Watson’s addition does not compute
CHASKA, Minn. — Davis Love III was supposed to make his last captain’s pick when he selected Ryan Moore Sunday night to complete the 12man U.S. Ryder Cup team that will battle the Europeans this weekend at Hazeltine National Golf Club. But Love’s final selection was actually naming Bubba Watson as a fifth vice-captain.
It’s the first head-scratcher Love has made with the 2016 Ryder Cup and raises questions whether it was a move to strengthen the squad or pacify Watson, who begged to be a vicecaptain after Love informed him he was being passed over as a player for Moore. “I still want to be a part of the team if you’ll have me,” Watson pleaded.
Love relented, adding Watson to a list of vice-captains that already includes Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker, and Tom Lehman. During the initial press conference of the Ryder Cup on Monday, Love seemed to go overboard in his praise for Watson, calling his willingness to be a vice-captain “an incredible gesture,” and praised him for his “strong Christian heart.”
But it seemed more of a pacifier for selecting Moore with his final captain’s pick instead of Watson, the highest ranked player not on the team. Watson had played on the previous three U.S. Ryder Cup teams and desperately wanted to be part of the experience this year. That looked probable when he finished ninth in the Ryder Cup points standings, just one spot out of being an automatic qualifier. But Love used his first three picks to take Rickie Fowler (11th), J.B. Holmes (10th) and Matt Kuchar (12th). Then he choose Moore, who finished 20th, but has been one of the best American players of late, losing to Rory McIlroy in a playoff at the Tour Championship last weekend.
“It’s tough on our players, but in the end we got the hottest player and that’s what the whole system was set up for,” Love said.
Watson spent Monday getting fitted for vice-captain clothes instead of player’s clothes. He’ll probably have little need for the bag that was prepared with his name on it in case he was selected for the team. But is it really a good fit?
Watson topped a 2015 ESPN.com poll taken among 103 PGA Tour players that asked who they would not help in a hypothetical fist fight. But listening to Love, you’d think Watson was one of the most popular guys around and a valuable addition to the U.S. team.
Now the vice captains have almost as much star appeal as the players with Woods, Furyk, Stricker, Lehman and Watson working alongside Love.
“You couldn’t put five guys together that were really that different of personalities that get along very well,” Love said. “Now we have Bubba, so we have six red carts out there and everybody is looking at it a little bit differently. Everybody has their own role.”
Love talked about Woods, a 14time major winner, adding “his analysis of how to break down a golf course,” along with his “determination” and “focus.”
As for what Watson brings? “He adds a lot of fun,” Love said.
The U.S. hasn’t won a Ryder Cup since 2008, losing the three competitions since then. Team chemistry has always been a concern. But Love is confident he has added the right mix to automatic qualifiers: Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker. Moore and Koepka are the only rookies.
“I think now that we have 12plus Bubba, we’ve got the perfect team and we’re just thrilled with the way the whole thing shook out,” Love said.
We’ll see if perfect is good enough.