Opinion & Analysis
Bubba Watson deserves to be on the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team
With only a few days remaining until Davis Love III makes his final captain’s pick for the 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup team, speculation is rife as to who the lucky man will be. The surprising omission from Love’s first three captains picks was Bubba Watson, who now faces a long sweat until Sunday after the conclusion of the Tour Championship to find out his fate.
Surprised as many golf fans were with Bubba’s exclusion from the original three captains picks, I would be stunned if Love decides to look elsewhere for his final U.S. team member. For starters, Bubba Watson is the No. 7-ranked golfer in the Official World Golf Rankings, and there are only two higher-ranked players on the U.S. team: Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth. Watson is also a two-time major champion and a consistent winner on the PGA Tour, with at least one victory in 6 of his last 7 seasons.
To leave a player of Bubba Watson’s caliber off the team you would need a better alternative, but a better alternative just isn’t there. Among the names being touted as possible choices for Love’s final pick are Jim Furyk, Justin Thomas, Ryan Moore and Daniel Berger. Watson is not only more decorated than them all, but he ranked higher in Ryder Cup points, missing automatic qualifying for the team by just one spot.
The bookmakers currently have Watson as the favorite to get the call from Captain Love, with Furyk as the second choice. If it is to come down to a choice between the two, then it’s Bubba who holds all the aces.
Earlier this month Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee championed Furyk for a spot on the U.S. team while stating he hopes Bubba is left out, but there is simply far more upside in doing the opposite. The fact of the matter is Furyk has an excessive amount of mental baggage if he were to tee it up in this year’s Ryder Cup. Along with having one of the all-time worst Ryder Cup records of 10-20-4 (W-L-H), he suffered an incredulous collapse the last time the Ryder Cup was staged in the U.S., blowing a one-shot lead with two holes to go on Sunday when the American side needed him most.
While Bubba Watson’s Ryder Cup record is very poor in itself (3-8-0), he doesn’t have the mental scars Furyk possesses. It’s also worth noting that Hazeltine is a long course, measuring more than 7,600 yards. To put that into perspective, Hazeltine will be playing 200 yards longer than Augusta National did this year for the Masters, and I don’t think I need to remind you that Bubba has won there twice. Furyk is known as one of the shortest hitters on Tour, while Watson is ranked 4th in driving distance for the season, averaging 310 yards off the tee.
Any worries about Bubba missing the cut at Hazeltine by a stroke when the 2009 PGA Championship was held there can be quashed. His year-end ranking in 2009 was 97th. He possesses so many more weapons to attack Hazeltine this time around.
Bubba also plays his best golf on home soil. The British Open is the only major in which the American has never even managed a top-20 finish, and his only official victory outside the U.S. to date came at the WGC-HSBC in China two years ago. He plays on enthusiasm and momentum, and a raucous American Ryder Cup crowd is just the ticket Bubba needs in order to play his best golf. He performed well at his only previous Ryder Cup appearance on home soil, posting a 2-2 record in 2012 where he famously demanded the crowd to turn up the volume on his opening tee shot on Saturday morning at Medinah.
The rumor mill has been spinning that it is Watson’s incompatible personality that prevented Love from choosing him among his initial three captains picks, but this week Brandt Snedeker, who qualified automatically for the U.S. team, said that these rumors were “false narrative” and that he is “probably one of the best teammates you could possibly have.”
If picked, Bubba will bring the heat, and with his length on this massive golf course — combined with a boisterous U.S. crowd baying for long awaited revenge — don’t be surprised if it’s the man with the pink driver who puts the charge into this American side.
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
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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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Ba Ba Blome
Oct 21, 2016 at 6:54 pm
Blubba is a piece of garbage and I enjoyed not having to hear him cry about bad lies all week. The only dumb thing DL3 did was invite him to be a co-captain.
Mark
Sep 26, 2016 at 2:43 am
Ryan Moore come on down. Bubba enjoy the TV coverage.
Geno4952
Sep 24, 2016 at 2:20 pm
When was the last time Bubba shot 58??? Furyk has been hot as of late. Could be a good pick… has experience as well….
Forsbrand
Sep 25, 2016 at 12:37 pm
Why didn’t captain love pick him instead of that puppet kuchar or JB Holmes then?
JR
Sep 24, 2016 at 10:17 am
No way does Bubba “deserve” to be on the team! Look how he is playing right now!! The definition of stupid is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result!! Having Bubba on the team is just that!!
vkw143
Sep 25, 2016 at 3:28 pm
It looks to me like Bubba is ahead of everybody else ON the team at East Lake except DJ. May not end that way but that’s how I see the leaderboard. Just saying!
JThunder
Sep 24, 2016 at 6:16 am
You’re all almost as good at armchair Ryder Cup Captaincy as you are at armchair CEOship.
KK
Sep 24, 2016 at 3:56 am
People who use the word “deserve” with any serious intent are the tip of the entitlement plague upon humanity. Your parents should be ashamed.
alan
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:55 pm
dude doesnt even have a chin.
Hans
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:38 pm
I like Bubba, would be a good pick (as would others).
But only 8 guys “deserved” to get picked and those are the 8 that qualified on points.
LAbillyboy
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:30 pm
Picking players for match play based on their medal play records is like picking Rugby players by how well they play soccer….
Frank McChrystal
Sep 23, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Hey Bubba, good for you, don’t ever kiss any gluteus maximus.
Colin
Sep 23, 2016 at 3:54 pm
yea he really deserves it with his stellar 1-3-0 Record. Give me a break.
Golfer
Sep 23, 2016 at 7:59 pm
he has a better record than Rickie and they chose Rickie…
Forsbrand
Sep 25, 2016 at 12:39 pm
Rickie looks great in orange though and is more of a crowd favourite………..the ryder cup has gone too corporate in the last fifteen years.
KJ
Sep 23, 2016 at 3:16 pm
The final pick being left until 5 days before the tourney starts is a mistake. Pick your 4 players all at the same time. Give them all time to get their mental state aligned. I personally cant stand Bubba and his act. I hope the pick goes to Thomas personally. Good buddies with Fowler and Speith.
Warwick
Sep 26, 2016 at 6:10 am
Well put. The Americans need to find some of that team spirit that the Euros have. Ryan is a good choice.
Mark
Sep 23, 2016 at 2:03 pm
Oh yes….discord in the US and the match doesn’t start for a week. Flowers will spend most of his time preening, Tiger will be weighing up the PR girls and Europe will get on with the job and beat you.
Jim
Sep 23, 2016 at 1:07 pm
Hopefully he doesn’t get selected or the task force is a complete joke. They were supposed to pick players that were hot at the moment to take advantage of their good play, but both Rickie and Bubba aren’t playing well and haven’t played well in months. Bubba can’t make a putt and under pressure he’s awful with short putts too. They need to select those who are playing well, such as Ryan Moore or someone similar. Let’s hope they select someone that is playing well right now as there are several already on the team who aren’t.
Mr. Weddge
Sep 23, 2016 at 12:57 pm
It’s like in ice hockey playoffs, you play the goaltender who’s been hot, not necessarily the starter or based on all time records. Ending up with the top 12 in points just proves how pointless the whole “captain’s pick” has become
mka
Sep 23, 2016 at 12:43 pm
This Task Force has not made me a fan of Davis Love…and the process he is using isn’t fair to any player he will select. Waiting this long to select the last player is not going to win friends and instill confidence in the player! What a stupid process this Task Force came up with….or was it Love’s decision????????
Forsbrand
Sep 24, 2016 at 5:19 pm
Bubba needs to be picked for sure, JB Holmes? If kev chapell wins this week he should be playing.
Davis love worse captain ever doesn’t do you guys any justice, and now picking woods as a vice captain, Jesus it gets worse
vkw143
Sep 25, 2016 at 3:36 pm
Chappell and Moore would both be good picks to replace some who are already on the team.
Getair
Sep 23, 2016 at 12:06 pm
If the players liked him he would have already been named to the team.
Emb
Sep 23, 2016 at 11:10 am
If Davis takes bubba, which it looks like he will, that will be the top 12 players in the RC standings on the team…wow those are some crazy moves by the “task force”. Way to go out on a limb there. RC has become an old boys clubs on the American side and that’s why they lose every year, give someone else a chance to be that firecracker that ignites the team ala Anthony Kim 2008
JThunder
Sep 24, 2016 at 6:12 am
I agree, the US will definitely NOT win the Ryder Cup next year.
Of course, neither will Europe, since it’s played every TWO years.
The US didn’t win it last year – because it wasn’t played last year.
Apart from that, great comment.
Geno4952
Sep 24, 2016 at 2:16 pm
Except it is played every other year Smizzle….oops!!!
Grizz01
Sep 23, 2016 at 11:01 am
Fowler was a bad enough choice. The idea of the captain’s picks is not to pick someone popular, but someone who has gotten hot over the last 3-4 months. Before August hit I thought, this will be like times of old. Look at what is there compared to the Euro’s. It should be a cake walk for USA. But no… let’s make it as tight as possible with poor picks.
We lose this year… this is all on Loves Head.
Then bring back Azinger as Captain. He at least knew how to take a bunch of guys and know how to WIN.
david
Sep 23, 2016 at 10:29 am
He should pick Daniel Berger. Dad was a low-talent/high-success tennis player and that kind of fighter mentality has clearly been instilled in the son. Wish they had more match play events.
joro
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:55 am
What a show this is turning into and if anyone is a jerk it is Love. What is this about holding the last pick out and announcing it during the Half time on Sunday Night Foobaw. I mean come on, this is turning into something like the opining of the Sound of Music or the like, real Showbiz. Hard to believe that someone like Davis is playing this game. I feel it has been done already and they are going for the hutzpah.
There are too many negatives about this to have not been done already, the pick that is. Travel, Hotel arrangements, uniforms, family and friends, there is a lot that makes it hard to believe this is coming down to Sunday before the pick is made.
And Bubba, 7th in the World would be a great pick. To those who put him down PPPHHHHTTTTTT.
Bill
Sep 23, 2016 at 11:56 am
Not sure that was Love’s idea. Sounds like a PGA/TV network set up to me.
JB
Sep 23, 2016 at 12:09 pm
Wow – 7th in the world but still cant qualify on points?? What was his highest ranking when he was accumulating his stellar RC record of 3-8???
Somehow all of that doesn’t sound very “deserving”
Scooter McGavin
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:50 am
So you use Furyk’s Ryder Cup record as an argument against him, while Bubba’s record is even worse? Also, Ryan Moore has 8 top 10 finishes over the last year to Bubba’s 3. It’s not about who has the most career wins or majors, it’s about who’s playing well right now and Bubba also missed the cut at the Deutsche Bank which doesn’t look good. Oh yeah, and as already mentioned by others, he’s a giant baby with a lousy attitude. I couldn’t blame anyone for not wanting to spend a week or more with him.
Dolph Lundgrenade
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:45 am
To the author of this article, c’mon dude. Sensationalist nonsense. Stick to your poetry.
Bubba is disliked by almost all players on tour. Voted least liked to play with and least likely to even help in a parking lot mugging. That’s practically hate.
Besides, he cries. Here’s a crier. Top button user. Sinister or goofy footed to the layman. He’s got a pink driver… Still. Match play record stinks. I’m pretty sure I hate him as well.
Get a gritty match play player. Tour stats and standings shouldn’t be the deciding factor. That’s why they are captain’s picks. If Watson or Furyk are picked, it was there PGA of America going for publicity and bullpucky.
Flip
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:34 am
He is a jerk and out of touch with reality…… do not let him on the team…… and that no personality fury? Please no
pooch
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:08 am
Bubba has already been picked based on the fact he is the cover boy for Golf Magazine wearing a USA shirt. It is a fix.
overlaper
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:52 am
I agree with ” ooffa ” — we don’t need another ” entitled brat ” — give me someone who’s excited and appreciates the chance to represent their country.
overlaper
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:48 am
I agree with ” ooffa ” — who needs another entitled brat — give me someone who’s excited and appreciates an opportunity to represent and participate their country ! ! !
Scott
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:42 am
ANYONE other than Jim Furyk.
Jim
Sep 23, 2016 at 6:16 pm
….or Wood’s record – for that matter –
wuss
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:38 am
Gee, i’d leave him off the team too if he buttons his shirt to the top…..much more important than golf skills.
Jack Nash
Sep 23, 2016 at 9:58 am
The buttons are there for a reason. When he starts to choke he undoes them one at a time until he’s comfortable.
vkw143
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:35 am
I’m somewhat amazed with some of the comments about Bubba. He is a bit of an introvert but he is fun to play golf with. He does become disappointed like all of us when he doesn’t play his best. I have had the opportunity to play several rounds with him this year (fourball format) and you want this guy on your team. He may not always say what is politically correct but he plays with heart, talent and loves representing his country – he IS one of the top 7 players in the world. Come on, Davis, be smart.
Terryd
Sep 23, 2016 at 6:27 pm
Introvert? I think you need to look up the meaning of that word.
Clay
Sep 23, 2016 at 8:33 am
The Ryder cup is about winning. Stats are on watson’s side and to falsely label him as a “distraction”? Come on!, JWTF does that mean??
ooffa
Sep 23, 2016 at 7:40 am
He needs to be left off the team. He is a distraction to all he is around. He has a poor record of Ryder cup play. He is a self centered, egotist that is unable to understand the concept of team. Plus he treats everybody he comes in contact with, players, fans, sponsors, and the media like crap. Who needs him around? Certainly not the US team given the huge selection of players available to us. And worst of all, he buttons his shirt up to the very top. OMG who does that? He needs to watch the Ryder cup from home.