Handicapping the contenders to be 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup captain
Tom Watson didn’t get the job done. The Americans lost their third-consecutive Ryder Cup on Sunday in Scotland, and the defeat had many fans, including PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner and FedEx Cup champion Billy Horschel, demanding 2008 captain Paul Azinger get the job again.
Azinger was the last man to guide the U.S. to a Ryder Cup win, using what he termed the Pod system to group players, build camaraderie and make matchups that ultimately took down the Nick Faldo-led European side after consecutive 18.5-9.5 embarrassments in ’04 and ’06.
While Azinger would probably do a splendid, if not successful, job in the role again, there are others patiently waiting in line to captain the sinking American ship. Without making another Titanic reference, let’s assess the other contenders.
Steve Stricker: When Tom Watson named the Wisconsin native as an assistant captain, it originally seemed maybe Watson was extending an olive branch to Tiger Woods by putting his good buddy (and occasional putting coach) on the team in a non-playing capacity. However, maybe Watson saw something in Stricker that suggested he might make a great captain sooner than later.
David Toms: Before Tom Watson was revealed as 2014 captain, the conventional wisdom had the 2001 PGA champion slotted for the job sooner than later. Watson may have delayed that opportunity by two years, maybe four. Toms should get his day, but desperate times call for desperate measures. The LSU product wouldn’t be drastic enough of a change to spur much reaction from fans or Toms’ peers.
Fred Couples: Boom-Boom wouldn’t be a shocking pick in one regard: He’s guided the U.S. to three consecutive victories in the Presidents Cup. His tenure was a complete success, and the players love to play for him. However, the Presidents Cup is the PGA Tour’s event, and, while the PGA Tour and PGA of America are getting along better than ever, a cross-pollinating captain seems unlikely.
Larry Nelson: Nelson is a three-time major champion and has been snubbed for the captain’s job for two decades. However, the failure of the Watson experiment makes it all the tougher to see the PGA of America finally giving Nelson, who went 5-0-0 in the 1979 Ryder Cup, his due.
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
