Tour News

5 Reasons: Should Davis Love be the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup captain?

Published

11 years ago

Feb 17, 2015

[quote_box_center]“It’s premature to discuss the 2016 Ryder Cup captaincy. We’re not prepared to comment at this time.”[/quote_box_center]

So said the PGA of America in a statement yesterday.

Premature? Heck, we’re only 588 days away from the beginning of the 2016 Ryder Cup! Next thing you know, they’ll be telling us that the final week of the regular season is too soon to talk about our team’s upcoming draft picks.

But really, everyone else is weighing in, so why not join the chorus?

Here are a quick five reasons Davis Love should be the 2016 Ryder Cup captain — as well as five reasons he shouldn’t.

Should

It doesn’t really matter who the captain is.
As Golf Digest’s Dave Shedloski tweeted: “@Love3d to return as Ryder Cup capt. in ’16. Why? Were it not for Rose and Poulter putting shenanigans, US would have won in ’12 easily.”
He played in six Ryder Cups, most recently in 2004. Experience is good. Recent experience? Even better. Tom Watson hadn’t played in a Ryder Cup since 1989 and hadn’t captained a team since 1993.
He still routinely plays on the PGA Tour and thus has a player-player relationship with the squad, having just turned 50. If camaraderie is key, this should go a long way.
He played ball as part of the Ryder Cup Task Force and has been part of the selection process from the beginning. He’s the result of the new selection process. If you trust the Task Force, then you have to trust that it selected the best available candidate.

Shouldn’t

The Telegraph’s James Corrigan: “This will be all about Davis Love and the exorcising of his Chicago Ghosts. And so, a character who does not even get to hit a ball will command the spotlight. They never learn, do they?”
He was on the task force… isn’t it weird that he had a hand in recommending himself?
He’s not Fred Couples.
He’s not Paul Azinger.
He wasn’t particularly good in the Ryder Cup and certainly doesn’t have the critical areas of Foursome and Fourballs mastered (he’s 3-5-1 and 3-6-2 respectively).

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Ben Alberstadt

Ben Alberstadt is the Editor-in-Chief at GolfWRX, where he’s led editorial direction and gear coverage since 2018. He first joined the site as a freelance writer in 2012 after years spent working in pro shops and bag rooms at both public and private golf courses, experiences that laid the foundation for his deep knowledge of equipment and all facets of this maddening game. Based in Philadelphia, Ben’s byline has also appeared on PGATour.com, Bleacher Report...and across numerous PGA DFS and fantasy golf platforms. Off the course, Ben is a committed cat rescuer and, of course, a passionate Philadelphia sports fan. Follow him on Instagram @benalberstadt.

33 Comments

HKVP9

Feb 20, 2015 at 1:08 pm

This guy has it completely right! These guys are far too individualistic to be competitive in the Ryder Cup or any team oriented competition. Arrogant, self centered, egotistical, non-competitors only interested in a check and not winning one for the country. Nothing more than mass produced plain vanilla wrapper club swingers.

leftright Feb 19, 2015 at 10:34 pm
Davis is a good guy and about as exciting a watching grass grow, watching the WNBA, watching paint dry, watching the LPGA on Sunday, walking leisurely to stretch a sore knee, etc. The US golfers are in the same mode as the whole country, the air has been let out of the ball, the sail has no wind. The US has been so marginalized politically and in sports, Americans (some) are now believing it. These guys have no guts, they are metrosexuals, they all look alike, talk alike, dress alike, swing alike, have the same looking wives, live in the same neighborhoods, see the same shrink, use one of 3-4 teachers. They are boring. I haven’t watched a golf tournament since last April and won’t watch another until April. Society has robotized everything, it welcomes insanity because everything else is boring, not news worthy or exciting. I don’t like that either and half the guys in the NBA and NFL would be occupying our state penitentiaries if they weren’t employed as athletes and that still doesn’t work for some of the bigger idiots out there. The coach doesn’t play, it is quite simple…take less strokes than your competitor. I wish I could coach them, give me a closed room and some promises and handshakes and they will be scared to lose. No one is scared to fail anymore. Second place is not so bad. Where are all the competitors, certainly not on the PGA tour. They all need to do a self evaluation and stop just playing along. Get mean and in your face. The Europeans are stronger competitors currently. Maybe if we could get some military guys out there to show them real hurt, they might get it.

Reply Report comment
leftright

Feb 19, 2015 at 10:34 pm

Davis is a good guy and about as exciting a watching grass grow, watching the WNBA, watching paint dry, watching the LPGA on Sunday, walking leisurely to stretch a sore knee, etc. The US golfers are in the same mode as the whole country, the air has been let out of the ball, the sail has no wind. The US has been so marginalized politically and in sports, Americans (some) are now believing it. These guys have no guts, they are metrosexuals, they all look alike, talk alike, dress alike, swing alike, have the same looking wives, live in the same neighborhoods, see the same shrink, use one of 3-4 teachers. They are boring. I haven’t watched a golf tournament since last April and won’t watch another until April. Society has robotized everything, it welcomes insanity because everything else is boring, not news worthy or exciting. I don’t like that either and half the guys in the NBA and NFL would be occupying our state penitentiaries if they weren’t employed as athletes and that still doesn’t work for some of the bigger idiots out there. The coach doesn’t play, it is quite simple…take less strokes than your competitor. I wish I could coach them, give me a closed room and some promises and handshakes and they will be scared to lose. No one is scared to fail anymore. Second place is not so bad. Where are all the competitors, certainly not on the PGA tour. They all need to do a self evaluation and stop just playing along. Get mean and in your face. The Europeans are stronger competitors currently. Maybe if we could get some military guys out there to show them real hurt, they might get it.

Reply Report comment
Tom

Feb 19, 2015 at 4:13 pm

boy, they stunk this up. DLIII is not going to get people interested in the RC. Azinger? Yup…

Reply Report comment
geoga

Feb 19, 2015 at 1:20 pm

hahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!! What a joke this RC has turned out to be. The “good ole boys” win again. Nothing changes and nothing will change until they get someone who relates (?) to these players. Sounds like once again politics were involved (wink-wink). I am a fan of DL# but this is going to go nowhere. The Europeans are too good.

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Johnnie McFarland

Feb 19, 2015 at 12:33 pm

Fred Couples or Lee Trevino. Both are easy going, low maintenance guys and both appear to be low key, fun loving guys. Not too serious about themselves. Neither would get all caught up in the hype and would take a lot of this media driven pressure off the team. Just go out, have fun, and kick butt.
Playing for Couples would be like playing “with” Couples and who wouldn’t want to play for Trevino, a excellent teacher/leader who has been there and done that. He still has the “common touch” and he wouldn’t “baby” any prima donnas. He would expect his players to “man up” and not make excuses about “pods” and other new age “touchy-feely” security blanket and “I need my bottle at this temperature at this time” crap.

Reply Report comment
- Lee
  
  Feb 19, 2015 at 1:13 pm
  
  Golfing genius Lee Trevino undoubtedly is/was for me he sure didn’t do a great job in 1985, when he expected his him to just turn up and win. If I remember rightly the US media were even calling for him to get his clubs and go play halfway through the match. 15-13 Europe by the way.
  
  Reply Report comment
Mike T

Feb 19, 2015 at 12:00 pm

1. Freddie 2. Couples 3. Freddie 4. Couples 5. Freddie

Reply Report comment
Bruce

Feb 19, 2015 at 11:52 am

The captain makes no difference because the underlying problems remain. A whitewash committee cannot fix a thing. We select a match play team from a group of highly independent highly paid stroke play players. Too much emphasis on placing experience on the team when the experience has a loosing record. The younger hungry fresh out of college player with recent TEAM experience does far better. The US never gels as a team and will not in 2016. Another victory for Europe.
Hopefully the USGA wakes up and solves the problem.

Reply Report comment
Scud

Feb 19, 2015 at 9:57 am

How many times are we going to hear, “it boiled down to who wanted it more”. All players want to win badly; the guy who played better won, not because he wanted it more than the other guy.

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Pooch

Feb 19, 2015 at 9:46 am

If DL3 takes another Ryder Cup position Captaincy and loses he stands to tarnish a long career.Nothing to gain everything to lose.

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Steve H

Feb 19, 2015 at 8:33 am

How many putts will DL3 make in the Ryder Cup? The captain of the Ryder Cup team is the most over hyped position in sports. It boils down to the 12 guys on the team and little to do with the captain. And to break it down even more, the Ryder Cup, is a putting contest. Whoever hole the most putts – wins. Simple as that.

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Ponjo

Feb 18, 2015 at 3:22 pm

The pressure will be massive on DL3 as on home turf again. People in the UK see this as a bit of a steady the ship pick. Zinger would surely have installed the street fighting capabilities that are required in all players and not just your Patrick Reed’s.

Darren Clarke has the backing of all the senior European players so why don’t the US do the same and ask the big guns who they would like.

Next captain is Jiminez so Europe pretty much sorted for next 4 years.

Reply Report comment
wiffmax

Feb 18, 2015 at 11:38 am

DL3 is a good pick! If this doesn’t work out he can go double for Kevin Spacey in House of Cards. Being serious though he got his 2012 team into a position where it boiled down to what U.S. & European players wanted the win more.

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Chris

Feb 18, 2015 at 11:02 am

If you dont think Freddie will be there as part of the coaching staff you’re crazy. He will no doubt be out there in some capacity.
Also, DLIII appears to already be willing to jump in front of the bus for his players, something Watson clearly wasn’t equipped to do, so at least we have that going for us.

Reply Report comment
Al

Feb 18, 2015 at 8:39 am

1. It doesn’t really matter who the captain is. It’s not as if the captain calls plays, coaches, or offers instruction, it seems mostly a ceremonial appointment.

Disclaimer: I don’t care 2 whits about the Ryder Cup.

Reply Report comment
Tim

Feb 18, 2015 at 8:14 am

Golf is only a semi team sport – you can’t compare it to football or any other major team sport the dynamic is not the same. It doesn’t mean the coach isn’t important, but its a totally different discipline.

For reference to scratch Kelly – every competitive club golfer in Europe plays foursome golf. Its usually one of the main matchplay competitions to win after the club championship – maybe you should start playing this format more

Reply Report comment
yaisaidit

Feb 18, 2015 at 8:05 am

DL3 is the biggest choker in golf. Want to watch a guy fold? DL3 is the man.

Reply Report comment
- Al
  
  Feb 18, 2015 at 8:40 am
  
  Not Tiger…?
  
  Reply Report comment
  - ron
    
    Feb 18, 2015 at 10:16 am
    
    Dude… really?? C’mon meow.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Scott
      
      Feb 18, 2015 at 3:22 pm
      
      I disagree. I say Jim Furyk is the biggest choker in golf.
      
      Reply Report comment
don davis

Feb 18, 2015 at 1:52 am

Davis Love is a rerun. Did we not learn last time with Tom Watson? He had his chance and lost . Somebody else deserves a shot. Azinger and Couples were probably asked and turned it down. Love was number three on the list. Reminds me of the presidential election Bush, Clinton, Bush , Clinton. Come on America, we are loosing interest in a over thought out, bloated sporting event.

Reply Report comment
Scratch kelly

Feb 17, 2015 at 7:34 pm

This move makes the ryder cup unwatchable for me. They continue to do that same old thing with the same old people. And I’m a big DL3 fan. Loved him game throughout his career. But this is wrong. I’m sorry but I’m done watching or attending this event. I don’t like alternate shot- stupid. Nobody plays it that I know in my 55 years of playing. And the way the team qualifies is wrong. And the captain thing is still a mess. I said watson would be a monumental mistake. And i really like tom. But his style mixed with today’s players what I was in record as saying would be a total failure. So I wont matter the the pga when I’m gone. They’ll be fine and probably make millions producing an unwatchable event. I hate all the usa chants. Euro singing. It was always supposed to be a players event. Built on class and gentlemanly rules of competition think jones. I just hope the rest of the your is holding an event nearby so I can watch the young and deserving play their hearts out. I wish DL3 all the best. He’s a good man. But should not be this teams captain. Can’t wait for masters. Open. Open. Pga. Memorial. Palmer. Tpc. FedEx. Houston.

Reply Report comment
Gubment cheez

Feb 17, 2015 at 7:25 pm

Maybe Europe should name Seve their captain
They can put a picture of his face on a stick and let someone with 3 eyebrows carry it around…you know so it averages out

Reply Report comment
Joe

Feb 17, 2015 at 7:13 pm

I know Davis and Freddie have been pretty close over the years. Any chance Freddie is named a vice captain?

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BigBoy

Feb 17, 2015 at 3:57 pm

Pick Ben Hogan as your captain and ya still gonna lose.

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Greg V

Feb 17, 2015 at 3:43 pm

The PGA of America is “trying to grow the game.”

If that be the case, why not provide a captain with some personality, or charisma? Davis is a perfectly nice individual, I am sure. But a “grow the game” captaincy?

No.

Reply Report comment
John

Feb 17, 2015 at 3:27 pm

+1 . Euro players just want it more than the US Players.

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Adam S.

Feb 17, 2015 at 3:06 pm

Last time I checked, the Ryder Cup captain doesn’t hit any shots.

Reply Report comment
- Rich
  
  Feb 17, 2015 at 3:54 pm
  
  If you or anyone else thinks the Captain doesn’t play a part in the results, you must never have played a team sport. The coach, manager, captain etc etc of any team play a major role in the mental state of a team and thus morale and performance. It’s just that simple.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Adam S.
    
    Feb 17, 2015 at 7:21 pm
    
    I have played many team sports. The US got outplayed this past Ryder Cup. It was more than just mental.
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Rich
      
      Feb 18, 2015 at 1:15 am
      
      Oh I agree with you there but it’s not just about the players hitting the shots. If the boss doesn’t have your back so to speak, you’re not going to perform as well as if he did. Surely you can see that right?
      
      Reply Report comment
- ChrisK
  
  Feb 17, 2015 at 10:12 pm
  
  and Bill Belichick doesn’t run, tackle or throw. guess he’s not important, either.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Double Mocha Man
    
    Feb 19, 2015 at 5:53 pm
    
    I know you meant to say “Pete Carroll”.
    
    Reply Report comment

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