Ryder Cup Teams Set
- Dan Hauser
- 3 Sep, 2014
The Americans have not won a Ryder Cup played in Europe since 1993. They haven’t won a Cup title anywhere since Valhalla in 2008. It’s fitting then, that this team’s captain, Tom Watson, was the captain in 1993 when the U.S. Squad last won the biennial event on foreign soil.
Watson will look to re-create the magic he had in England 21 years ago in a little less than a month in Scotland and after last night, we now know the team he will be bringing with him.
Joining the nine automatic qualifiers of Bubba Watson, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Jimmy Walker, Phil Mickelson, Matt Kuchar, Jordan Speith, Patrick Reed, and Zach Johnson will be captains picks Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, and Webb Simpson.
Watson went with experience over who had the hot hand as 7 of the 12 members of this year’s team were on the 2012 side that blew a four point lead on the Sunday Singles Matches to lose to the Europeans in what has been termed “The Miracle at Medinah.” As a result redemption is already on the minds of many of the team members. American basketball had the “Dream Team” in 1992. Now American golf has the “Redeem Team”.
“Redemption is going to be a strong word among the players,” said Mahan, who was announced as Watson’s second selection. “Europe has flat out kicked our butt in recent years.”
Watson knows that the players will already have Medinah on their minds as well and won’t need to use it as motivation.
“Every player in this team will go in there thinking about Medinah. They will know, I don’t have to tell them,” the captain said. “I know how it hurt me. I watched it and for three days I had a big hole in my stomach.”
In addition the American side being finalized yesterday, they also found out the 12 golfers from the European side that they will be facing.
Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and 39 year old Ryder Cup rookie and Scotland native Stephen Gallacher were selected by European captain Paul McGinley as his captains picks. They will join Rory Mcllroy, Henrik Stenson, Victor Dubuisson, Jamie Donaldson, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Martin Kaymer, Thomas Bjorn, and Graeme McDowell as the Europeans try and win their third consecutive Ryder Cup and fourth consecutive title on their home soil.
The Ryder Cup will take place at Gleneagles in Scotland September 23-28.
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About Dan Hauser
As an avid golfer and sports enthusiast, Dan has had a passion for sports starting at a very young age. Dan’s other passion has always been writing. Since the time he could write, he has always enjoyed sharing information with people and telling stories through writing. In middle school he combined his two loves by joining the school newspaper in the sports department.
