Ryder Cup: Frustration boils over in USA press conference
Golf is a gentleman’s game, but the U.S. team certainly didn’t seem to lose with much grace in the 2014 Ryder at Gleneagles Resort in Scotland after a press conference in which Phil Mickelson voiced his disagreement with U.S. captain Tom Watson and Jim Furyk also showed frustration.
Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel tweeted the important stuff:
In the team press conference, Phil Mickelson expounding on personal investment and gameplan of 2008 team. "Don't know why we've strayed."
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) September 28, 2014
Tom Watson: "Our team wasn't up to winning as much this week as the European team was. That's the bottom line."
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) September 28, 2014
Tom Watson: "It takes 12 players to win. Not pods. I had a different philosophy than Paul. I think that was the proper thing to do."
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) September 28, 2014
Jim Furyk: "If we knew the winning formula, we would have changed this s--- a long time ago."
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) September 28, 2014
Jim Furyk: "If we knew the winning formula, we would have changed this s--- a long time ago."
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelTAN) September 28, 2014
Mickelson voiced his frustration over Watson deciding to bench Keegan Bradley and himself Saturday afternoon as well as some other coaching mistakes Watson made in the Ryder Cup.
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After Mickelson and Keegan Bradley won their Friday morning session fourball play against Rory McIlroy in 18 holes, Watson sent them right back out for the afternoon session where they suffered a 3 and 2 loss to Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson after they were clearly tired from their morning match.
Going into Saturday, Watson said he was going to bench Mickelson and Bradley in the morning, but said they would play in the afternoon. But, then Watson benched Mickelson and Bradley despite Mickelson’s lobbying efforts to get Watson to allow him to play.
Mickelson brought it up again in frustration at the U.S. press conference and Watson fired back, saying he thought his strategy was right and that Europe simply out played them. Which is true.
Mickelson likely will regret his comments that he made, insulting one of America’s greatest golfers ever in Tom Watson. Not only did Mickelson insult Watson, but also his fellow teammates saying that USA wasn’t “invested in the process” together.
Europe came together as a team this weekend in Scotland and clearly, partly in thanks to Phil Mickelson, the U.S. did not.
Here’s the video of Phil attacking Watson’s methods and comparing to Paul Azinger’s 2008 win.
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