2014 Ryder Cup: Phil Mickelson Upset With Old-School Management

By Les Bailey | Oct 4, 2014

Sep 23, 2014; Auchterdarder, Perthshire, SCT; USA team captain Tom Watson and player Phil Mickelson pose for a photo with the Ryder Cup trophy during a practice round for the 2014 Ryder Cup at The Gleneagles Hotel-PGA Centenary Course. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports

I’ll have to admit, The story that has broken on ESPN about Ryder Cup Captain, Tom Watson’s antics at Gleneagles has me both surprised, and disappointed. As reported by Bob Harig, Watson returned to the Saturday Night team meeting after getting the lineups for Sunday Singles, and lambasted everything, and everybody.

I have long been a huge Tom Watson fan, but maybe the persona he portrays in front of the cameras is not what is real. Obviously, senior Ryder Cup team member, Phil Mickelson didn’t like what he heard as a pep-talk, and tried to rescue the team, and attitudes before going out for the Sunday Singles matches.

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I’m from Watson’s generation, and I am sure that if he tried to force the coaching style that was prevalent during our youth, he found out quickly that it doesn’t work in today’s world.

Maybe the pressure put on Tom by the PGA of America to execute the near impossible was too much for him to handle. Or maybe he is just too old to relate to the youngsters playing on the PGA Tour in today’s world. At age 65, he was the oldest Captain in Ryder Cup history.

You can read the ESPN article by Bob Harig: Cup Meeting Turned Ugly on this link, and the Devil Ball Golf follow-up by Ryan Ballengee, Tom Watson disparaged U.S. Player’s Gift, Leading to Phil Mickelson Comments.

I had felt that the qualification process was flawed this year because of the wrap-around schedule. Most of the players who got up early, got there against less than stellar fields, and didn’t play well later in the season. Almost to the man, most of Team USA were not playing well late in the season, including Phil, who hadn’t played well all year.

Then after being named Ryder Cup Captain, Watson made his first mistake, giving up one of his Captain’s picks, letting the automatic selection process name that ninth player.

I think Watson put too much credence in the revenge factor when he used his picks to take players who he felt would have chips on their shoulder after the loss at Medinah. That’s definitely an Old School tactic that did not work out.

Young players today, play week in, and week out with the European Players, and many have tight friendly relationships. Some live in the same communities, and that motivation tactic which worked fifty years ago doesn’t play in the 21st century.

So wasting picks on Webb Simpson and Hunter Mahan was fruitless to say the least.

I’m still not sure we could have overcome the European Juggernaut with Billy Horschel, and Chris Kirk, but maybe the scores would have been a little closer.

The only way we can ever be as successful as the European Team is if we take a look at what works for them, and what drives their success. The current bickering around Team USA is not conducive to the winning attitude needed to defeat their system.

I’m sure that if I were a young PGA superstar, I would want to play for this system. The system is broke, and if we don’t take steps to fix it, we will never be as successful as the European Team.