Fred Couples: If Not For Davis Love Getting The Ryder Cup Job, "I’d have a different attitude toward this"

The plot thickens a tad in the U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy stakes, with Fred Couples telling Golf Channel's George Savaricas that he spoke to PGA of America president Pete Bevacqua in December, with more discussions expected. Bevacqua told the presumptive player and fan favorite for the 2016 Ryder Cup Captaincy that he'd be back in touch and that "it'd be a while" before a decision was made.

Yet indicators are suggesting the decision was nearly a done deal by then. Meaning Couples, who said "I was shooting to give myself a shot" at the captaincy, never stood much of a chance with a PGA relentlessly lukewarm toward the one of the two American captains with a winning touch of late.

The full interview from Riviera where Couples is playing the Northern Trust Open on a sponsor's invite:

But the most interesting remark comes when Couples acknowledges that "to be quite honest with you, maybe if not Davis [getting the nod], I’d have a different attitude toward this." Couples, however, reiterates that he has "no bitterness at all."

Tim Rosaforte prepares us for what to expect next week when the PGA formalizes their plan, but it's hard to get very excited about the task force's vision.

Thus, we’re going to hear phrases at the news conference on Tuesday, Feb. 24 that this was “building the foundation” with a guy that not only orchestrated a four-point lead at Medinah in 2012, but that has been in the back rooms of Ryder Cups since 1993.
 
You’re also going to hear “captain by committee,” where it’s not just Love making important decisions at Hazeltine. He'll be the man out front, but it will be Love along with the respected Tom Lehman and a guy being groomed for the captaincy at Whistling Straits in 2020, Steve Stricker.

Michael Bamberger at golf.com considers the case of Couples and concludes that no matter what the task force Task Force "Task Force" wanted, Freddie was not their man.

Meanwhile, PGA of America officials were frustrated that Couples was not a visible presence on the course during Sunday’s play. He was unreachable on his walkie-talkie for long periods on Sunday, parts of which he spent hanging with Michael Jordan in the NBC hospitality tent near the 13th hole.

Rex Hoggard says the PGA's reasoning is both predictable and hard to pinpoint. Davis Love's perception as a "PGA guy" didn't hurt his cause, Hoggard writes.

According to one source close to the meetings, at least three players on the task force said that Couples “needed to be the guy” and in November the three-time Presidents Cup captain – a resume boost which some have suggested actually hurts a potential Ryder Cup captain’s bid – said he received numerous texts and phone calls from players saying “We need you to do this.”

Instead, the task force came up with Love, who was without a doubt a wildly popular captain with a Type A personality perfectly suited for the job.

He’s also a “PGA guy.” It seems some things never change.