OMG Ryder Cup Report: Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting!

Get a little passive-aggressive action in!

After Team USA's 3-1 defeat in Saturday foursomes and then put out of their misery in singles, the question of how the loss might taint Tom Watson’s legacy came up.  Even with it apparent there was more to the story following the surreal press conference and Team USA's bleak prospects heading into the matches, a backroom Ryder Cup soap opera is hardly something that should even put a smudge on Watson’s legend.

But after reading Bob Harig’s report of Saturday night’s meeting debacle, not only is it easy to see Tom Watson’s apparent behavior hurting his legacy and image, but you have to wonder about the state of his sensibilities.

We learn that he inexplicably scoffed at a team gift, denigrated Team Europe's players and opened the proceedings in front of forty or so by telling the team, “You stink at foursomes.'' Take that Lombardi!

Harig quotes multiple sources who witnessed the scene.

After praising the rookie team of Patrick Reed and Jordan Spieth, Watson went through the Sunday singles pairings and ridiculed several members of the European side as he went through the matchups. Soon after, Watson was presented a gift by Furyk, a replica of the Ryder Cup trophy that was signed by every member of the team. Instead of thanking them, the sources said Watson said the gift meant nothing to him if the players didn't get the real Ryder Cup on Sunday and that he wanted to be holding it aloft on the green in victory.

Said one of the sources: "That's almost verbatim. He said it basically means nothing to me.''

Added another: "It was fairly shocking that he treated this thoughtful gift with such disdain.''

Harig goes on to explain how Mickelson, excoriated in some circles (notably here and here), tried to salvage the evening by telling stories about each of his teammates after speeches by assistant drivers North, Floyd and Stricker.