Paul Azinger in 2010? Why Not?!

The USPGA typically selects a new Ryder Cup captain within two months of the conclusion of the previous Ryder Cup. 

However, this year, the USPGA has still not yet named name the 2010 American Ryder Cup team captain. This is likely two due two main reasons.

First, the USPGA has bigger fish to fry, namely the inevitable recession that could detrimentally impact the PGA Tour more than any other professional sport, and the major overhaul of the current FedEx Cup format that will be necessary if they have any aspirations of the FedEx Cup surviving in the coming years.

Second, there is probably a serious debate going on within the ranks of the USPGA as to whether or not Azinger should be offered a second term as team captain.

The USPGA’s official stance is that a captain can be selected for two consecutive terms if he is indeed the best person for the job.

However, unofficially, selecting a captain for two consecutive terms is something the USPGA just does not do. In fact, it has not happened since Ben Hogan captained the 1947 and 1949 American Ryder Cup teams.

On most occasions, the USPGA would simply move on and select someone else to captain the 2010 team. 

But this situation is slightly different in that Azinger brought the Ryder Cup back to America for the first time in nearly a decade, and he did so, in large part, through completely overhauling an outdated selection process.

After a decade of defeat, Azinger clearly saw that something drastic needed to be done to change the course the American side had been heading. 

One of Azinger’s main gripes with the previous Ryder Cup selection format was that it did not allow the ability to select players who were playing great golf in the weeks immediately preceding the Ryder Cup.

Before Azinger’s modifications to the selection process, 10 players would automatically make the American side through the number of Ryder Cup points they had accumulated. The final two players would be selected by the captain himself.

Azinger changed the selection format to allow himself four captain’s picks instead of the historical two.

Rather than having nearly all the players make the team through their accumulation of points, many of which could have been earned many months prior to the Ryder Cup, Azinger believed that more consideration needed to be given to players on a hot streak leading up to the event.

Due to his overhaul of the selection process, Azinger’s captain’s picks would largely determine his legacy as Ryder Cup captain. 

Make the right choices and he looks like a genius; make the wrong choice and he would be forever questioned about revamping the Ryder Cup selection process.

Fortunately, as we all know, Paul Azinger made the right choices.

Azinger’s captain’s picks consisted of Hunter Mahan, Boo Weekly, Chad Campbell and Steve Striker who had a combined record of six wins, three losses, and five ties, which earned a total of 8.5 points for the American side.

Hunter Mahan accumulated more points than any other player on the American team.

There was a lot more thought and consideration that went into Azinger’s captains picks than one might think.

Mahan was selected because of his uncanny ability to string together a streak of birdies that is unmatched by virtually anyone.

Boo Weekly, despite being one of the best ball strikers in the world, was selected more for his quirky character, which Azinger correctly predicted would get the Kentucky crowd into a near frenzy.

Striker was selected for his consistent, steady play throughout the entire 2008 season, and Campbell was selected to provide some additional experience to a team that consisted of many Ryder Cup rookies.

Azinger was able to accomplish something else that no other American Ryder Cup captain has been able to do in quite some time. 

Azinger got his team to play as, well, a team.

Azinger had the perfect mix of young, fiery rookies, and cool, level-headed veterans, which he combined into perfect pairings.

During the practice rounds, Azinger sent his team out in groups of four. This was done to allow players the opportunity to get to better know one another during the first couple of days. 

Azinger then selected his pairing from within each foursome, so as to allow players to be paired with other players they had gotten to know and become familiar with during the practice rounds.

Azinger’s team bought into his strategy and rallied around their captain as no other American team had in nearly a decade.

The crowd also bought into Azinger’s strategy after he coined them as the American team’s "13th Man."

The intensity of the roars heard from the American crowd at Valhalla was something the likes of which had never been seen on a golf course. 

The European team grew to despise the American crowd, while the American side fed off of their energy, making the Valhalla crowd indeed the American side’s 13th man.

Azinger went into the 2008 Ryder Cup matches with a clear strategy which he calmly executed to perfection.

In light of Azinger’s ability to accomplish something no one else has been able to do in a decade, why not continue his reign as team captain? 

Sure, Azinger will not have his "13th Man" at Celtic Manor in 2010, and he might not have the same mix of confident rookies and determined veterans.

However, Azinger is not likely to lose his ability to create a team atmosphere and rally his players around his leadership.

Taking into account Azinger’s accomplishment in 2008, there does not appear to be any good reason why his captaincy should not continue into the 2010 Ryder Cup matches.