Tom Watson became an unlikely contender for the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup captaincy on Sunday, telling reporters in Australia that he would welcome the opportunity if he were “tapped on the shoulder.”
How unlikely? Well, Watson, now 63, last captained the Americans in 1993 at the Belfry – interestingly enough, the last time they won in Europe. The U.S. hasn’t had a repeat captain since 1987 (Jack Nicklaus). And the popular belief was that David Toms would get the nod at Gleneagles.
But Watson’s thrusting his name in the conversation sure caught the attention of two of Team Europe’s best players, however.
“I know the PGA of America likes to pick them between 40 and 50 (years old), a U.S. PGA champion,” Graeme McDowell said Monday on “Morning Drive.” “But I would say they would change that (unofficial) rule if Tom Watson wants to captain the team in two years. That would be a fairly intimidating captain as a European player.”
“I think Tom would be a great captain,” Ian Poulter added. “He’s someone the whole team would respect. He has been around the game long, won so many majors, factored in so many majors. I think he would do a great job.”