Opinion & Analysis
Watson admits he screwed up, but where did he go wrong?
“This is no democracy. It is a dictatorship. I am the law,” Coach Herman Boone proclaimed in Remember the Titans. Maybe U.S. Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson would have done better to adhere to Paul Azinger’s tactics than the Boone approach.
Watson admitted he screwed up, but I think we knew that already. Phil Mickelson wasn’t particularly shy in pointing that out after the U.S. Team got stomped out by the Europeans in the 2014 Ryder Cup 16.5 to 11.5 points.
Watson issued an open letter in the wake of his fallout with the U.S. team, taking ownership for the mistakes he made during, and leading up to, the Ryder Cup rout at Gleneagles.
“First, I take complete and full responsibility for my communication, and I regret that my words may have made the players feel that I didn’t appreciate their commitment and dedication to winning the Ryder Cup,” Watson said in the open letter. “My intentions throughout my term as captain were both to inspire and to be honest. Secondly, the guys gave everything. They played their hearts out.”
But really, what were his mistakes? OK, there were plenty.
Watson decided to bench Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley — a pairing that’s decidedly passionate and proven in team settings — for ALL of the Saturday. He also benched the hot-hands of rookies Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, who all but showed off in their Friday morning match, winning 5&4.
You don’t sit a basketball player who opened the game with four 3-pointers in a row. Coaching 101, really.
His Captain’s picks were also head-scratchers — leaving Billy Horschel and Chris Kirk off the team — but that’s besides the point. The point is that Watson approached his captaincy with dictatorship, a tactic that the U.S. players seemed not to like, to say that least.
“A leader must be able to direct people but he must also be able to make people willing to accept direction,” said Vince Lombardi, the storied head coach of the Green Bay Packers. “The strength of a company or a team is in the will of the leaders. If the manager is weak-willed, the company will be poorly directed.”
Captain Watson did not show weak-will, but he was coaching a team that did not trust his approach. As Mickelson so eloquently pointed out in his press conference, the U.S. Team has shown an eagerness to be involved in the decision-making process. They’ve responded to “pods” and teambuilding, but not alienation and decrees.
Watson wanted his team to play better; he didn’t want to bring back a gift from his team to the states. He wanted to bring back a “W” and the storied golden trophy. Vince Lombardi once preached that he sought respect for authority from his players, and Watson sought the same respect from his players. For one or more than one reason, however, it didn’t work. So what did we learn?
The U.S Ryder Cup team needs a democratic leader, not a dictator, in order to thrive against its European opponents in 2016.
This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.
I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.
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Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.
With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.
Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!
Club Junkie
Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast
The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.
Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.
If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.
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Club Junkie
Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie
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I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.
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Ben
Oct 8, 2014 at 8:15 am
I’m sick of all the Watson talk. As far as I know he didn’t hit a single shot in the Ryder Cup. We flat out got beat. The US team did not perform. Watson should not be the scapegoat.
marcel
Oct 9, 2014 at 12:31 am
exactly – 12 pro golfers should have some pride and take the blame for their own poor playing.
Did Tom give them a bad talk before the game or what – otherwise i dont see why he would be any worst than other 8 failed captains
Scott Rose
Oct 7, 2014 at 12:56 am
This was clearly an example of admiring an icon that has lived past his prime. With all due respect, Mr. Watson was not the correct Captain at this point in the history of these matches. He is a gentleman golfer but his past is not prologue. I think we need to put diligence aside going forward, as a team, and choose the best Captain for the job. And for now, that person is an individual who can connect on a personal level with all of the players, motivate the younger guys and partner with the senior players. That man should also possess the ability to study team management and create an environment in which the players will thrive. All that being said, the US needs to stop playing table tennis and start drinking beer…get to know one another…have fun…form a brotherhood. You fight for brothers…that’s the game changer…IMHO.
Joe
Oct 7, 2014 at 1:44 am
Absolutely great advice. But unless they’ve been in the military, Americans aren’t built that way. Especially American Professional Golfers! Europeans on the other hand are built exactly that way. I really think the greatest advantage to euro golfers is playing the U.S. tour, because they form a brotherhood playing over here. While Americans, in general, look at each other, and everyone else, as competitors. Hard to change that mindset for one week every two years.
Eric
Oct 6, 2014 at 9:07 pm
The Americans deserved to lose – no captain could have avoided that.
Let’s give the American players what they want – then see what their excuse is in 2016 when they lose again.
Until they learn to WIN – as the European tour players have – they will not be able to handle the pressure of match play, and will under-perform. Pick the team that has the most number of players with two wins in the last year, and you have the winning team.
Joe
Oct 7, 2014 at 12:53 am
I don’t know a single person that really thought the U.S. would win, nobody. We put together a bracket of player records, who would beat who, which team would win, and by how much. One guy, out of 95, picked the U.S. to win, because he liked the possible payout. The talking heads have to say what they say or suffer being called anti-American, but I just can’t believe they truly thought the U.S. would win. Especially after not getting the hottest player on the planet. There was just no way we were gonna win this one, no way.
Leslie Chow
Oct 7, 2014 at 1:22 pm
The U.S. would have had chance if a complete team was assembled. Foursomes was the Achilles heel this year otherwise it would have been much closer going into Sunday. I’m not saying the U.S. would have won but they would have had a chance and that’s all an underdog needs. Picking players statically for each particular format is what needs to happen in the future to avoid weakness big weaknesses in one format or another. Then assemble teams focusing on youth that don’t have battle scars or egos to big to avoid certain pairings. The closer it comes to a college team atmosphere the better.
Jason
Oct 6, 2014 at 4:35 pm
The US team had a higher average world ranking than the Europeans so I’m not sure where the giant underdog story came from. I think the Europeans hold the Ryder Cup in higher regard than American players do and are willing to put aside their egos to score the most points for their team. The American captain has a job that sounds more like a daycare provider, making sure everyone feels loved and is only playing with people they like and that all their opinions count. These are the most talented golfers in the world, it shouldn’t matter who they play with or what ball they use.
Harold
Oct 6, 2014 at 9:24 pm
Stupid.
Schooner
Oct 7, 2014 at 8:01 am
I’m not sure on what basis you are calling this a stupid comment. A captain should not have to worry about how a player feels. A captain needs to worry about how a player performs. If a player is so self obsessed that they can’t perform in a team environment, and put his own feelings aside, he has no place being on a team to begin with. Modern golf probably breeds this narcissistic behaviour. 51 weeks of the year it is an individual sport, one week it is not.
Ken
Oct 6, 2014 at 3:33 pm
The PROFESSIONAL golfers lose and place all the blame on the captain. OK, some of them didn’t like his style … and it was vocalized. If the U.S. would have made a few more putts and won this thing, would there be as much criticism of management style? While I generally like Phil, he’s had a miserable 2014 and his Saturday participation is debatable. Heck, he asked to sit out the last time around. Disappointing all around.
Duncan Castles
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:41 pm
The only American captain to win the Ryder Cup on European soil in over three decades? Tom Watson…
Resting Spieth and Reed on Friday afternoon was hardly the indefensible decision it has been portrayed as. Both were debutants, Reed’s streaky game is better suited to fourball than foursomes, and for all Spieth’s quality he has a tendency to lose his head when things start to run against him (as McDowell demonstrated on Sunday).
The Muni Golfer
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:32 pm
What I find interesting is that in 1993, when the US actually WON, no one was complaining about Tom Watson’s captaining style or his communications. So let the players have say in the selections and the pairings. Then, when they lose in 2016, they will be complaining that they had no leadership or direction from the captain
Matt
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:31 pm
Wasn’t there an article less than a month ago saying that you couldn’t blame Watson for leaving Horschel off? He got hot to late for the selection process.
Leslie Chow
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:43 pm
Exactly right Matt. Horschel peaked to late. Keegan was obviously picked to pair with Phil and they were benched. The questionable pick for me was Web Simpson who was not playing well and doesn’t statistacllly fit a foursomes format making him a really bad pick and pairing him with Bubba turned out to be disastrous. Golf channel ran an article that Watson picked Haas, who was successful in the presidents cup, announced it to a few players on the team and then changed his mind to Simpson after being coerced by a few team players.
Gabe
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:25 pm
The European team was simply better. “Why were they better?” or “why were they so much better?” might be a better question than “How did Tom Watson screw this up?”.
The population of Europe is more than twice that of the United States. That is quite an advantage.
Additionally, how many of the “European” players actually call the USA “home”? How many spend more time in the US than in Europe? How many play more US Tour events than European Tour events?
Factor in that European athletes, by and large, aren’t going into the NFL, MLB or the NBA and that means fewer of the highly skilled athletes are choosing golf in the US.
It doesn’t matter if you have pods or a captain making all of the decisions if the playing field isn’t level. Maybe we need to pick players who really deserve to be there because of their current play, not players who have the big name. This isn’t an issue with Tom Watson and any pro athlete that can’t take a little tough love or even dictatorial coaching needs to look in the mirror about whether or not they were the best teammate and team member that they could have been. Maybe it’s also time to redefine what it means to be a “European” for the purposes of the Ryder cup.
Duncan Castles
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:58 pm
Are you seriously suggesting that Europeans playing on the USPGA Tour shouldn’t be allowed to play for Europe? The essence of the Ryder Cup is that top sportsmen used to playing solo form a team with their compatriots to compete against another team for no financial reward. Redefine the teams on the basis of Tour membership and you destroy the competition.
By all means try and convince the Africans or Asians to strengthen the American side if you feel disadvantaged by population (though I’d argue that the real comparison should be the number of active golfers in the US versus Europe). Think you’ll find the Africans would much prefer to play for Europe if they were ever to be invited into the Ryder Cup however…
Robeli
Oct 6, 2014 at 3:43 pm
Typical American response. Let’s change the rules who can play for whom so USA can get benefit. You should rather change the picking method to not be based on money won, but ranking positions. Rather, pick better (captain & players), manage better and then play better.
Captain Custer
Oct 7, 2014 at 8:40 pm
I’m an American and I know why we are losing. When I hear people trying to change the rules about adding countries to the USA it makes me upset, not because I wouldn’t love to see Adam Scott play but Because those that cry for that change are still in the old mindset that talent alone will win just as it did from the early 1980s all the way back. After watching the last two Ryder cups I don’t believe it’s because the USA doesn’t have enough talented players but it’s because the USA doesn’t assemble a team of players for the specific formats. I was fine with this years cup as well as Medinah. Medinah the USA had a 10-6 lead and the guys came out and were complacent. This year would have been a close cup going into Sunday if the USA had guys that were better or picked statically for foursomes and if the foursomes had been closer the USA may still have lost but they would have had a chance. The USA needs to overhaul how the Ryder cup is approached and played long before this becomes a World Cup. Getting the right players for the formats, not necessarily the worlds highest ranked players has never been more apparent then by the play of Spieth and Reed. If the USA played like a college team with passion and will to do whatever it takes and is asked of them then In the end you may win and sometimes you just get out played so a tip of the cap and be hungry to play in two years.
Derehk
Oct 6, 2014 at 4:05 pm
~29 million active golfers in USA
~8 million active golfers in Europe
As long as you don’t get why you are losing…
Rich
Oct 6, 2014 at 4:53 pm
I’m pretty sure each player on that European Ryder Cup team has to be a member of European PGA tour. That requires them to play a minimum amount of events on that tour. I’m not sure what that number is but I’m sure it’s around 10 or so. There are players that may have qualified in the past that weren’t eligible because they didn’t play sufficient events in Europe to qualify. So there is a rule in place that stops players playing all their golf in the US and then play for Europe. Time to stop complaining about the rules and start winning within the rules you’ve got like the Europeans do.
Colin Gillbanks
Oct 7, 2014 at 7:55 am
What does the population of Europe have to do with any of this? How many of the 142,000,000 Russians were in line for a European team pick?The US has a far higher number of active players to pick from and a far higher world ranking number of professionals than Europe.
The US team had a better average world ranking, a higher number of major wins and a higher number of individuals that had won majors. So where is the imbalance?
As for ‘redefining’ what it means to be European, that is just utterly, utterly crass.
Knallerich
Oct 8, 2014 at 5:15 am
English isnt my mother tongue so im not 100% sure of i understand you correctly but in the middle part You’re saying One should factor in That European athletes Arent going into Basketball, American Football or Baseball, so American athletes “have to” fill those Spots and therefore less American Top athletes can go into pro golf.
European Top athletes go into football(Soccer), Tennis, Track and Field,Winter Sports and probably 10 other Sports before golf comes up. Golf is incredibly unimportant (sadly) because its very expensive in Most Parts of Europe. So i could probably turn your Argument around that almost no americans are going into typical european Sports so more europeans have to.and that Argument Would ne 10 times stronger.
JD
Oct 6, 2014 at 2:06 pm
On paper and on the course, the European players were the overwhelming favorite. It’s kind of like the Olympics, and you compare the total medals won by the US compared to the medals won by all of the nations that make up Europe.
Robeli
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:52 pm
What does changing the time of the picks has to do with winning? Both Watson and McGinley made their picks ON THE SAME DAY, 2nd September. McGinley just made better picks and they played better – end of story.
Sodapoppin
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:51 pm
OMG please cry more. What a silly article.
hurricane
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:48 pm
He did what he was always going to do. Old School has never worked—even for Team Europe—who in 2008 had the Old School captain for a change… We have the wrong organization picking the wrong captain for the wrong reasons. How else do we not have the Fed Ex champion suited up, who leads the Tour in Eagles, is ranked 14 in OWGR, seemingly born for this moment, in a competition featuring 24 of the best players in the world? In 2004, Ryder Cup Europe, LLC took over ownership and management for their side, leaving the Euro Tour with a 60% stake and control of the event. It benefits great causes throughout Europe, so everybody wins.
Large chris
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Normally the captains role in the Ryder Cup, win or lose, is massively overstated. McGinley is given credit for choosing blue and yellow fish for the team room for example. Absolutely it is the players who need to produce the birdies.
I have huge respect for Watson, 5 times Open champion, and don’t want to see him hurt by this loss. He did get out there, play a few tour events, tried to get to know potential picks.
BUT unusually in the Ryder Cup, poor decisions by him as Captain (not getting Ted Bishop PGA head to change the wild car pick date until nearer the end of the Fedex, and playing Mickelson Friday afternoon, not Saturday morning) arguably cost the US team the win, if you consider a possible 3 point swing. It surely would have been much closer at least without these mistakes.
Ponjo
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:32 pm
Changing the selection process would have helped a lot. So would playing your best players when they have just trounced the opposition. Like any sport you do not feel tired when winning. Not sure Simpson in his current form would make it into our local scratch team.
Wonoo
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:21 pm
How could Watson pick Horschel, picks were already in by the Fed Ex finish. Yea, he finished second in one event and didn’t make the cut in another. Change the system and I guarantee Horschel would have been on the team, not Simpson. Bradley was a tactical no brainer for crybaby Mickelson’s partner. Mahan or Kirk. each had a win in the Fed Ex. He went with Mahan and experience. Watson was very bad this time around as captain but his players were no better. Birdies win Cups not pods. Europe was over 100 under in 3 days …U.S. was just over 70.
Dennis
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:41 pm
Sorry, but I don’t think it was Watsons fault or the captain’s picks or anything else but Europe was just the better team and played that way.
Mark
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:52 pm
AMEN!
Robeli
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:55 pm
Maybe you miss reading the part how Watson messed up the pairings for the Saturday sessions.
Leslie Chow
Oct 6, 2014 at 3:20 pm
Watson picked Web Simspon under pressure from the team. I firmly believe the entire approach the USA takes must be overhauled. Quoting Kurt Russell from miracle, “Gentlemen, you do not have enough talent to win on talent alone.” The USA no longer has the talent advantage it once did which is Watsons era. The USA sends over its top 9 all stars and 3 picks that were all stars at one point and wonders why USA fails so often. Until the USA figures out a system to assemble to RIGHT players for the ryder cup formats, not necessarily the best, the USA is going to struggle. Everyone that wants the USA to win shouldn’t be focused on blaming but rather learning. The USA loses ryder cups even though there is equal talent in the selection pool on both sides of the pond. Sometimes the USA is outplayed like Sunday at Medinah. To have an obismal win percentage leads me to believe there is a problem not with the quality of play from the USA but a fault that lies somewhere else in the process before the shots are struck. Did Watson make some mistakes sure but so did Mcginley picking Poulter and Watson picking Simpson. There were much better foursome players Watson should have looked at before Simpson. Maybe the captain needs 12 picks to build a complete team. This year the Ryder Cup was lost in Foursomes because of two reasons, first the USA didn’t really have and or play players suited to that format and two Europe outplayed the ones that did play. My article is not about crying, whining, or making excuses for the results but rather a push for a change to get a better built TEAM to give the USA the best chance to compete and possibly win and if they are outplayed from that point there will only be a tipping of the hat, congratulations and satisfied golf fans for being witness to an amazing spectacle.
brian
Oct 6, 2014 at 4:04 pm
Why does everyone keep harping on the Simpson pick? Mahan is the biggest choke artist in Ryder Cup history. Not only does he blow a 4 hole lead, he speaks of “how proud he was of his play”. No compassion whatsoever.
Leslie Chow
Oct 6, 2014 at 11:19 pm
The reason I don’t blame Watson for picking Mahan like I do for Simpson is because Mahan is much better statistically than Simpson. While Mahan weakness has been pressure chips and streaky putting he is a much better driver of the ball and ball striker than Simpson. On paper I think Mahan stats favor fourball but he could be used in foursomes if someone’s game was off where as Simpson is to streaky in all areas and wasn’t really coming into form like Mahan prior to the captains picks during the FedEx playoffs. The USA was clearly weak in foursomes and picking players showing good stats for that format maybe should have been a higher priority.
ChrisG
Oct 9, 2014 at 12:44 pm
While I agree statistics are good for some things, when it came to making the Mahan pick, one simply needs to remember the #1 mantra in golf (well aside from “keep your head down), and that is “Drive for show, putt for dough.” Picking someone who can hit the long ball, but has a weaker short game is not a smart move. The short game wins golf tournaments. Plain and simple.
CairnsRock
Oct 6, 2014 at 5:05 pm
Right on. Birdies win, pars don’t. Everybodies going on about strategic pairings. I get the feeling that the European team members would happily have played with any of their team members. Much better team spirit and camaraderie.
Vs
Prima donnas, I don’t like this, I don’t like him, don’t play me today, but don’t cut me unless I ask to be cut. I don’t like your management style, I don’t like your decisions. I can’t putt, but that’s your fault too.
We didn’t win, time to change the rules again.
Boo hoo.
Joe
Oct 7, 2014 at 1:25 am
Yep. Most Euros, imho, come up playing muni type course conditions and play in real weather, not to mention that in Europe you don’t just go play whichever course you want. Players have to prove they have the skills to play each level of course. They don’t generally see American type courses until the come over here for college. American golfers, inho, grow up playing golf in pretty much ideal conditions, unless you live in the NW! Plus, course conditions are generally much nicer here, especially if you live in the south. Euros are just hardier golfers. Also, again imho, euros seem humbled and honored to be chosen. Where Americans seem expecting and think of it more as a contract bonus. I mean seriously, Reed or whatever his name is, shushing the crowd? That’s really setting a nice example. Just generalizations I know, but that’s what I see.
Rich
Oct 7, 2014 at 7:38 pm
But Reed is a top five player in the world so he can do what he likes can’t he?