Tom Watson: Would Be "Cool" If "Tapped On The Shoulder" To Captain '14 Ryder Cup Team

From an unbylined AP story out of Australia where 1993 Captain Tom Watson is playing the Emirates Australian Open.

"It would be a great honor if I got tapped on the shoulder ... `93 was the last time I've been to a Ryder Cup. I'd like to go back as captain. That would be cool."

Not, "my time has come and gone" or "I'm sure there are some great candidates" or even the Monty favorite, "Only if I'm asked." Watson or David Toms? I think I know who gets the media vote! And television. And fans.

Tiger? Eh...not so much.

Update on Sunday, December 9, 2012 at 09:02 PM by Geoff

**The SI/golf.com Confidential gang kicked the Watson comments around this week.

Comments

[Colin MacGillivray]

So it's Watson then- excellent.
By the way, that opinion of Tiger was nearly 3 years ago.
"Time is a great healer"
"Forgive and forget"
Insert some other platitude here

[Pat Burke]

Well, the parties would be lively

[GolfGuru]

Maybe someone should think about giving Larry Nelson his "tap on the shoulder"

[ol Harv]

GG, I agree, this only makes it harder for Nelson to get the nod which he so deserves.

[Media maven]

It doesn't matter. Give it to Nelson who should have had a shot 15 yrs. ago.

[KLG]

But, but, but...Larry Nelson is not one of the boys! Not like Sutton, Lehman, Kite, Pavin, Strange. You know, captains the players will respond to and play their hearts out for. A captain they know! I still think that until the Nelson wrong gets righted, karma will continue to be a bitch for the US Ryder Cup side. The golf gods will not be mocked. Ask anyone.

[digsouth]

There's NEVER been any reason* for Lehman to have been captain. Ask anyone.

Strange was terrible, Kit's Krewe was Seve'd, Love- no comment.

Karma will keep having it's way. Ask KLG, or anyone for that matter. Only Nelson's ''tap'' will make things right.


*(name that tune)

[johnnnycz]

Err...PGA...uh...how many PGA Championships did Watson win vs Nelson? The gentleman's course of action would be to give Larry a call in the new year. There are definitely some cosmic karmatic forces at play here.

[fyg]

Agree with the Nelson sentiment.

It would have been so much more classier for Watson to suggest Nelson.

Shouldn't there be a bit of karma against the Euros for leaving out Lyle?

[Ghillie]

I find Watson, who has a reputation -- rightly or wrongly -- for being classy to have damaged that rep by so blatantly putting himself forward.

Lyle has no chance in Europe as there is an over-long lineup of obvious choices that will take them through the next decade. The US seems a little less flush with such choices these days -- the obvious seem to be a few Cups away -- so perhaps they have to go back to an icon. Up to them.

[Hawkeye]

The first Ryder Cup in Scotland since 1973, with Tom Watson as American captain? Heck, a lot of Scots would literally root for the US if that were to happen!

[digsouth]

Hawkeye

+2

[T Money]

"There's NEVER been any reason*"

Head East baby--saw them at Mid America Raceway with Poco I think. The memory fails---

[T Money]

Oh yeah-- "never been any reason* is the tune. Awesome, obscure, mid 70s, midwest rock by Head East

[fyg]

Understood that Lyle has no chance now, but I do think he should have had a chance way back when.

I know he upset some people by pulling himself out of a RC many years ago but I have always thought it was a very unselfish move. He was playing bad and thought the team would have a better chance with someone else.

I know he isn't a rocket scientist and has pissed off some others now and then, but he was very important to the ET back in the '80s by showing that Seve wasn't the only one who could win majors.

But he wasn't an "inside" guy like James and Torrance, I gather. Oh well.

[Ghillie]

I also have an instinctive distaste for people Watson's age trying to be "cool."