Who will be the U.S. Captain in 2012?

[John Blain]

I would have said Davis Love III but he said a few weeks ago he wants to play in another one....I always thought Jeff Sluman would be a great captain (and a past PGA champ) and felt he should have been hired over Tom Lehman.

Doesn't seem like anyone is a clear cut favorite like Pavin was for this year's team

Thoughts?

[Mike Sweeney]

John Moore for Captain !!

[RJ_Daley]

Well, if Dave Shivas Schmidt won't serve, then I suppose the other hometown boy, Sluman is a good pick.

[CJ Carder]

Freddie C?  He's been groomed from the Prez Cup.

[Bruce Wellmon]

 Freddie.

Per Ron Green, Jr (Charlotte Observer)

Couples Wants, Deserves Ryder Cup Captaincy
 
Like so many other players in the field at the Ensure Classic at Rock Barn Friday, Fred Couples wanted to know what was happening at the Ryder Cup in Wales.

Bernhard Langer, who was in the mix to be a captain's pick for the European team, said he was glad to be playing in the North Carolina sunshine rather than the rainy mess in Wales.

Tom Kite recalled his seven Ryder Cup experiences as a player and his captaincy at Valderamma in Spain in 1997 when rain also disrupted the proceedings.

Couples, meanwhile, liked hearing that the format had been altered due to the weather and that every player would be on the course on Saturday. He believes the Ryder Cup should be like the Presidents Cup where all the players play rather than creating awkward decisions about who sits and who plays in the Ryder Cup.

On Sunday, Couples turns 51 and he's had a great career but he still wants one thing -- he wants to be the U.S. Ryder Cup captain. He captained the victorious U.S. Presidents Cup team last fall and he'll do it again next year in Australia.

That's great but it's not the Ryder Cup.

Couples deserves to be Ryder Cup captain in 2012, though it may be unlikely given his Presidents Cup commitment.

"Sure," Couples said Friday when asked if he wanted to captain the Ryder Cup team. "But if it doesn't happen, I'll take my two chances with the Presidents Cup as a great time and a great honor and go from there."

When the PGA of America sits down to pick its next Ryder Cup captain, Fred Couples should be the easy answer.

  

[Eric Smith]

This guy!  A Playing Captain!!

[Michael Whitaker]

The PGA tends to like former PGA Champions as captains of the Ryder Cup. With that in mind the likely candidates are Love or David Toms. Personally, I'd love to see Couples captain a Ryder Cup!

[Michael Whitaker]

This guy!  A Playing Captain!!

They won't give me enough shots!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Adam_Messix]

The guy who really deserves to be captain is Larry Nelson.  Three time major champion, fantastic Ryder Cup record, and deserved it a long time ago but they had Kite and Crenshaw in mind to go back to back in 1997 and 99.  Unfortunately, he's not in touch with the tour anymore so it would be a tricky choice. 

Fred Couples really deserves it to, played in a lot of Cups and a guy that the players like and respect.  His President's Cup commitments make it tough to do though. 

The most likely choice is Davis Love, III.  Right age, PGA champion, made a clutch putt in the 1993 Ryder Cup. 


I think the choice of next European captain could be more interesting.  Looks like Olazabal would be a great choice particularly here in the U. S.  That would put Sandy Lyle in the Larry Nelson position of being a Ryder cup stalwart passed over for the captaincy. 

[Phil McDade]

The PGA tends to like former PGA Champions as captains of the Ryder Cup. With that in mind the likely candidates are Love or David Toms. Personally, I'd love to see Couples captain a Ryder Cup!

"The PGA tends to like former PGA Champions as captains of the Ryder Cup."

Huh? Like Strange, Lehman, Kite and Pavin?

[Mark McKeever]

I'd love to see Freddie head up the US squad!

Mark

[Garland Bayley]

John Moore for Captain !!

+1

[PCCraig]

Jeff Sluman would make the most sense. He was an assistant this year and the event is in his backyard in 2012.

But knowing the PGA they will probably pick Davis Love...Corey Pavin part deux.

[JR Potts]

I'd love to see Freddie head up the US squad!

Me too.  But, they'll end up picking DL-ZZZ.

[Terry Lavin]

It'll probably be DL III, the bland leader of the band.  Maybe they can use the Dan Fogelberg song "the Leader of the Band" for the introduction ceremony.  Here's hoping he doesn't get divorced and marry his personal assistant and put her in charge of the outfits for the players...

[Tim Bert]

Jeff Overton

[Jeff Zeagler]

My vote is that we pull Dave Stockton back off the shelf.  Maybe he can pass along a few putting pointers over the course of the week.

[Sam Morrow]

Couples would be good, I think he is the kind of guy who would get more out of guys like Mickelson. I think one of the reasons many Americans have struggled in the Ryder Cup is because it is structured to much by the Captain and the PGA of America. Most of the American players of today have structured routines but it's their routine. Give the players more freedom and then I think you see more out of Team USA.

Now I understand someone will read this and point out Azinger to me and how hands on he was but that team had such a differemt nucleus, it was a team without Tiger that was looked at as a bunch of muts.

[Carl Rogers]

Couples would be good, I think he is the kind of guy who would get more out of guys like Mickelson. I think one of the reasons many Americans have struggled in the Ryder Cup is because it is structured to much by the Captain and the PGA of America. Most of the American players of today have structured routines but it's their routine. Give the players more freedom and then I think you see more out of Team USA.

I think this is an excellent point.  I thought that many of the Americans were way off their personal games on Sunday because of over "coaching" or "structure".

[Niall C]

If Mike Whittaker doesn't get it, I'd go for Nick Faldo, after all he won America the cup last time 

Niall

[Michael Dugger]

Has Hale Irwin ever captained?

Is being a repeat captain frowned upon?  If not, bring back Ben Crenshaw.

Put a little Funk in the event, make Fred Funk captain!

[George Pazin]

Kinda sad how many people assume a quiet TV or on-course personality means you're somehow less than capable and automatically boring.

[ward peyronnin]

I vote for George Bahto to be Walker Cup captain in 2013

He knows NGLA as well as anyone

[Tim Martin]

If the people at the PGA had any sense at all, they would quickly announce that The Captainess will the one who will be taking the helm of the US Ryder Cup effort in 2012. You all bring up fine points about how Vice Captains are being groomed for the job and are natural successors. Well, what about a Captainess? Last time I checked, a "Captainess" outranks a mere "Vice Captain". In my mind, she is 0-0-0 and the blame for this defeat obviously falls at the feet of her husband. She can learn from her, well, mistakes (the whole player waterproof fiasco and the spiked heels choice for Friday's fourballs) and take solace in her victories (wore a fawn-coloured shawl-cum-poncho draped over a fawn-coloured sweater that looked, simply, devine) that do not show up on the scorecard.

She has shown remarkable dedication (according to her interview, she pulled "several all-nighters a week during the months leading up to the event) and pride (take note of the red, white and blue flag and crucifix as the only clothes/accessories in her picture on the magazine cover) and is not afraid to throw convention to the wind (can you believe she went with a chiffon dress on Thursday evening's ball?!?!).

The Captainess for 2012!!!!

Very hard to argue with Mr. Cronan on this one. A flawless pitch for the "captainess" in 2012.

[Thomas McQuillan]

let paul azinger have another go and see if his ''pod'' sytem works next time