Olazabal, McGinley To Spend Next 15 Months Being Asked "Will You Play As An Assistant Captain?"

Lawrence Donegan reports the story only a European writer could call news. They even held a press conference for this momentous occasion!

Comments

[Tuna]

Wonder if poor Sandy Lyle will get shunted aside when it comes to the next Euro Captain selection?

None of this stuff is rocket science, and I reckon he would do as good of job, maybe better, than some of the past captains.

[Hawkeye]

Sandy Lyle will never get the nod. The next five Euro captains will be, starting in 2010, Colin Montgomerie, J-M Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Darren Clarke and Colin Montgomerie. Hell, Colin never won in America but everything except the Open over here, it's a no-brainer!

[Tuna]

Hawkeye,

If you read this, please lay it out for me why Lyle will never get to be captain.

Is he perceived to be simply too nice, too loopy, too stupid, or something else?

I can't see how Woosnam (certainly no Einstein) can be a captain and Lyle not considered for the same.

[Hawkeye]

Tuna, Sandy Lyle was a great player for a decade, and his winning merits are certainly greater than Woosnam's. However, his personality - quiet, unassuming - is not one of a natural leader, and the most successful Euro captains have been players with a natural authority. The biggest hurdle, though, is him requesting not to be on the team in 1989 because of "poor form". All other members of Europe's "golden generation" have on occasion been in abysmal form heading into a Ryder Cup match, only to rise to the occasion and perform well in spite of ball-striking or putting woes (Faldo in ´97, Langer in ´89, Woosnam in ´93 and Ballesteros in ´95). This quality was shown lacking in Lyle on his own accord, and that is, I think, the main reason why he will never get the nod.