by Jeff Skinner
The afternoon foursomes are on the course at the 40th Ryder Cup and Captain Tom Watson did a great job of putting out his best and hottest teams to try and wrestle the lead from the Europeans.
First out are Zach Johnson and Matt Kuchar both known for being straight hitters and that’s a must at Gleneagles. This Ryder Cup course is fringed with rough so deep it could be mistaken for a U.S. Open.
That was the only change to the morning lineup from Watson who just sent out three of the same teams that played such an exciting morning session.
Second out is Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan who won a full point in the morning session. Behind them is the Cinderella story of the Ryder Cup…Team Rookie. Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed are 2-0 this week and obviously not fazed by the pressure of the moment. In the anchor slot are the grittiest team on the American side, Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler. They have battled Euro’s best and come back with a half point each time.
It’s a solid lineup of Americans and they are facing a tough group of Euro’s who seem to embrace the alternate shot format a wee bit better than the Americans. Watson’s lineup is the right one but he invited much second guessing by benching Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley for the entire second day.
Until yesterday team Phil/Keegs were undefeated in match play, that is Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. When a fresh Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson took down Phil and Keegan in yesterdays foursomes it was their first ever loss and it was a sign that Watson had gone to the well once too often. 
Watson explained his decision to sit Phil and Keegan this afternoon by saying they needed rest and they did not perform in the foursomes yesterday. And he is right. But the time to rest Phil was yesterday afternoon not all day today.
If Watson had sat Phil in the afternoon he would have been fresh this morning and able to team with Bradley in their strongest suit, fourballs where birdies win the day. By playing Phil in both sessions he forced his hand to rest him this morning and Phil’s performance in alternate shot did indeed earnhim a place on the bench for today’s alternate shot.
But sitting the both of them all day Saturday certainly wasn’t Watson’s plan going into the Ryder Cup. He painted himself into a corner by having them in both sessions on Friday. They should have played in both fourball sessions, Phil could have been rested each afternoon and Bradley, with his younger legs could have been paired with someone for another session if Watson wanted.
It marks the first time Phil has sat out both sessions in one day. Sitting a 44 year old golfer with an arthritic condition is understandable. But Phil should have been rested each afternoon and played each morning. That would have kept him fresh and given the Americans their best chance at winning each session.
Related Articles
