Tom Watson Top Candidate to Lead U.S. Ryder Cup Squad

Tom Watson Top Candidate to Lead U.S. Ryder Cup Squad
Fitzgerald Cecilio

New York, NY

Tom Watson, 63, is the choice to lead the U.S. Ryder Cup squad, according to the GolfWorld website.

That would be a departure from the practice of choosing still-active tour players who are in their 40s.

After a 14½ to 13½ defeat to Europe at Medinah which was due to a final-day collapse, the PGA of America is apparently thinking of a different approach for the matches to be played in Scotland.

New PGA of America president Ted Bishop announced that he wants the organization to "think outside the box,'' in regards to its next captain.

The last time Watson has been to a Ryder Cup was in 1993 and said it would be cool to go back again as a captain. The Americans won that Ryder Cup 15-13.

The US have just two victories since, in 1999 under Ben Crenshaw and 2008 under Paul Azinger.

Watson would be the first repeat captain since Jack Nicklaus in 1983 and 1987.

He is a revered figure in Scotland, having won four of his five British Opens at Carnoustie (1975), Turnberry (1977), Muirfield (1980) and Royal Troon (1982). He also played on four U.S. Ryder Cup teams that went 3-0-1, and he posted a 10-4-1 record.