Is Corey Pavin The Man In Control?

I am a little irritated at Corey Pavin.

First, Tiger Woods should not feel he was a lock to be chosen for the Ryder Cup team. Pavin said Tiger had to play his way to the team (and so Woods did by not performing well).

Now, Pavin says that it’s not a given that Woods will play all five possible matches. Does that mean he will???

Pavin wants to come off as a captain with a plan, but it is beginning to look like another “Hal Sutton farce”.

The last time I looked, Captain’s picks was some of the players the Captain really liked. The topping. The guy’s that completed the team. Not some players that still had to prove something. Take Ian Poulter of England. In 2008 Sir Nick Faldo picked Poulter for a wild card, and Europa went crazy. It was called a paramount mistake in the press, but Faldo believed in Poulter and put him into battle. Poulter made four points, and none passed him on that score.

Woods is not Poulter. Woods is simply not that good in Ryder Cup. And Pavin knows it. Only question is: why did he pick Tiger, and then start by saying, “But he has to prove something to play all five matches.” Well, Pavin, why did you pick him in the first place, then? Because you felt you had to? And now that you know you appear weak, you try to show some backbone by insinuating you can choose who’s playing?

All it shows is that Pavin has gotten off to a weak start, even before the first shot has been fired.

Mark James has to be credited for the weakest pick in recent Ryder Cup history when he picked Andrew Coltart and kept him on the bench till the singles where the Scottish rookie lost 3&2 to Woods.

Pavin says he picked Tiger because the number one player in the world has to be there, and because it would be good for the team. I see. Tiger has not really played well in Ryder Cup, and he’s not a team player, so what good is he going to be if he’s not playing? Do you think he’s going to conduct the “Let’s go, Boys!” speech in the locker room or drive around and do the wave for the other US players? I don’t.

Tiger is playing the Ryder Cup because it’s good for his personal profile and because he has to for various reasons. This has never really been in the hands of Pavin, it seems. From what Pavin is saying about whether Tiger will play it all or not, is sounds like Pavin is not deciding that either.