The three challenges of being a Ryder Cup captain

Sports/Olympics / Feature and Column

 The three challenges of being a Ryder Cup captain
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-09-20 09:03

STRAFFAN, Ireland, Sept 19 - The influence of captains at Ryder Cups has
been widely debated over the last 20 years and is virtually impossible to
quantify outside the team dressing room.

While their motivational skills and attention to detail in team
preparation are all-important, captains can be publicly judged in only
three areas: wildcard selection, pairings and the end result.

Their biggest headache in the build-up to golf's premier team event is
settling on their two captain's picks to complete the two 12-man line-ups.

U.S. captain Tom Lehman and his European counterpart Ian Woosnam both had
to make tough wildcard decisions for this week's matches at the K Club in
Country Kildare.

Lehman was sorely tempted by big-hitting rookie Lucas Glover before
choosing the more experienced Scott Verplank and Stewart Cink while
Woosnam finally opted for Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood after close
consideration of Thomas Bjorn.

"Making two picks is tough because you're not picking a bunch of other
guys," Lehman told reporters after the opening day of official team
practice at the K Club on Tuesday.

"And you certainly hate to throw cold water on their hopes and dreams
when they have worked so hard.

"I know the disappointment you feel as a player and it can cause some
real hard feelings. At the end of the day, they don't make the team and
they are crushed."

Woosnam, who was initially vilified by a disgruntled Bjorn after the Dane
was overlooked, agreed.

DIFFICULT DECISION

"It was a difficult decision for me," he said. "A lot of friends out
there, but you have to do what you feel is best for the team. And I felt
I did the right thing by picking the two players I did. We've got a
strong team and I'm happy with it."

Lehman and Woosnam have two days to go before announcing their second
tough calls: the pairings for Friday's opening fourball matches.

Should either of them guess right and watch their initial combinations
take an early advantage, then their decisions for the afternoon's
foursomes are likely to be fairly straight-forward.

Briton Tony Jacklin, who led Europe to two Ryder Cup victories and a tie
with the U.S. in his four spells in charge, took great delight in the
strategies required of a captain.

"I relished the pairings and the on-course stuff," he told Reuters. "If
I'm honest, it was the off-course stuff that got to me a little bit,
trying to keep everybody sweet off the course.

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