Weekly Read: Could Zach Johnson Be Ryder Cup Captain Due to Phil Mickelson at Gleneagles?
It is far from a straight line, the journey having taken numerous twists and turns. But it’s not a stretch to suggest that Zach Johnson becoming the next U.S. Ryder Cup captain can be traced back to a chilly night in Scotland when Phil Mickelson went rogue.
Given what Mickelson has put himself through of late, the aftermath of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles now seems quaint. But Phil did call out a legend in Tom Watson, who was the U.S. captain, and the repercussions are still being felt today.
Johnson might very well have become a Ryder Cup captain regardless of what Mickelson did nearly eight years ago. He’s won two major championships, the Masters and the British Open, becoming the rare player to win at both Augusta National and the Old Course.
Another rarity: a winning American Ryder Cup record. Although Johnson has played on just one winning team, he’s gone 8-7-2 in five appearances. He’s also played in four Presidents Cups, going 10-6-1. That’s a good bit of playing experience.
Following the U.S. defeat in Scotland, where Johnson was also a member of the team, Mickelson was highly critical of the U.S. process. While sitting just a few seats away from Watson and never referencing him by name, Mickelson more or less steamrolled over the eight-time major champion, saying his approach and method were part of the overall issue with the Ryder Cup. The U.S. had lost three straight.
“Nobody here was in on any decision,’’ said Mickelson, among other things. It was a blunt, brutal assessment and dominated the conversation afterward. “Should we go into this one hour after being defeated,’’ wondered Colin Montgomerie. “You support your captain under all circumstances.’’
Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee referred to it as “corrupting the experience of the Ryder Cup.’’
Mickelson eventually apologized, but he knew what he was doing. There was a purpose behind those words. He was willing to take the heat in order to effect change. Saying it behind closed doors – much like his issues with the PGA Tour today that have been part of the conversation now for weeks – was unlikely to have much impact. It wasn’t long before the PGA of America created a task force and then a Ryder Cup committee and, soon, the players had more of a voice.
Say what you want about the methods, but they worked. The U.S. now has a system in place that made Johnson’s appointment as captain Monday all but a slam dunk.
In addition to his playing record, Johnson twice served as a Ryder Cup assistant, to Jim Furyk in 2018 and to Steve Stricker in 2021. He was also an assistant to Tiger Woods at the 2019 Presidents Cup. And that was part of the plan all along: Groom future captains through assisting other captains.
Johnson, 46, seemed set to become Presidents Cup captain at Quail Hollow, now to be played this year after being delayed by the coronavirus pandemic. But when Davis Love III was named to the position – he’s been Ryder Cup captain twice – it suggested that Johnson was needed for the Ryder Cup role. Could Woods and Mickelson have turned it down? Quite possibly.
“We all knew he was in line, knew it was going to happen soon or later, so it’s nice to see him get one,’’ Brooks Koepka said. “The stuff he does behind closed doors is what I think makes the big difference, and I think every guy that’s played on a team that he’s been an assistant or played with him would definitely agree with that and be happy to see him do it.’’
Johnson’s task is tall and elusive to U.S. captains Tom Kite, Curtis Strange, Tom Lehman, Corey Pavin, Watson and Furyk – an overseas win. It’s been 30 years since the U.S. last won in Europe, with Watson the prevailing captain at The Belfry in 1993.
Given his career trajectory, Johnson just might be the perfect man for the job. He’s an overachiever, a guy who played college golf at unheralded Drake, who put together an excellent career with 12 PGA Tour victories and those two majors.
And given the way things are supposed to work, Mickelson would be a slam-dunk pick to be one of his assistants, having assisted at Whistling Straits and being in line to be a future captain. All of that is in doubt now, of course. And yet it is interesting that Mickelson’s outspokenness has helped bring us to this point.
What Drives the Shark
In his prime, Greg Norman had an acute awareness of his worth as a golfer. He was a worldwide star, and as it applied to securing fees for his participation at international events back in those days, only Seve Ballesteros might have been his equal.
Norman has made no secret of this. The Australian who earned the nickname “Great White Shark’’ and suffered more heartbreak than glory in his Hall of Fame career, knew the PGA Tour was the place where the best convened.
But he also saw opportunity beyond American borders, and also saw no reason why his ability to play around the world without stipulations. As a member of the PGA Tour he had rules to abide by and permissions to obtain.
“It frustrated me to death why, as an independent contractor, I couldn’t get out there and expand on my true market value that I truly believe I had,’’ Norman said. “Same with all the other players.’’
That, in part, is why at age 66, Norman is still fighting this battle. Sure, there is likely an 8-figure annual fee coming his way from the Private Investment Fund, the Saudi Arabia wealth fund that is said to hold nearly $500 billion.
The job is CEO of LIV Golf Investments and commissioner of a potential new league that continues to cause havoc for the PGA Tour.
Nearly 30 years after Norman first attempted to start a rival tour that would bring the best players together at venues around the world for guaranteed money and lucrative pursues, he continues his quest to deliver an alternative product.
Despite recent setbacks that have seen a number of high-profile players renounce the new league and pledge allegiance to the PGA Tour, Norman apparently remains undeterred. His letter to PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan last week was proof. The fight was not ending, he said. Just beginning.
“I always wanted to understand why we were stuck in a box,’’ said Norman, the winner of 20 PGA Tour events and 88 worldwide who was ranked No. 1 in the world for 331 weeks. “In ’93-’94, I thought of this idea of how do we get the best players to play against each other on more of a regular basis and give them an annuity into the future.
“I always thought if I could do something for my fellow players and carry the burden of responsibility… I just thought there was a better way, why I thought of this World Golf Tour, where they could have ownership. That’s thinking out of the box. That’s thinking like an independent contractor. Like an entrepreneur. Understanding the marketplace.’’
Norman was shut down by then-commissioner Tim Finchem, who much like Monahan today, made it clear that players who went to the new circuit might put their membership at risk. Norman also had his own funds tied up in the project, and he was putting himself in financial peril.
That is not the case now. The Saudi-backed company has the resources to be patient. It suffered a huge blow recently, but it can play this out if it so desires.
Already we are seeing that the term “independent contractor’’ will come under scrutiny. Law suits could follow. And Norman’s long-time issue remains in play: why can’t players play where they want?
Back then, Norman essentially had to ask for permission to play events his native Australia. While there is now a provision that allows for unlimited releases for a player to compete on his home circuit, he essentially needs permission to venture anywhere else.
Norman simply believes as long as a player fulfills membership obligations to the PGA Tour, which requires 15 events, he should be able to go where he pleases.
“We are not here to pick a fight,’’ Norman said in October. And yet, that is actually what is seemingly taking place.
Fore! Things
1. One thing not mentioned much in the PGA Tour vs. LIV Golf Investments saga: Norman believes a player should be able to play where and when he wants. And yet, as part of the proposed new league, those who sign on would be required to play all 14 events. Does that mean players who join the circuit are considered employees rather than independent contractors?
2. The Honda Classic offered a final opportunity – save for a win this week at the Arnold Palmer Invitational – for players to qualify for the Players Championship, either by the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking or the Top 10 in FedEx Cup points. Tommy Fleetwood barely hung on to the 50th spot in the world to earn a spot at the Tour’s flagship tournament.
3. Johnson will try to become the first U.S. captain in 30 years to win a road Ryder Cup. The last time the Americans won overseas, Mickelson was just 23 and had three PGA Tour victories; Tiger Woods had yet to win the first of his three U.S. Amateur titles.
4. After winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational a year ago, Bryson DeChambeau seemed poised for a big run. But since that victory, he has just four top-10 finishes and only two top-5s – one a playoff loss to Patrick Cantlay at the BMW Championship. He’s slipped from No. 5 in the world at the end of 2021 to No. 12.
Tiger and Stevie
It’s been more than 10 years since Tiger Woods and the caddie during his greatest run of success, Steve Williams, somewhat acrimoniously parted ways. Williams was on the bag for 13 of Woods’ 15 major championship titles.
The two have never been on great terms since their 2011 split, but with time, Williams has been quite generous with sharing his perspective, while appreciating just how good Woods performed.
Golf writer Evin Priest of Australian Golf Digest has produced a series of podcasts with Williams, called “Chasing Majors,” and much of the material he has gleaned from the New Zealand caddie is information that Williams had kept stored away without revealing publicly.
In the latest episode, Williams disclosed an interesting observation: He never saw Woods look at the prize money sheet in the scoring area that listed how much each player had won following a tournament – including his victories. “He played for trophies and to create records,’’ Williams said.
Here are some other interesting items: Williams speaks in detail about how Woods would get into links shape for the British Open while working on the practice range.
He used the same tee for 72 holes during his 2000 Open victory at St. Andrews and didn’t break it – turning it into a lucky charm.
Woods and Williams decided the exact number of majors they’d like Tiger to win in his career and where they were when that decision was made. The total number might not be what you think.
Masters Countdown
The Masters is now 38 days away, and the field is now at 90 players and counting after Sepp Straka won the Honda Classic on Sunday. The first major championship begins April 7.
Tiger Woods and Ian Woosnam remain part of the field, although neither past champion is expected to play.
There are five more PGA Tour events through the Valero Texas Open that provide an opportunity to get in by winning. Also, the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking as of March 28 will also receive invitations if not already in the field.
Social Matters
From stats guru Justin Ray, on Feb. 22, the day Mickelson issued his apology:
Max Homa, showing off his social media chops:
Xander Schauffele, who joined the list of high-profile players saying no to the proposed Saudi golf league:
Next Up
The Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill is the second “elevated’’ event in three weeks, an invitational with a $12 million purse for 120 players and no Monday qualifier. It is the same format used for the Genesis Invitational and the Memorial Tournament.
The tournament has attracted 30 of the top 50 in the world including No. 1-ranked Jon Rahm, defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy, Hideki Matsuyama and Viktor Hovland.
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