Americans embrace Love for Ryder Cup

Report by Anand Datla

February 24, 2015: Davis Love III must be a good soul with some lasting relationships. The American has been thrown a rope to try and repay some of the debts he ran up at Medinah in 2012. In a move that has long been expected, the US PGA has brought back their former captain to lead the Ryder Cup team yet again. Love will look to reverse his nation’s flagging fortunes when he leads the side in 2016, when the event will be held at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. (Read more in Golf)

Love is not the first man to have been re-invited to captain the side. He is the eighth man to receive the honour, but the first since Jack Nicklaus in 1987, when the cup was played at Muirfield.

The setting is right for Love to try and find redemption for the humiliation of losing at Medinah three years ago. That was when the Americans lead 10-6 before crumbling into the dust on the final day.

Love will remember the pain of Medinah and will hope that it can rouse his team in 2016 to gain a measure of revenge over the touring Europeans. After looking to be in command, the Americans wilted on the final stretch to some inspired golf from Ian Poulter and Justin Rose.

Only time will tell if the team of 2016 can find the potion needed to heal some of those wounds from the deeply scarring experience at Medinah. But in picking Love, the PGA of America may have left some room open for criticism.

Love served on the eleven member task force that was formed to understand the debacle of last year and remedy some of the ills plaguing the USA team in the Ryder Cup. As much as Love has earned the affection of cross section of stakeholders, the selection leaves room for questions related to independence and probity.

But come September next year, all that will surely be forgotten. You can expect a well knit American team working together to topple Europe for its position of dominance in the Ryder Cup. Darren Clarke and his men will watch every move with caution before they travel to the USA in September next year.