Three radical suggestions to improve America’s Ryder Cup chances
You can pin the blame on whoever or whatever you want, but the fact remains the American Ryder Cup team lost its third-straight biennial match against Europe on Sunday in Scotland. That ties the longest American losing streak, matching the stretch from 2002-06 when the Europeans twice beat the U.S. by record, embarrassing 18.5-9.5 counts.
Tom Watson didn’t work, with the complete picture why still to be revealed.
Three captain’s picks didn’t work, as two (Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan) contributed very little to the overall effort.
Something has to change, and it seems toggling the captain and the number of guys he can hand-pick for the team may not be the answer. Let’s try something else. Try on these three suggestions for size.
1. Shorten the qualifying period to just eight months: Americans qualify for the Ryder Cup team over a two-year period, earning points weighted toward events in the second year of the cycle (a smart change made by Paul Azinger). However, this approach still doesn’t identify the hot hands, so to speak. Throw out the two-year cycle and shorten it from Jan. 1 the year of the competition through the end of the PGA Championship. This way, only players who have stood out when it matters most make the team on points.
2. Name a player in his late 30s captain: Until 65-year-old Tom Watson got the call, the PGA of Amerca’s formula for picking Ryder Cup captains sided with modest major winners in their late 40s (Tom Lehman, Davis Love III, Corey Pavin, etc.). The PGA wants guys with an impressive-enough CV that are still somewhat in touch with their younger peers. The PGA has it wrong. Majors don’t matter and don’t decide if a captain will be any good at the job. Ask Paul McGinley, Colin Montgomerie or Bernard Gallacher. Instead, identify a driven, smart player who sees their best days behind them and the opportunity to mastermind a U.S. victory as their career highlight.
3. Let the players pick the captain: The European Tour has this one right. They’ve architected a system whereby the equiavlent of their commissioner and the last three European captains, plus one more player, pick future Ryder Cup leaders. It’s a form of succession planning that carries through in who is named a vice-captain for each team. Rather than ushering in a new administration with each successive American captain, name a cabinet of guys that will work together to get this thing figured out. They can all take turns as ceremonial captain, but this group would ultimately be one unit dedicated to turning the tide.
What would you recommend the U.S. and PGA of America do to make a stronger Ryder Cup team?
Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.
