks have passed … think about it. Let things settle for a month so everyone can get the last RC out of their system.
As to suggestions, they do need a GM of the Ryder Cup who assembles a team of advisors such as former captains, players, etc. who will be part of an evolving team over a number of years (like the Europeans).
I would suggest using the PODs concept of team building, using personality tests to help give valid information in naming sub teams and playing partners. Bonding forms a team.
Insist on player input to the Captain. Certain decisions should be team/player decisions.
And yes, while a points system for qualification may help — it needs to be weighed towards recent play. I’d have potential team players take personality test.
Still, I’d have the GM, Cap and Advisors name the team with valid data — personality and play.
Wouldn’t disagree with much, if any of that, Michael (only possible item would be the continuing Tiger Woods soap opera). You won’t build a team for such time as you fixate on one individual, in the wider scheme of thing, he’s part of the past really in terms of putting together a futures programme. Other than that I’d say you were well ahead of 90% of those offering solutions. I think you could go further still as there is even more scope available, but if the US doesn’t, then you can sure as hell bet Europe will, for although we might lose away from home (as teams should do really) the moment we sense America is upping their game, the moment we’ll innovate too. I think you need to make two simultaneous innovation leaps to get ahead. All that copying Europe will achieve is one leap, which will recover some lost ground, but it also requires Europe to obligingly stand still. Which we won’t do.
At the heart of this is something you’ve alluded to in the article
“They are more passionate about the Ryder Cup for whatever reason”.
The reason(s) aren’t hard to understand, but it tends to require that America takes a long hard and critical look at themselves, and whereas some I’ve spoken to are prepared to do that, it’s apparent that most would rather exist in a state of denial as they don’t really like the answers. Once you start understanding what motivates Europe beyond the natural event itself, and how that can be negated, you’ll start filling in the final pieces. The only high profile American commentator I think I’ve heard alluding to it, is Paul Azinger
What is the Ryder Cup?
It is a social political vacation for professional golfers and their families; and means actually nothing in terms of golf either side of the pond other than Boys talk…
Want to play for a real cup—play the Players from the PGA tour against other tours, no players bouncing back and forth from one tour to another—you represent the Tour you play on not the country you came from..
The US just don’t have the players for now, its really that simple, Zinger whomever as captain could not take McGinley’s team. Davis love was very very unlucky in 2012 so it’s quite unfair to him.
I hope Zinger does get the job.. … talk about pressure !!!
I disagree that the Europeans are “more passionate.” It’s easy to display “passion” and “camaraderie” when you’re winning. The U.S. team showed plenty of passion and camaraderie for 1.5 days in 2012, during most of 2008, and during the last day in 1999.
Can’t see what’s wrong with travelling a squad of 16, training and practising together etc and then selecting your final 12 at the 24 hour stage. That’s what a touring cricket team does, albeit they stay away for 10 weeks at a time, and often in more hostile environments than a Ryder Cup. A World Cup football squad is picked for 30 players, goes into training and prep for about 2-3 weeks, it’s then trimmed to 23 players at the 5 days stage, and ultimately the final 11 that are playing are selected 24 hours before the match. Rugby squads keep a roster of between 30-35 players active when touring, as well as having 5 or 6 on standby who are routinely flown half way round the world (often performing with distinction when they arrive)
What’s the likelihood that golf is the only sport in the world that has the squad/ team dynamics right, and all the other team sports are wrong? Pretty slim I’d have said, so why doesn’t golf adopt one of the most obvious paradigms available to it. Select, travel, and train 16, then select a final 12
OK you might argue that there’s going to be four precious souls sulking. So what? In the first case it will tell you a lot about them as team players if having been included in the squad, they don’t feel able to lend their support to the team because they didn’t make the final cut. It would actually shake out some of these press conference patriots that rely on untested platitudes to articulate their passion. It would be interesting to see how many jumped straight back onto a private jet and disappeared? In truth, the four who did make the cut are likely to have benefited in their development anyway, and especially if they stay within the team environment helping out. Young players will have gone through the preparation process and will hopefully be better equipped to step up the next time, and even that bit more hungry having suffered the agony of missing out. Experienced players who don’t make the cut, who the captain decides might have been destined to play a ‘cup too far’ would be invited into a junior vice captain role and get the chance to manage a little pod (or whatever structure you adopt) with the view to seeing if they distinguish themselves as a future captain.
In any event, had you picked a squad instead of a team, there’s a fair chance that Brandt Snedeker, Chris Kirk, Billy Horschel and Ryan Palmer would have been at Gleneagles and available to you
I think if the USA wants to win then they need to have some tournaments that allow for players to prove they can play match play.
How about Thursday and Friday are Matchplay and the winners go through to the weekend?
I think there needs to be some serious changes with the USA Ryder Cup team. These players are not working…Lets shake it up!!! I just found a page with a petition for John Daly to be captain. Help me shake it up and get some new leadership http://www.jdforrydercupcaptain.com
Ryder Cup one year and President’s Cup following year is eroding the USA players’ desire. They cannot muster the required level or sense of urgency with these “prestigious” exhibitions.
Ditch the President’s Cup and have only the bi-annual Ryder Cup.
But, add the Internationals to the Ryder Cup competition. The first competition will feature the USA vs Europe. The winners will meet the Internationals in year 2. Thereafter, the losers sit out a year and the rotation continues.
This will create a worldwide sensation and the Ryder Cup will again have merit.