Couples: Task force won’t solve Ryder Cup woes
Fred Couples says the PGA’s newly-formed task force won’t solve all of the Americans’ Ryder Cup woes.
The PGA hastily arranged the 11-member group after a third straight defeat to Europe in September, with Phil Mickelson publicly criticising Tom Watson’s captaincy methods at Gleneagles in an extraordinary outburst at their final team press conference.
However Couples, who captained the US’ Presidents Cup team to victories in 2009, 2011 and 2013, feels the PGA could be over-thinking the problem.
Phil Mickelson criticised captain Tom Watson’s strategy in the US team’s press-conference after the award ceremony © Getty Images
“I don’t think anyone should panic,” Couples told reporters at the Champions Tour season finale in Arizona on Wednesday. “I don’t think we need a task force. I don’t think we need the PGA of America straining about this.
“What I really think they need is to get players that have been on a lot of these teams to get a feel for what kind of captain they need.”
Following America’s 16.5-11.5 defeat, Couples’ name has been mentioned as a potential captain for Hazeltine given his success in the Presidents Cup.
Couples, the 1992 Masters champion, played in five Ryder Cups and has a 7-9-4 record, including 1-5-1 in foursomes where the Americans lost 7-1 at Gleneagles in 2014.
He was also a vice-captain for the US team at the 2012 Ryder Cup, when they suffered a catastrophic meltdown having led 10-6 going into the Sunday singles, as Europe pulled off the ‘Miracle at Medinah’.
Questioned on his views about what it would take to be a successful Ryder Cup captain, Couples appeared to throw his hat into the ring.
“Anyone would love to be the Ryder Cup captain. I particularly don’t think it’s really that hard to do, I really don’t,” he said.
“I keep hearing it’s a two-year process. Well, what would I do right now? I don’t even know who’s going to be on the Presidents Cup team, let alone the Ryder Cup team. So I could go have dinner with Rickie Fowler for two straight years and tell him everything, and then he might not make it.
“So I think it’s all – it’s just a little bit much. We need a little more fun and that comes with winning.”
Couples also questioned Watson’s decision to leave five-time major winner and Ryder Cup stalwart Mickelson out for both Saturday sessions at Gleneagles.
“I know one thing, I will play Phil Mickelson on Saturday of the next Ryder Cup if he’s on the team,” Couples told reporters. “That was the only thing I could see that maybe you could say that Tom, something happened there.
“Because we lost three and a half to a half [in the foursomes session], and I guarantee you it was because Phil wasn’t out there playing. I guarantee it.”
© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
Feeds: ESPN staff
This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service – if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.
