Ryder Cup: Westwood, McDowell, Donald And Harrington Officially Transition To Cart Driving Roles

I'm feeling old and oddly sentimental seeing Ryder Cup stalwarts Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Padraig Harrington and Luke Donald joining Robert Karlsson as transitioning to cart driving roles. (You can read their comments here about the new gigs.)

Captain Thomas Bjorn's five assistants have much Ryder Cup playing experience but very little time behind the wheel, with only a few months to learn the intricacies of maximum passenger loads, ear piece chatter management and the best French versions of "cart on your left".

Of course, perhaps they'll just go the Team America route and appoint drivers for the assistant cart drivers. 

Anyhow, let's hope we've maxed out the number of assistants at five...

Bjorn‘s backroom staff 🇪🇺 Today @mrtbjorn announced that Lee Westwood, Graeme McDowell, Luke Donald and Padraig Harrington will join Robert Karlsson as his #TeamEurope vice captains. #RyderCup 📷 via @mrtbjorn

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on May 22, 2018 at 7:20am PDT

Tiger, Stricker Land Assistant's Carts For 2018 Ryder Cup

Jim Furyk's answering questions now on Golf Channel--surely there will be stipulations for cart key access should Tiger Woods make the team on points--but for now we're up to three and all have been fitted for earpieces (and their designated assistants to the assistants) already!

The PGA of America press release:

U.S. Captain Jim Furyk Names Two
More Vice Captains For 2018 Ryder Cup

Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods join
Davis Love III as U.S. Ryder Cup Vice Captains in Paris
 
PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA (February 20, 2018) – United States Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk today announced that Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods would serve as Vice Captains for the 2018 Ryder Cup, which will take place September 28-30 at Le Golf National in Paris, France.
 
Upon being named U.S. Captain on January 11, 2017, Furyk immediately appointed former Ryder Cup Captain Davis Love III as a Vice Captain.
 
Furyk will name additional Vice Captains at a later date.
 
“To win in Paris will be a great challenge, and to have Steve and Tiger share in the journey is important for me and for American golf," said Furyk, who made today’s appointments from PGA of America Headquarters. “The deep appreciation they both have for competition, the concept of team, and the Ryder Cup is infectious. Their knowledge and experience will be an invaluable resource in our effort to retain the Ryder Cup.”
 
This is Stricker’s third stint as a Ryder Cup Vice Captain, having served at Gleneagles in 2014 and in the 2016 U.S. victory at Hazeltine. Stricker, 50, played for the U.S. in three Ryder Cups: 2008 (won by the U.S. at Valhalla), 2010 and 2012. A native of Edgerton, Wisconsin, Stricker has 12 PGA Tour victories on his resume, as well as five Presidents Cups. As a captain, he piloted a winning effort in the 2017 Presidents Cup at Liberty National.
 
“This is a great honor for me, and I am once again thrilled to be a Vice Captain and to join Jim and the 2018 U.S. Ryder Cup Team,” said Stricker. “We plan to keep the momentum and the spirit of Hazeltine alive and channel it to our advantage in Paris. I am ready to get to work and do all that I can to ensure that we hold on to the Cup.”
 
Woods’ appointment is his second as a Vice Captain, as he debuted in this role at Hazeltine. A 42-year-old native of Cypress, California, Woods will draw upon a wide array of playing experiences gained in seven Ryder Cups (1997, ’99, 2002, ’04, ’06, ’10, ’12) and eight Presidents Cups. Fourteen of Woods’ 79 career victories on the PGA Tour have come in major championships, including four PGA Championships. Woods is a record 11-time recipient of the PGA of America’s PGA Player of the Year Award.
 
“The Ryder Cup is incredibly special to me,” said Woods. “I am thrilled to once again serve as a Ryder Cup Vice Captain and I thank Jim for his confidence, friendship and support. My goal is to make the team, but whatever happens over the course of this season, I will continue to do what I can to help us keep the Cup. I’m excited about the challenge ahead.”
 
The 47-year-old Furyk played in nine consecutive Ryder Cups (1997, ’99, 2002, ‘04, ‘06, ‘08, ‘10, ‘12, ‘14), which is the second-most in U.S. Ryder Cup history (Phil Mickelson, 11). A West Chester, Pennsylvania native, Furyk was twice a member of winning U.S. Ryder Cup efforts as a player (1999, 2008), and once as a Vice Captain (2016).
 
A two-time Captain, Love led the U.S. to a 17 to 11 victory at Hazeltine National Golf Club in 2016 during the most recent Ryder Cup.
 
In the event that any Vice Captains qualify for, or are named to, the U.S. Ryder Cup Team, Furyk will have the option to name replacements.

Bubba And GMac: Two Additions To 2018 Ryder Cup Intrigue

They can play the Ryder Cup on a polo field with 24 drones and we'd probably find intrigue in the biennial team match play event.

But the possibility of Graeme McDowell enjoying a resurgence and Bubba Watson playing his way onto the USA squad, adds so much personality should it happen.

Eamon Lynch at Golfweek has the McDowell angle and while the Northern Irishman downplays the Ryder Cup on his list of priorities, his play at Riviera reminds that he still has game.

Over at GolfDigest.com, Brian Wacker considers the Bubba angle, a topic that arose after his Genesis Open win. Bubba brought up the Ryder Cup and it seems after his high profile 2016 snub (7th in points, 5th cart driver), he knows that accumulating points is essential and he has Captain Furyk's support.

“I’ve been bugging Jim Furyk for the longest time,” Watson said of the American captain. “I told him I want to be a co-captain, and he’s been texting back to me this week, ‘No, you’re too good. You need to be on our team playing.’ ”

He's Back! Paul Casey Will Be Eligible For 2018 Ryder Cup

Besides being one of the world's most consistent players and a fantastic match play golfer with a stellar record in the format, sophisticated world traveler Paul Casey knows when there's a Ryder Cup to be eligible for.

Paris, Versailles, here he comes! From Alistair Tait's Golfweek.com report on Casey re-upping his European Tour membership:

“As hard as it was trying to make it work three years ago – struggling with my game, dropping out of the top 50 – I have missed it (the European Tour) too much,” Casey said. “I have missed my contribution to English golf, British golf, my contribution to Europe.”

France's Ryder Cup Hopeful: Alexander Levy Wins In China

It's way too early--shoot they don't even start collecting points until August--but I'm fairly certainly most of golf will be rooting for Frenchman Alexander Levy to enter the discussion given the location of next year's Ryder Cup.

Moving to 11th on the European Tour money list with his four career win will also send him into the world top 100 again.

Levy was not shy after his win in mentioning the goal, writes Golfweek's Alistair Tait.

The Frenchman said his attention now is on making next year’s Ryder Cup team for the match at Le Golf National in Paris.

“It’s a goal and a dream for me to play the Ryder Cup in France,” he said. “I will do a lot of work to play the Ryder Cup and I will do my best to be part of the team.”

The winning Volvo China Open playoff putt:

Congratulations @alexlevygolf83! 🏆

A post shared by European Tour (@europeantour) on Apr 30, 2017 at 2:54am PDT

Ryder Cup Points: Fall Tour Events Still Don't Count

I have to be fully caffeinated to read about Ryder Cup points distribution in a non-Ryder Cup year, but it seems the task force Task Force "Task Force" committee is still making very clear that they do not think a darned thing about the PGA Tour's wraparound schedule.

For the 2018 Ryder Cup, the committee still will not award points to at least five events (schedule permitting) on the 2017-18 PGA Tour schedule. The omitted events share one thing in common: they are all played in the fall of 2017.

The new points breakdown shaped by Furyk and friends:

2017 Major Championships
o   1 Point per $1,000 earned
§  The Masters; U.S. Open; Open Championship; PGA Championship
 
Ø  2017 WGC Events and The Players Championship
o   1 Point per $2,000 earned
§  WGC-Mexico Championship; WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship; The Players Championship; WGC-Bridgestone Invitational; WGC-HSBC Champions
 
Ø  2018 Regular PGA Tour events
o   1 point per $1,000 earned
§  Beginning January 1, 2018, through the PGA Championship, August 12, 2018; includes the Zurich Classic of New Orleans team event and WGC events

§  2018 Opposite Field PGA TOUR events will NOT receive points

Given that the PGA Tour and PGA of America have a partnership, the fall's inability to be treated with respect remains a blow to the wraparound concept.

As for the elimination of a post-Tour Championship Captain's pick, Furyk made perfect sense, reports Ryan Lavner.

“It’s obvious that we can’t wait until after the Tour Championship to make a pick,” Furyk said. “We have passports, travel to Europe, and I feel like the timing, we probably want to get it done a little earlier and not put those guys through that at the Tour Championship again.

“I think it’s wise, as well, for the captains to be discussing pairings the night before we leave, rather than who our next captain’s pick is going to be.”

Four Captain's Picks: European Tour Unveils Membership Regulation Changes Impacting On Ryder Cup, Rolex Series

Thanks to reader ST who stumbled on this middle-of-the-night, past-deadlines European Tour posting of major membership regulation changes that will impact the Ryder Cup and many players who juggle time on multiple tours.

The key element: four (instead of five) European Tour sanctioned events outside of the majors and WGC's must be played to qualify for Ryder Cup eligibility. There is more.

Firstly, there will be a greater weighting for points earned in tournaments in the latter stages of the process to help ensure the European Team reflects those players in form nearer the time of The Ryder Cup itself.

Race to Dubai points and World Ranking points earned in these tournaments will be multiplied by 1.5 for the two respective qualification lists with the first counting event to benefit from this increased weighting in the 2018 season being the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth. 

With the 2018 schedule not as yet finalised, the last counting event in the quest to make Thomas Bjørn’s team bound for Le Golf National in Paris in September 2018 is not confirmed, but the starting point will be the D+D Real Czech Masters at the Albatross Golf Resort in Prague from August 31 – September 3, 2017.

This is an obvious reaction to so many players not sniffing the 2016 team while playing so well, or, in the case of Thomas Pieters, requiring a captain's pick.

Secondly, following the introduction of the Rolex Series, no Ryder Cup qualification points will be available from tournaments staged anywhere in the world played in the same week as these events in both 2017 and 2018.

Pelley!

Nice move by the Chief to protect his newly-announced series of events and to offer a little more incentive. Now the bad news...

While this change takes into account the significance of the Rolex Series for the European Tour, it also recognises it will mean fewer qualification points being available globally outside of these tournaments, hence Captain Bjørn will have an extra wild card pick at his disposal for the 2018 team – the third change.

 It means the 12-man European Team for The 2018 Ryder Cup will comprise the first four players from the European Points List, followed by the leading four players from the World Points List and completed by four wild cards. 

This is the most disappointing concession to the increasingly absurd glorification of captains. It's hard to imagine after the first two improvements that many players will be heartened by better qualifying rules while one less qualifying spot is offered.

Darren Clarke reluctantly took Thomas Pieters over Luke Donald. With a fourth pick, is he taking Donald over Russell Knox? If I were betting I'd say yes.

Here's a fun little back room preventive measure for an unforeseen scenario:

Furthermore, the committee also introduced a new regulation stating that players cannot be a European Ryder Cup Captain or a Vice-Captain if they decline membership of the European Tour or fail to fulfil their minimum event obligation in any season, from 2018 onwards.

Take That, Europe: Furyk Is The 2018 Ryder Cup Captain, Already Names His First Assistant Captain!

The task force "Task Force" Task Force probably had this one and the next four decided, but the rumor mill and Jim Furyk's continued relevance as an elite player injected a little doubt into whether he'd be selected 2018 Ryder Cup captain.

Furyk was named captain Wednesday on quite possibly the worst news day in the 21st century to reveal something, but it happens and the next Ryder Cup remains just under two years away.

Jason Sobel summed up the Furyk announcement this way:

Armed with a self-made swing and no-nonsense personality, Furyk has never been as awe-inspiring as Tiger Woods, or as beloved as Phil Mickelson, or even as admired as his predecessor Love, whom he has already named as his first vice captain.

What he lacks in affability, he more than makes up for with intelligence and sincerity and respect from his peers, qualities that should make him a strong captain for next year's festivities at Le Golf National in Paris.

Rex Hoggard talked to players about Furyk as captain.

After Mickelson, who assumed something of a playing vice captain role last year and is likely slated to captain the ’24 team at Bethpage in New York, Furyk is the most obvious choice to continue the work that began with last year’s victory (and make no mistake, those involved view the ’16 matches as only the beginning).

“Phil and Amy [Mickelson] are big time leaders and Jim and [wife Tabitha] are big time leaders as well,” Spieth said. “That really is important in a Ryder Cup team room, having both sides, having leadership together as a couple.”

In the old boys world of task forces, Furyk already named Davis Love an assistant, putting Mr. 58 on target--as of now--to be the first captain to have an assistant cart driver for every player on the team. 

Love had Furyk as an assistant and apparently wants to spend some time in Paris (can't blame him) in 2018. Or, Love missed driving his own cart at Hazeltine and is hoping to get back to his roots steering a Club Car.

From Doug Ferguson's story on the announcement:

Love will be one of his assistants in France.

"He's going to be a very tough act to follow," Furyk said from PGA of America headquarters in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. "He put a system in place. He put the players behind it. It won't make my task easier, but it makes it easier knowing there is a system in place. To have him by my side his advice, his experience, two captaincies and one vice captaincy is going to be priceless for me."

System's in place! Now it's just the captain's job to make sure those rain suits don't leak! Or does the system cover that?

Anyway, Furyk will give great press conference and not violate the most important tenets of the job, which John Feinstein and I debated on Golf Central:

Flashback: When Bjorn Wasn’t Captain Woosnam’s Biggest Fan

You know Thomas Bjorn is in full Ryder Cup captaincy campaign mode when he's congratulating old ("barmy") pal Ian Woosnam on his newfound World Golf Hall Of Fame status.

It's been a decade, but James Corrigan's story on Bjorn lashing out at then-Captain Woosnam from a decade ago makes for enjoyable reading, including the jab about not being burdened "with too many leadership qualities."

Amazingly, the issue was primarily over Lee Westwood getting a captain's pick with little-to-no consideration for Bjorn and others. How times haven't changed!

"So far his captaincy has been the most pathetic I have ever seen," said the 35-year-old, who is one of the European Tour's most respected players, and who is extremely popular throughout the Ryder Cup team room. "The man is barmy - to be captain and not communicate with a team or those in contention at all. I haven't spoken to him for six months, and then I find that I'm not in the team by watching it on television. How can that be right?"

This was nice too...

"I haven't heard a word off him for half a year, and I've spoken to several players who are on the team, and have been for a long time, and they haven't either," he said. "What sort of captaincy is that? I have lost all respect for him. My relationship with him is completely dead and will remain so. This will be the first time I don't even watch the Ryder Cup on television, and you don't know how sad that is, given how much I care for that tournament. I desperately want the 12 players to be a success, but I want them to do it in spite of the captain."

Ahhhh...but all is well now...that someone wants to be captain!

Inevitable: Europe May Take Task Force Inspiration!

As the timeline takes shape for Europe to select its next Ryder Cup captain--Paul McGinley says Christmastime for the Thomas Bjorn to likely get the job according to G.C. Digital--the 17-11 losers at Hazeltine may be taking inspiration from the vaunted American Task Force.

Derek Lawrenson writes for the Daily Mail about Europe realizing it may not be fielding its best team, with Alex Noren serving as the latest reminder by winning his third European Tour title.

Though the discussion could get awkward...

Barring last-minute manoeuvrings, expect them to appoint Thomas Bjorn — and if anyone should know the time is right for change, it is the Dane.

Bjorn benefited from the failings of the current qualifying system when he made the team at Gleneagles.

He won the first qualifying event in Switzerland, then the Nedbank Challenge at the back end of 2013 - and was still hanging on to a place despite a single top-three finish over the next 10 months.

He then struggled in Scotland, contributing a half-point. Yes, it is true the Americans putted far better than the Europeans at Hazeltine and that is why they won. But it is also true that players bang in form invariably do.