An Interesting Take on Watson's Captaincy

MikeNomgi Professional Champion
Go to Last Reply 132 Views 12 Replies 0 Likes
http://www.golfchannel.com/new../
JayPet Legend
# 1 9/30/2014 7:32:07 AM
That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine.
cogolfer1 LowIndex
# 2 9/30/2014 8:12:17 AM
That's a really good article and definitely explains a lot. Like Jay, I think Azinger's going to be the first one asked to get the job for the next Ryder Cup. #Azinger2016
MikeNomgi Professional Champion
# 3 9/30/2014 8:19:08 AM
That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine. It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016. It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad. But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players.
JayPet Legend
# 4 9/30/2014 9:03:45 AM
Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again. He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other. I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason.
Don Freeman Professional Champion
# 5 9/30/2014 10:43:06 AM
Its the special sauce......,
cogolfer1 LowIndex
# 6 9/30/2014 11:44:52 AM
Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again. He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other. I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason. I've always thought the reason why the President's Cup is so one-sided is because there's no team unity on the international side, and you can't blame them for that. Last year, let's take Graham DeLaet of Canada, Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan for example. In what international competition would it seem remotely reasonable for players from Canada, Zimbabwe, and Japan to be on the same team? That's the problem with the President's Cup and why I can't get into it the same way I can with the Ryder Cup. It doesn't feel like there's any spirit on the international side. It's as much of a rivalry between the international players themselves as it is between the international team and the US team.
njgolfer Legend
# 7 9/30/2014 1:44:39 PM
Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again. He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other. I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason. I've always thought the reason why the President's Cup is so one-sided is because there's no team unity on the international side, and you can't blame them for that. Last year, let's take Graham DeLaet of Canada, Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan for example. In what international competition would it seem remotely reasonable for players from Canada, Zimbabwe, and Japan to be on the same team? That's the problem with the President's Cup and why I can't get into it the same way I can with the Ryder Cup. It doesn't feel like there's any spirit on the international side. It's as much of a rivalry between the international players themselves as it is between the international team and the US team. The reason why the President's Cup is so one sided up to this point is the lack of overall talent by the Internationals. As the talent progresses, and it is moving in the right direction as the margin of defeat is dwindling, the USA will face the same dilemma in the coming years as it does with the Europeans. You can't hide anyone in the President's Cup. The PGA Tour makes millionaires not overall competitors. Results Year Venue Location Winning team Score U.S. Captain International Captain 2015 Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Incheon, South Korea Jay Haas Zimbabwe Nick Price 2013 Muirfield Village Dublin, Ohio United States 18½–15½ Fred Couples Zimbabwe Nick Price 2011 Royal Melbourne Golf Club Melbourne, Australia United States 19–15 Fred Couples Australia Greg Norman 2009 Harding Park Golf Club San Francisco, California United States 19½–14½ Fred Couples Australia Greg Norman 2007 Royal Montreal Golf Club Montreal, Canada United States 19½–14½ Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player 2005 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 18½–15½ Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player 2003 Fancourt Hotel and Country Club George, Western Cape, South Africa Tied 17–17 Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player 2000 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 21½–10½ Ken Venturi Australia Peter Thomson 1998 Royal Melbourne Golf Club Melbourne, Australia International 20½–11½ Jack Nicklaus Australia Peter Thomson 1996 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 16½–15½ Arnold Palmer Australia Peter Thomson 1994 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 20–12 Hale Irwin Australia David Graham
LyinLewis Legend
# 8 9/30/2014 2:24:04 PM
That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine. It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016. It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad. But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players. Agree 100% this idea that the pods system is the only way to go because it worked one time on our own soil is silly. We should win on our home soil. We should have won in Chicago when we were kicking butt...we choked in singles which has zero to do with pods. This is about our players playing like divas...Tiger Woods included by the way. It should be a huge embarrassment that their records are so terrible. Tiger hid behind the excuse that the issue was other players playing with him. My guess is that Tiger was a stiff and his teammates did not playing with him.
HOGAN418 Professional Champion
# 9 9/30/2014 2:25:24 PM
He used the word "coddle".. I did to..
MikeNomgi Professional Champion
# 10 9/30/2014 4:29:39 PM
That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine. It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016. It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad. But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players. Agree 100% this idea that the pods system is the only way to go because it worked one time on our own soil is silly. We should win on our home soil. We should have won in Chicago when we were kicking butt...we choked in singles which has zero to do with pods. This is about our players playing like divas...Tiger Woods included by the way. It should be a huge embarrassment that their records are so terrible. Tiger hid behind the excuse that the issue was other players playing with him. My guess is that Tiger was a stiff and his teammates did not playing with him. Well said.
LyinLewis Legend
# 11 9/30/2014 5:09:09 PM
I am also willing to bet that Azinger does not accept the Ryder Cup Captaincy if it is offered. He has too much to lose. His book gets free promotion whenever we lose, and if he lost using the pod system it might just prove that we won on our own merit...that the players played well and finished the job.
MikeNomgi Professional Champion
# 12 9/30/2014 5:50:53 PM
I am also willing to bet that Azinger does not accept the Ryder Cup Captaincy if it is offered. He has too much to lose. His book gets free promotion whenever we lose, and if he lost using the pod system it might just prove that we won on our own merit...that the players played well and finished the job. I was thinking the same thing. But I think the odds of winning at home in 2016 are good for any captain. And if Azinger captained the team and they lost, Phil would look pretty dumb too.

MikeNomgi

Professional Champion

Go to Last Reply

132 Views 12 Replies 0 Likes

http://www.golfchannel.com/new../

JayPet

Legend

# 1 9/30/2014 7:32:07 AM

That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine.

cogolfer1

LowIndex

# 2 9/30/2014 8:12:17 AM

That's a really good article and definitely explains a lot. Like Jay, I think Azinger's going to be the first one asked to get the job for the next Ryder Cup. #Azinger2016

MikeNomgi

Professional Champion

# 3 9/30/2014 8:19:08 AM

That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine.

It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016.

It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad.

But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players.

JayPet

Legend

# 4 9/30/2014 9:03:45 AM

Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again.

He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other.

I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason.

Don Freeman

Professional Champion

# 5 9/30/2014 10:43:06 AM

Its the special sauce......,

cogolfer1

LowIndex

# 6 9/30/2014 11:44:52 AM

Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again.

He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other.

I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason.

I've always thought the reason why the President's Cup is so one-sided is because there's no team unity on the international side, and you can't blame them for that. Last year, let's take Graham DeLaet of Canada, Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan for example. In what international competition would it seem remotely reasonable for players from Canada, Zimbabwe, and Japan to be on the same team? That's the problem with the President's Cup and why I can't get into it the same way I can with the Ryder Cup. It doesn't feel like there's any spirit on the international side. It's as much of a rivalry between the international players themselves as it is between the international team and the US team.

njgolfer

Legend

# 7 9/30/2014 1:44:39 PM

Talk about putting the pressure squarely back on Azinger's pod system and forcing the players to take ownership?! That might just be the best way to get guy invested in accountability again.

He's right about President's Cup play; the guys play looser and the putts seem to fall more. I totally get it that a system doesn't create better play but it creates an atmosphere of good collaboration and trust in each other.

I set up Standard Operating Procedures around the US to create repeatability in my companies. It works when everyone does things the same way. You get better performance when things are set up the right way too. The Big Mac tastes the same no matter where you go in the world... that's done for a reason.

I've always thought the reason why the President's Cup is so one-sided is because there's no team unity on the international side, and you can't blame them for that. Last year, let's take Graham DeLaet of Canada, Brendon de Jonge of Zimbabwe, and Hideki Matsuyama of Japan for example. In what international competition would it seem remotely reasonable for players from Canada, Zimbabwe, and Japan to be on the same team? That's the problem with the President's Cup and why I can't get into it the same way I can with the Ryder Cup. It doesn't feel like there's any spirit on the international side. It's as much of a rivalry between the international players themselves as it is between the international team and the US team.

The reason why the President's Cup is so one sided up to this point is the lack of overall talent by the Internationals. As the talent progresses, and it is moving in the right direction as the margin of defeat is dwindling, the USA will face the same dilemma in the coming years as it does with the Europeans. You can't hide anyone in the President's Cup. The PGA Tour makes millionaires not overall competitors.

Results
Year Venue Location Winning team Score U.S. Captain International Captain
2015 Jack Nicklaus Golf Club Korea Incheon, South Korea Jay Haas Zimbabwe Nick Price
2013 Muirfield Village Dublin, Ohio United States 18½–15½ Fred Couples Zimbabwe Nick Price
2011 Royal Melbourne Golf Club Melbourne, Australia United States 19–15 Fred Couples Australia Greg Norman
2009 Harding Park Golf Club San Francisco, California United States 19½–14½ Fred Couples Australia Greg Norman
2007 Royal Montreal Golf Club Montreal, Canada United States 19½–14½ Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player
2005 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 18½–15½ Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player
2003 Fancourt Hotel and Country Club George, Western Cape, South Africa Tied 17–17 Jack Nicklaus South Africa Gary Player
2000 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 21½–10½ Ken Venturi Australia Peter Thomson
1998 Royal Melbourne Golf Club Melbourne, Australia International 20½–11½ Jack Nicklaus Australia Peter Thomson
1996 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 16½–15½ Arnold Palmer Australia Peter Thomson
1994 Robert Trent Jones Golf Club Gainesville, Virginia United States 20–12 Hale Irwin Australia David Graham

LyinLewis

Legend

# 8 9/30/2014 2:24:04 PM

That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine.

It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016.

It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad.

But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players.

Agree 100% this idea that the pods system is the only way to go because it worked one time on our own soil is silly. We should win on our home soil. We should have won in Chicago when we were kicking butt...we choked in singles which has zero to do with pods.

This is about our players playing like divas...Tiger Woods included by the way. It should be a huge embarrassment that their records are so terrible. Tiger hid behind the excuse that the issue was other players playing with him. My guess is that Tiger was a stiff and his teammates did not playing with him.

HOGAN418

Professional Champion

# 9 9/30/2014 2:25:24 PM

He used the word "coddle".. I did to..

MikeNomgi

Professional Champion

# 10 9/30/2014 4:29:39 PM

That's a very interesting article Mike. It sort of resonates what Tim Rosanforte said this morning on GC. Tim was out there and saw things first hand and gave an interesting take similar to this article. This was Ted Bishop's decision, and his only. Many people were not happy with it and Ted will get some major flack for it. He also said that Mickelson's honesty about the question he answered was more of a jab at the PGA of America than Watson, but it came across bad. He was steamed about what happened on the 18th hole at Valhalla and steamed at the selection process and probably still steamed about being slighted on Sat. Who the hell knows? is the real answer, but I think you will see Azinger back at the helm in Hazeltine.

It almost doesn't matter who captains at Hazeltine. The US is due for a win and it will probably happen in 2016.

It's a double-edged sword for the PGA of America. If they pick Azinger, they admit making a mistake in Watson. If they don't, it's just as bad.

But what if they pick Zinger and we lose? Does that invalidate the pod system? Or does it validate Watson's contention that it's not about pods, it's about 12 players.

Agree 100% this idea that the pods system is the only way to go because it worked one time on our own soil is silly. We should win on our home soil. We should have won in Chicago when we were kicking butt...we choked in singles which has zero to do with pods.

This is about our players playing like divas...Tiger Woods included by the way. It should be a huge embarrassment that their records are so terrible. Tiger hid behind the excuse that the issue was other players playing with him. My guess is that Tiger was a stiff and his teammates did not playing with him.

Well said.

LyinLewis

Legend

# 11 9/30/2014 5:09:09 PM

I am also willing to bet that Azinger does not accept the Ryder Cup Captaincy if it is offered. He has too much to lose. His book gets free promotion whenever we lose, and if he lost using the pod system it might just prove that we won on our own merit...that the players played well and finished the job.

MikeNomgi

Professional Champion

# 12 9/30/2014 5:50:53 PM

I am also willing to bet that Azinger does not accept the Ryder Cup Captaincy if it is offered. He has too much to lose. His book gets free promotion whenever we lose, and if he lost using the pod system it might just prove that we won on our own merit...that the players played well and finished the job.

I was thinking the same thing. But I think the odds of winning at home in 2016 are good for any captain.

And if Azinger captained the team and they lost, Phil would look pretty dumb too.

COMMUNITY