Acrimony in vapour trail as US Ryder Cup team files home in disarray

Phil Mickelson began the Ryder Cup week by commandeering the headlines at the Ryder Cup in directing a mischievous jibe at Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell and left Glasgow yesterday on a private jet, while the rest of his team-mates flew home together, with further acrimony lingering in the vapour trail.

He used the forum of the American press conference in the immediate aftermath of their Ryder Cup defeat at Gleneagles to publicly question and by implication criticise Tom Watson’s captaincy style.

Viewed through the prism of the 2008 American captain Paul Azinger’s blueprint for success, which included player pods and consultation, Mickelson wondered aloud why that format hadn’t been adopted again.

Opening gambit

It was an opening gambit, a preamble, to the core of his criticism.

When asked whether Watson had consulted with the players over pairings, Mickelson affirmed: “No, nobody here was in any decision.”

Around him the other American players looked like they had developed an instant case of piles, shifting and squirming in their seats.

Some looked down, others straight ahead, more found their cuticles fascinating all of a sudden, but none grabbed a microphone and defended their 65-year-old non-playing captain. Jim Furyk was invited to mediate in what had become uncomfortable viewing. He tiptoed down a fine line.

“Gee thanks,” he joked. “I was just sitting here minding my own business. I have a lot of respect for both gentlemen. Phil is one of my dearest friends on the PGA Tour. And I have a lot of respect for our captain. He put his heart and soul in it for two years and worked his ass off to provide what he thought to be the best opportunity for us. I don’t think it’s wise for either one of us to be pitted in the middle of that,” his voice trailing off a little.

Taking umbrage

For his part Watson just stared straight ahead and would later assert that he didn’t take umbrage with Mickelson’s remarks. Lefty’s wide-eyed insistence that he was just scrambling to come up with a recipe for future Ryder Cup success was at odds with the back story.

Watson had benched Mickelson for the entire Saturday, the first time in 10 Ryder Cups, a decision that rankled. The American captain confirmed Mickelson had pressed him to play.

“He lobbied again. He texted me, he said, ‘Give us a chance’. I had to tell him no. I felt that we had the four best teams possible in the afternoon for alternate shot.’’

The player was also critical by inference on the Golf Channel prior to the media conference, so his later remarks were hardly spur of the moment.

The American papers conveyed the spat under banner headlines "Divided US Team uncorks tension in defeat" (New York Times), "Mickelson calls out Watson's style as captain" (Boston Globe) and "Mickelson takes Dig at Tom Watson over Loss" (Sports Illustrated), while others like former European Ryder Cup captains Colin Montgomerie and Nick Faldo harrumphed about Mickelson's conduct.

However, it was Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee was the most strident in his criticism of Mickelson. He said: "That was as close to a one-man mutiny that I've ever seen. I think that's a moment that Phil would like to have back.

“If you’re looking for a reason why the United States continues to lose, you just saw it in one man. Phil Mickelson. Phil Mickelson, along with the best players of that era, have so corrupted the experience of the Ryder Cup for their fellow competitors by not having records anywhere near what they should, given their rank in the game.

Goof off

“Players of an era who are the best go to the Ryder Cup and show off. And not goof off. Phil Mickelson in 2004 changed clubs at the Ryder Cup the week of. And the day before, he went to practise to another golf course. This is yet another example of not coming together as a team.”

Chamblee was mistaken to assert that it was a one-man mutiny. From the moment the Americans arrived and particularly after Watson elected to rest the unbeaten Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, there had been mutterings of the disconnect between Watson and his vice-captains on one side and the players. Watson's style was that captain's captain and players play.

Players’ silence

The players’ silence on the dais in some respects endorsed Lefty’s stance. It was a view supported by the majority of American golfing pundits. ESPN’s

Gene Wojciechowski

views were representative of the wider group when he pointed out: “Watson didn’t lose this Ryder Cup by himself, but his 2014 captaincy leaves no fingerprints, no legacy. He came, he saw, he lost. Mickelson’s comments only accentuated the defeat.”

The only thing that most quibbled with was the forum Mickelson chose to articulate his thoughts, his timing an issue at the 40th Ryder Cup on and off the fairways at Gleneagles.