Twitter, Silence Drove McGinley's Selection
Jason Sobel says Twitter and specifically, player tweets, led to Paul McGinley's appointment as 2014 European Ryder Cup Captain.
In the 48 hours prior to the announcement, three members of Europe’s team – the three most vital members of the team, it could be argued – publicly voiced their support for McGinley through social media.
Will Gray compiles (overjoyed its not Monty) player Tweets in reaction to the announcement.
Ewan Murray says McGinley's quiet approach to the politicking got him the job.
"It is amazing how much you learn when you listen and don't talk," he said. "I knew I had the support of the players and I knew my hand was strong. I felt the more I said, my chances would lessen."
And John Huggan says that after all the campaigning the decision was reached pretty easily and quickly.
Five men were considered: Sandy Lyle, Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Paul Lawrie and McGinley.
"But we are 100 percent behind this captain," said Thomas Bjorn, chairman of the 15-strong committee. "It was obvious very early that a consensus was forming. We had all listened to the players on tour and it was obvious who they wanted to represent them. In the end, it was a unanimous decision and we are all 100 percent behind him."
Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at 07:26 PM
Reader Comments (7)
Geoff may post this when he has read the Tely;meanwhile it's as good a summary of McGinley's actual qualifications for this particular task as I have read.
Euros will be happy to know I am going to quit reading/commenting on RC stuff for, darn, I hope a long time.
If Monty makes aq fool out of himself, I reserve the right to sow some oats, or maybe barley. So that about sews it up for me on this....hello, I must be going.
All joking aside, the pressure is squarely on Paul going forward and should the UK/Euro team lose his selection as captain will be deemed outrageous, egregious and preposterous. He's going to have a dominant team, the home field advantage, and the opposing captain is purportedly out of touch and way past his due date. If Paul screws this up he'll never live it down and it's unlikely the selection committee will ever again listen to player input (or tweets)....!
PS...I highly doubt this selection was unanimous. The way it works is that going in all members of the selection committee take an oath of solidarity and agree that whatever the ultimate outcome is, once they leave the room even those who were for someone else will publicly say they were for the captain chosen.
Agree that the pressure on McGinley is now horrendous. But he wanted it, the players wanted him and any blame, should there be any, can be spread around. It's not that hard to see where the mistakes come -- see comments on James in another thread, previously on DL III but also Furyk, Poulter, etc. It is usually pretty clear when a player screws up, another excels himself, and a captain makes a tactical error. And it's all second guessing. Was DL III wrong to sit his hottest duo? Who will ever know. But in retrospect the 2012 will turn on Poulter's passionate and committed Saturdsay afternoon effort -- he was not to be denied. That sort of thing is invaluable in a team room -- turns the doldrums into an irresistible force.
It will be fun and, in the end, that's what it's for.
Does it matter? Watson was parachuted in, and David Toms can't be ecstatic -- has he been heard from? Monty at least got a statement out, in support of McGinley (albeit larded with his "disappointment").
We'll see what works. And it has little to do with either captain. The picking systems might want a re-look on both sides of the pond.