Almost complete
Davis Love III has one player left to add after naming three of his picks for the Ryder Cup team,
Three of the four Americans who played on the U.S. Olympic golf team are also on the Ryder Cup team. The fourth one should be there, too.
Patrick Reed qualified on points. Matt Kuchar and Rickie Fowler were announced Monday by Davis Love III as two of his U.S. captain’s picks. No argument there.
J.B. Holmes wasn’t on the Olympic team, but he’s playing great and also was a captain’s pick. Who doesn’t want a big hitter such as Holmes on the 7,600-yard layout at Hazeltine Golf Club?
Love, the U.S. captain, has one more pick after The Tour Championship in two weeks. Many choices would be great on the U.S. team. Parity being what it is, the differences between these players are not as stark as the average fan might think.
It could be Jim Furyk, Daniel Berger or Jason Dufner. One can make a case for Justin Thomas, Kevin Kisner or Kevin Na. All outstanding players.
It should be Bubba Watson, a unique talent and the No. 7-ranked player on the planet. He’s won the Masters twice. And there is no American pro golfer who is any more American than Bubba Watson, the 37-year-old hitter from Bagdad, Fla.
I was in Rio for the Olympics. The fans did not know a lot of the players. They knew Bubba. He is as recognizable a golfer as there is, good for ratings and, if his game is on, good for winning.
Is Watson quirky and emotional? No doubt. But channeled properly, his personality can be an asset. All he needs to do is to become master of his own mystique. Be the rattler, not the rattled. If he can get in the head of his own caddie, he can get in the head of an opponent.
Here is what I like about Watson: He hits it a mile, he’s a creative shotmaker — and he’d like nothing more than to help the USA win back the Cup, which hasn’t happened since 2008.
I don’t know how popular he is with the other players, but intense winners are not always everybody’s favorite. And I’ll bet he has his share of friends, too, such as Fowler.
Team chemistry definitely matters; being different is not a fatal flaw.
I spoke with Watson for about 30 minutes after the second round of Olympic golf competition, and my takeaway was this: He’s not well understood, but he’s a good man with a lot of heart.
Europe has won eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups. Watson was on three of those losing U.S. teams, two of them decided by one point.
You know he wants another chance. The highest-ranked American player not yet on the team ought to get it.