U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will continue to have six picks in selecting the 2021 U.S squad.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will continue to have six picks in selecting his team for the 43rd matches against Europe in 2021, the PGA of America announced on Wednesday.
The other new development: tournaments contested in the fall now will count for points. All points earned by U.S. players since qualifications began in 2019 will continue to be recognized. The U.S. selection criteria will now extend through the second 2021 FedEx Cup Playoff event, the BMW Championship.
The points system for the American team will include the top six players on the points list securing spots on the U.S. team. Previously, the top eight players had been expected to secure spots.
The remaining six players will be selected and announced by Captain Stricker following the 2021 Tour Championship. Previously, the captain was to select four players.
The Ryder Cup was rescheduled due to the COVID-19 pandemic to Sept. 24-26, 2021 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Here’s the full breakdown on how points will be earned:
2019 Major Championships
1 Point per $1,000 earned
The Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open & The Open
2019 WGC Events and The Players Championship
1 Point per $2,000 earned
WGC-Mexico Championship; WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play Championship; The Players Championship; WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational; WGC-HSBC Champions
2020Regular PGA Tour events
1 point per $1,000 earned
Beginning Jan. 1, 2020, through the Mayakoba Golf Classic (Dec. 3-6)
2020 Opposite Field PGA Tour events will NOT receive points
2020 Major Championships
2 Points per $1,000 earned for the Winner
1.5 Points per $1,000 earned for all others to make the cut
PGA Championship, U.S. Open, Masters only
2021 Regular PGA Tour events
1.5 Points per $1,000 earned
Beginning January 10, 2021 (Sentry Tournament of Champions), through the end of the second FedEx Cup Playoff (BMW Championship); including The Players Championship and WGC events
2020/21 Opposite Field PGA Tour events will NOT receive points
2021 Major Championships
2 Points per $1,000 earned for all others to make the cut
Masters, PGA Championship, U.S. Open, Open Championship
The Ryder Cup postponement couldn’t be held with fans in 2020 and so it had to be postponed to September 2021.
It’s about time.
The postponement of the Ryder Cup until September 2021 due to the global coronavirus pandemic had a sense of inevitability really since the day in March when the Players Championship was canceled after the first round and the Masters was postponed until November.
The Ryder Cup joins the British Open not to mention March Madness, the Boston and New York City Marathons, Wimbledon and the Summer Olympics among great sporting events not happening this year. An unfathomable scenario on New Year’s Day, but here we are.
You knew it was going to end this way when The Daily Telegraph’s Jamie Corrigan, citing unnamed sources, declared postponement to 2021 was imminent despite the cries of fake news.
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You knew it was going to be postponed when players from both sides agreed that it wouldn’t be a Ryder Cup without the fans – the rare time that Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka and everyone down the line were all on the same page – and some threatened not to play.
You knew it even as the PGA Tour resumed play after a 91-day suspension and played on without fans. But the Ryder Cup?
“If you can’t play the Ryder Cup with fans, it’s not the Ryder Cup,” Spain’s Jon Rahm said. “It’s something else.”
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker said it would’ve been “a yawner,” while former European Ryder Cup player and captain Tony Jacklin said, “It would be a disaster.”
We can do without the knuckleheads cheering a shot hit into the water or some of the four-letter words and unsportsmanlike gestures that have become all too commonplace in recent years (no matter which side of the pond the biennial match is contested), but the patriotic furor and the passion and pageantry of a Ryder Cup has turned it into a rock concert, where the first-tee intensity is second to none. The fans are the 13th man; they are part of what makes the Ryder Cup so great and one of the greatest scenes in all of sports. The game is better off waiting an extra year for a Ryder Cup done right than a watered-down version.
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As Stricker put it, “It would be more like an exhibition. And that’s not what that event is about.”
The powers-that-be did the necessary due diligence, but they knew it to, and despite dragging out the official announcement, the writing was on the wall.
“We did everything we could to make it a Dewey beats Truman headline. We really wanted to do this,” PGA of America CEO Seth Waugh said.
They gave it the old college try, but did anyone really think this was going to get played?
Money was the only reason to go forward this year. The Ryder Cup is a financial juggernaut for the PGA and European Tour, and postponing it for a year has forced both entities to make some tough decisions in their profit-and-loss models.
But staging the Ryder Cup this fall couldn’t be justified as positive tests for COVID-19 spiked, as mandatory quarantine periods were extended, as qualification criteria were rejiggered and lacked meaning, and as the PGA Tour called an audible and announced it wouldn’t allow limited fan attendance at next week’s Memorial Tournament. Too much uncertainty. What promises do we have that we won’t just be in the same position a year from now?
“None, frankly,” Waugh conceded. “I’d bet on science is what I’d say, personally. The ability to figure out treatments/vaccines or protocols for safety given that we have 15 months to do that, but there frankly is no guarantee.”
That just further confirms that it was the right decision to postpone. But it was also the only decision that could have been made.
As for the Ryder Cup, many factors will go into the decision to play or postpone, from qualifying opportunities to financial implications.
Golf’s governing bodies have faced some major decisions regarding their marquee events over the past few months. The PGA of America seems to be under the current spotlight with the PGA Championship and the Ryder Cup looming.
After a Monday report from the San Francisco Chronicle indicated the PGA Championship would be played at its original venue, TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, on its new date of Aug. 6-9 but without fans in attendance, focus turns to the Ryder Cup.
One barometer for the event’s fate could be the cancellation of the Warrens Cranberry Festival, annually held in Warrens, Wisconsin, the last weekend in September. As reported by the Associated Press on Wednesday, organizers decided to nix an event that would bring together as many as 45,000 people and 1,300 vendors. (For those wondering, Wisconsin is the No. 1 producer of cranberries in America as well as the No. 1 producer of cheese.)
The Ryder Cup is slated for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin. Deeming it a no-fan event is not so easy. Without the fans, players and even captains have asked, can it really be the Ryder Cup? Unfortunately, postponing the Ryder Cup isn’t any easier.
Earlier this month, U.S. captain Steve Stricker said on a Madison, Wisconsin-based radio show that he hoped the event wouldn’t happen without fans, noting “it almost would be a yawner of an event,” if so. He indicated a decision was likely within two to three weeks.
Many factors will go into the decision, from qualifying opportunities for players (the PGA of America announced last week that Stricker would get six captain’s picks this year instead of four) to the financial impact for the PGA of America and PGA Tour (the latter of which reportedly is out millions after propping up some of its canceled tournaments to keep them from going under) to the potential impact on the 2021 Presidents Cup.
The Associated Press reported that top players were surveyed about possible options last week at Colonial. They were asked to prioritize these scenarios: a Ryder Cup this year with no fans, a Ryder Cup with half the fans or a Ryder Cup in 2022. Interestingly, one of the options wasn’t to delay until 2021 and push the Presidents Cup back to ’22, which is what happened the last time the Ryder Cup was postponed due to 9/11.
Rory McIlroy and Brooks Koepka, Nos. 1 and 4 in the world, respectively, are among those who have vocalized the importance of fans.
At this week’s Tour stop at Harbour Town, Webb Simpson, who has appeared on three Ryder Cup teams, also underscored the importance of a Ryder Cup fan presence.
“I feel like fans make the Ryder Cup,” he said. “Now, I would go play, obviously. I would be happy to be on the team, but I think they really do. Unlike any other event, fans make the Ryder Cup.”
Jim Furyk weighed in as a past player and past captain, acknowledging that there were several layers to any question of holding the Ryder Cup without fans.
As Furyk said, it’s strange to play a PGA Tour event with empty galleries and “it would be really strange – I mean, just exponentially at a Ryder Cup,” noting that the atmosphere is what players love about the event.
Furyk also pointed out how many organizations have a stake in the event, and that that must be considered.
“I would need to know more about what it means to the organizations – to the PGA Tour, to the PGA of America, to the European Tour for that matter and European PGA,” he said. “What’s the financial ramifications if we do and we don’t play?”
What do you get for a man who seemingly has everything? Phil Mickelson, who turns 50 on June 16, is a tough guy to buy for.
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What do you get for a man who seemingly has everything?
Seriously, Phil Mickelson, who turns 50 on June 16, is a tough guy to buy for. Man’s got three green jackets, a Claret Jug, a Wanamaker Trophy and a plaque in the World Golf Hall of Fame. He has a hefty bank account, all the toys, golf memberships the world over, a mansion being built in southeast Florida.
“Gosh, that’s a good question,” Mickelson told Golfweek when asked what he’s hoping to unwrap. “I really don’t want for anything, materialistically. But I am excited what Amy has planned and appreciative to have her in my life.”
Well, if his wife and their three children need suggestions, Mickelson’s friends in the golf world were eager to tee some up.
Harris English
“We all need to pool some money together to get him a seat on that Elon Musk flight to the moon. The footage and commentary of Phil on the moon would be incredible.”
A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifts off from pad 39A at Kennedy Space Center in Florida on May 30, 2020. The rocket carried astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station. Photo by Craig Bailey/FLORIDA TODAY via USA TODAY NETWORK
Zach Johnson
“Some Lulu Lemon yoga pants to accentuate his massive calves.”
Colt Knost
“A blank encyclopedia so he can write his own version since he knows everything.”
Lefty’s colleagues shared with Golfweek their takes on Phil Mickelson and their favorite memories of the man who continues to hit bombs.
He’s a comedian with a lightning-quick, razor-sharp needle.
A man with a golf IQ that’s off the charts, a wannabe Albert Einstein who at times thinks he’s Google. Is a great husband and father. Has a generous heart, a desire to mentor, an enormous appetite for life and the finest foods and wine.
He is a massive presence and possesses a mammoth charitable arm. Loves games of chance and fears no man or bad lie or any tree between him and his intended target.
And Phil Mickelson is one of the best golfers that has walked the planet.
That’s what Lefty’s colleagues said about the man who turns 50 on June 16. They shared with Golfweek their takes on Mickelson and their favorite memories of the man who continues to hit bombs and has a plaque in the World Golf Hall of Fame, three green jackets, a Wanamaker Trophy, a Claret Jug, a record six silver medals from the U.S. Open and 44 PGA Tour titles.
In short, it’s been a half-century of laughs, wonderment, fulfillment and plenty of excitement. Mickelson’s lived large, played large and certainly been a large presence in the game he started playing by mirroring his father with left-handed swings despite being a natural righty.
And he’ll continue to make us all wonder what Phil will do next.
“He’s really just a goofball. One of the greatest players ever, but still a goofball,” said Harris English, who pointed to a moment during The Match II as an example that encapsulates Mickelson. On the third hole, Mickelson was chirping about activating his calves and begging Tiger Woods for an advantage ahead of the long-drive contest. Woods turned to the camera, smiled and told the viewing audience “this is what I have to listen to every time we play.”
“That’s Phil,” English said. “He is who he is. Always talking, always having fun, always on the ready. He is very personable. A great guy to talk to. You can ask him about anything and he’s never going to short-change anybody. His heart and his mind is in everything he does. He’s just a great guy to be around.
“He’s a lot of fun and he’s been great for this game.”
Ryan Palmer hits a putt on the 15th green as Phil Mickelson looks on during the final round of the 93rd PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club on August 14, 2011 in Johns Creek, Georgia. Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
While Mickelson usually takes over any room he walks into with non-stop jokes and stories, he can have an impact without saying a word. At the 2016 PGA Championship, Ryan Palmer said he told Mickelson that his wife, Jennifer, had been diagnosed with breast cancer. Mickelson’s wife, Amy, and mother, Mary, are both breast cancer survivors.
“I pulled Phil aside in the scoring tent and I told him and I wanted to ask him a few things,” said Palmer, whose wife beat cancer. “He didn’t say a word and he just gave me the biggest hug. For a long time, he didn’t say a word. Then we chatted.
“I’ll never forget that moment.”
Here are some more stories and memories from his PGA Tour brethren.
Steve Stricker
“One of the funniest things I’ve always remembered was one year we were in an In-N-Out in the Palm Springs area and I was with Mario, my brother-in-law, and we had already sat down to eat. And Phil and Bones came in, they ordered and they came to sit with us. And Phil gets his food and comes over and he has two triples, no fries. Two triples. Not doubles, triples. They were huge. And this obviously was before he started taking care of himself more. And he sat down and had this big grin on his face and he’s just like, ‘What? What’s the big deal?’ And he pounds both of them.
Steve Stricker and Phil Mickelson on the 18th green during a practice round for the 2017 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club. Photo by Rob Schumacher/USA TODAY Sports
“What you see on TV is who he is. This fun-loving guy who has a lot of jokes, a lot of pranks, and he just loves to have fun. He loves to give you crap and he loves when you give it back to him. He’s one of the top 15, 20 best players best ever. He has all the shots, especially up around the greens. And he was never afraid to do anything. He didn’t back down from anything and there aren’t many guys who can play like that. And he still plays that way. That’s a unique feature about him because a lot of guys play with fear.”
Gary Woodland
“I was with Callaway in 2015 playing the final round of the BMW Championship at Conway Farms with him. Callaway had a new prototype golf ball and I was in love with it. Now, I was a big George Brett fan when I was growing up, so my baseball number as a kid was No. 5. And when I started testing this golf ball they were all Callaway 5s. And I’m thinking this is sweet, they made me a golf ball with a 5 on it.
Gary Woodland and Phil Mickelson greet each other at the 1st hole before the first round of the 2019 Waste Management Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale. Photo by Sean Logan/USA TODAY Sports
“So I’m playing with Phil on Sunday and we get on the first tee and we both have Callaway 5 balls. So I go, ‘Why do you have Callaway 5? They made this golf ball for me.’ He goes, ‘I have 5 major championships, idiot, they made it for me.’ I felt so small. I heard later on that that wasn’t the case, that they didn’t go with 5 because of him, but he came up with it on the spot and he made me believe it. That’s the beauty of Phil Mickelson – he’s not afraid to dish it out and he can take it. He’s pretty witty and he always has the answers.”
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will receive an additional two captain’s picks for the 2020 Ryder Cup, bringing his total number of picks to six players. The change comes as a result of several tournaments being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will receive an additional two captain’s picks for the 2020 Ryder Cup, bringing his total number of picks to six players. The change comes as a result of several tournaments being canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will receive an additional two captain’s picks for the 2020 Ryder Cup.
U.S. Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker will receive an additional two captain’s picks for the 2020 Ryder Cup. The change comes as a result of so many tournaments being canceled these past three months because of the coronavirus pandemic.
All U.S. players had the opportunity to earn points beginning in 2019, and those points will still be recognized in the selection process. It’s just that six of the 12 players on the team will now be selected using the points system instead of eight players, as had previously been the case.
Potential U.S. team members will accrue points through the second FedEx Cup Playoff event (the BMW Championship), which concludes on Aug. 30.
The remaining six players that make up the Ryder Cup team will be selected and announced by Stricker in early September, ahead of the Sept. 22-27 event at Whistling Straights in Kohler, Wisconsin. Previously, the U.S. captain was only able to select four players.
“With all the various changes to the 2020 schedule, it quickly became apparent that we would need to amend our selection criteria,” said Stricker, who will be captaining in his home state of Wisconsin. “After many deliberate discussions, we collectively agreed that a smaller sampling of 2020 events — including just one major championship — would justify a one-week extension of the qualification window and an increase in the number of Captain’s selections from four to six. These changes were sparked by circumstance but conceived with integrity in mind. In the end, we believe they will allow us to put our best team together to compete at Whistling Straits in September.”
This change also assumes all schedule events – including the 2020 Ryder Cup itself – take place as currently planned.
A total of 11 events have been canceled since the pandemic took hold in mid-March. The Tour is back in action this week at the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, but without fans.
There has been much talk about what an absence of fans – or even a limited fan presence – would do to the typically raucous Ryder Cup atmosphere. Those details remain under discussion.
U.S. captain Steve Stricker said this week a decision on the 2020 Ryder Cup scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will be made in the “next two to three weeks.”
U.S. captain Steve Stricker said this week a decision on the 2020 Ryder Cup scheduled for Sept. 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin will be made in the “next two to three weeks.”
The biennial bout between the USA and Europe faces numerous obstacles created by the COVID-19 pandemic. It could be held as currently planned, could be held without spectators, or postponed until next year.
“We’re sure hoping we can play it,” Stricker said on “The Golf Affect,” a weekly Madison-based radio show where he is a regular participant. “So far we’re planning as it’s a go, that we’re going to have it.”
“Personally, I would hate for that to happen,” Stricker said. “I mean, this event is made by the fans. To me, if it was without the fans it almost would be a yawner of an event. The passion, I don’t know if it would be there.
“The fans create all that unbelievable atmosphere that we play in front of. And without the fans, I don’t know. It still would be a nice event, but I think the fans make it everything. And to cheat out the fans of Wisconsin, I think would be a crime. So, I just hope that when we do have it, it can be up to its full potential.”
But time is of essence right now, because Stricker said construction of the infrastructure at Whistling Straits hard by Lake Michigan would have to start pretty quickly if the event is held in September.
“They’re going to have to make a decision here probably within the next two or three weeks because the buildup to put up all the stands and all the corporate tents, all that kind of stuff, has to happen in June,” Stricker said. “So, you’ve got to kind of look into a crystal ball and no one knows, really, no one knows what’s going to happen. It’s a wait-and-see for me, but we’re going ahead with planning as it’s going to happen, and hopefully it does.”
One option on the table is to postpone to 2021.
“I think they would just push everything back. That’s what happened at 9-11. When it happened back in 2001, they canceled that year’s Ryder Cup and moved it to 2002, and that’s how we got on the even years for having the Ryder Cup,” Stricker said. “That would be up to the PGA of America and the PGA Tour to hash that out. I’m sure Jay Monahan, the commissioner of the PGA Tour, isn’t so keen on the push back of the Presidents Cup. They rely on the money they generate for that event. I don’t know if we could have two events in one year.
“You know, have the Ryder Cup in June. It’s also an Olympic year next year so I think there’s just so much going on and there’s so much movement and fluidity that no one can really make an informed decision at this time.”
Stricker is going to have to make a personal decision on his own in the next few weeks. He has a spot in next week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. That’s the scheduled restart of the PGA Tour season, which came to a halt March 13 because of the coronavirus.
Stricker remains on the fence on whether or not he’s heading to Texas.
“We’ve been very cautious as a family,” he said. “My oldest daughter (Bobbi) has an autoimmune issue. So we’re a little bit more cautious than everybody else. The grandparents are still alive and we don’t want to be bringing (the virus) to any of them. So we go out and get our groceries and that’s about it.
“We’ll have a few driveway dinners with friends, but I haven’t been in anybody’s house, nor has anybody been in our house. We’ve taken it pretty seriously and we’ve been very cautious.
“I want to go play next week. I’m just struggling if that’s the right thing to do or not. There’s a lot of things. You know, taking a spot away from somebody else. There’s kids that could play instead of me. For me it would be about going out and seeing the guys on the Ryder Cup team and trying to play well. I’m still excited to play. But I’ve had a run and a good time of playing and my time has been. So, do I take that spot? Do I go and play or do I give it up? So those are the things that I’m constantly thinking over and trying to come up with the right decision.”
At least the U.S. team can save on personalized accessories by just using the same gear from last time.
It was after the 2014 Ryder Cup debacle in Scotland — a week during which Phil Mickelson’s most effective shots came during the losing team’s press conference when he targeted skipper Tom Watson — that the American team decided to crowdsource the captaincy.
The PGA of America created an oft-mocked task force to reverse U.S. fortunes in the biennial event. Another undeclared objective was to ensure that future players wouldn’t be denied hugs or high fives from some grizzled legend who thought the only inspiration they needed was to see the Stars & Stripes run up the pole.
Watson was 65 when he led his squad to Gleneagles, long removed from the weekly social circus on Tour, shoehorned into the role by then PGA president Ted Bishop, who idolized him. His leadership style — about as warm and fuzzy as a boxcutter to the face — grated on players. Europe won handily and the aftermath was ugly.
Determined to ensure greater buy-in from players on the choice of future captains, the PGA of America’s task force effectively handed control of the selection process to a small cadre of Tour players who had been appointed to the panel. One of their number was duly named captain for the 2016 Cup: Davis Love III, who had led the team to a narrow defeat in ’12. Love’s four vice-captains — Tom Lehman, Jim Furyk, Steve Stricker and Tiger Woods — were also fellow members of the task force star chamber. (Bubba Watson later received a pity position as VC).
The 41st Ryder Cup at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, in 2016. Photo: Peter Casey/USA TODAY Sports
The U.S.’s 17-11 victory that year at Hazeltine cemented the notion that the task force’s strategy was a winning one, so it came as no surprise a few months later when Furyk was named captain for ’18. And the first three deputies Furyk announced? Love. Stricker. Woods. He later added David Duval, Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar.
Woods relinquished the vice-captaincy when Furyk named him a captain’s pick to play, which he justified by winning the Tour Championship one day before the team got to Paris. But Furyk spent another captain’s pick on Mickelson, who had shown scant form in months and who went on to lose both sessions he played. But what he lacked in form Mickelson made up for in stature. He, too, was a member of the task force whose creation was spurred by his mutiny in Scotland.
The result was a painful loss for America.
But the buddy beat goes on. Last year Stricker was named as the captain for Whistling Straits in September.
Nice guy? Check.
Inoffensive to other players? Check.
Acceptable to Phil and Tiger? Check.
Task force member? Check.
Stricker immediately named his first vice-captain: Furyk. On Monday, he added two more names to his back office team: Love and Johnson. The task force bench is getting worked harder than the ’62 Mets, though at least the U.S. team can save on personalized accessories by just using the same gear from last time.
Even if Stricker has compiled an enviable career on the PGA Tour, even if he is regarded as one of the most solid citizens in the game, and even if the Ryder Cup is being held in his home state of Wisconsin, his appointment as captain and his choice of underlings suggests that Team USA is hostage to an awfully small circle. That’s a perception that can undermine a captain, no matter how well-intentioned. Are decisions being made in the team’s best interests or on the basis of personal loyalties among task force members? Is popularity with one’s peers now the most important consideration in selecting the leadership of Team USA?
In the years since Gleneagles, the American team has mimicked Europe’s successful strategy of breaking in future captains with a vice-captaincy role or two. But the task force buddy system keeps recycling former captains into those deputy roles, keeping the inner circle tight. If history is our guide, then Johnson can expect the nod for the ’22 captaincy, while Messrs. Stricker, Love and Furyk shouldn’t throw away their walkie-talkies.
Stricker will be the 29th man to have led America into Ryder Cup competition since Walter Hagen commanded the first team in 1927. The 28 who preceded Stricker as captain had major championship wins on their résumés.
The selection of Stricker marked a welcome end to that unimaginative tradition, but in every other respect his captaincy signals it is business as usual for the buddy system.
This fall, two-time Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III and two-time major champion Zach Johnson will join Stricker’s staff as the U.S. attempts to regain the little gold trophy held by the Europeans, the PGA of America announced in a statement. Stricker also will name one or more vice captains in the future.
Europe was won nine of the past 12 matches.
“It’s important to surround yourself with quality individuals who you can lean on and who have the best interests of the team in mind,” Stricker said in the release. “Jim and I have talked about this a lot in the last year and now we are happy to add two Ryder Cup veterans in Zach and Davis to the conversation with the goal of putting this team in a prime position to win.
“Both Zach and Davis share a passion to compete at the highest level and are strong communicators, which is important, especially when we’re in the heat of competition.”
The 2020 Ryder Cup is scheduled for September 25-27 at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin, although the COVID-19 global pandemic could force a change. The PGA Tour is planning to restart June 11 with the Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas.
Love was the Ryder Cup captain in 2012 when the Europeans stormed back from a 10-4 deficit to win 14½-13½ at Medinah Country Club north of Chicago. Love also captained the USA’s ship in 2016 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota, where the Americans won, 17-11. Love played in the Ryder Cup six times and was a vice captain in 2010 and 2018.
“Steve has been such a consistent presence on this team, both as a player and as a vice captain, and now it’s his time to lead,” Love said. “He has a terrific vision for what he wants our U.S. team to not only accomplish, but represent, all year long.
“I’m confident in the program he has in place and am anxious to get to work.”
Johnson, who played in the Ryder Cup five times, was a vice captain in 2018 when the U.S. was routed, 17½-10½, at Le Golf National in Paris. Johnson also served under captain Tiger Woods in the 2019 Presidents Cup, where the Americans won, 16-14, at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
“In a domestic Ryder Cup,” Johnson said, “it’s important to defend ‘our turf,’ and to do so on behalf of Steve – in his home state at Whistling Straits – is a great opportunity for our team to make a statement.”
