Azinger Not Ruling Out Captaincy; Wants PGA To Blow-Up Model

Paul Azinger went on a 10-day motorcycle trip and Steve DiMeglio opens his story recounting that image after talking to former Ryder Cup Captain Paul Azinger about his willingness to not "rule anything out" regarding a return engagement.

DiMeglio writes:

"I'm not going to rule anything out," Azinger, the last victorious U.S. captain in the Ryder Cup, said on Monday.

His phone started blowing up with text messages and voice mails shortly after the U.S. team's post-match press conference.

Sounding like a well rehearsed politician, Azinger is using this unexpected (or was he expecting?) this opportunity to leverage changes in the PGA of America's selection system. He is cleverly backing them into a corner that no doubt has the folks in Palm Beach Gardens thrilled!

"But my goal is the bigger picture. It is time for the PGA of America to recognize the great disconnect and formulate the same business model for selecting a captain as it does for selecting its president and officers.

"Europe consistently repeats a philosophy of leadership that every captain has learned from the captains in the past. It is an approach that is comfortable and familiar. The U.S. approach is less comfortable and completely unfamiliar to every repeat player. The players have to adjust to a completely unique system to the previous two years."

Permanent pods!

2008 Faldo Flashback: "See you at Celtic Manor in two years and remember to bring your waterproofs."

Oh how the archives can be so, so informative. From The Times:

"Well done USA, you had an excellent captain in Paul Azinger, a well thought out team and great rookie selections with your wild cards." He added: "See you at Celtic Manor in two years and remember to bring your waterproofs."

In May, the Wales Open was disrupted by heavy rain, and with the Ryder Cup due to be held from October 1-3 the weather may not match the scorching temperatures in Kentucky.

However, George O'Grady, chief executive of the European Tour, responded quickly to Faldo's comments by defending the decision to hold the event in Wales.

"It's in a valley, it does rain and you've got to look at these things with a bit of humour," he said.

Yes, Nick's getting the last laugh isn't he?

"I was busy polishing this."

I've been trying to not pay attention to Ian Poulter's Twitter debacles of late, but this one is just too good (thanks reader Sean). Ryan Ballengee lays it all out for you. But let's just say, I miss Captain Azinger.

Azinger Reveals Player Selection Concept That Captain Pavin Definitely Will Not Use...

...or even know about since he has avoided his predecessor and I'm guessing won't be reading the comp copy that Azinger hopefully leaves in Pavin's locker at a Champions stop.

Anyway, Doug Ferguson reports on the curious methodology that led to Paul Azinger's 2008 Ryder Cup captain's picks:

For the first time, Azinger explains how he let the three players in each pod who qualified for the team (Steve Stricker was included, even though he was a pick), choose who they wanted for a captain’s pick.

For example, Mickelson, Kim and Leonard were given a list of a half-dozen players they could have to fill out their pod. They chose Mahan, who went unbeaten for the week.

“That gave them full-blown ownership,” Azinger said in a telephone interview Monday afternoon.

Azinger said he wasn’t sure whether to have three or four pods, and that Mickelson persuaded him to have three. That way, no single player from a pod would be left during team matches. And while it was a team of 12, Azinger says Furyk starred in his own right. Not only did he fit into the “redneck” pod, but he accepted the role of the group’s cheerleader.

“I’ve been on teams before, but this was the first time I looked and grasped the idea of how I can make the other person feel more comfortable,” Furyk writes on the back of the jacket.

Azinger's Book Arrives; Will Captain Pavin Acknowledge It?

Bill Fields catches up with Paul Azinger about his new book with Ron Braund about the 2008 Ryder Cup pod system.

As for Azinger's book, he said 25,000 copies are being printed, and Brookstone has already purchased 10,000 to sell in its airport stores. He believes people will be intrigued by how he and therapist Ron Braund got the American Ryder Cuppers to mesh.

"We had the best players out there because the selection process changed," Azinger said. "Then we just got them sold on a concept and got the heck out of their way ... They played great. They deserve the credit, and they get the credit in the book. The story tells how we organized those guys -- how we tried to create the best environment for them and not over manage them but just get out of their way and let them do what they do best."

I wonder if Captain Corey Pavin will pick up a copy while strolling through the airport? After all, as you may recall in one of the more hilariously eye-opening pre-Ryder Cup oddities of all time, Captain Azinger reported to me last month that he still had not heard from 2010 Captain Pavin.

Top that, Monty!

Monty Off To Blazing Start: Already Has Vice Captain Ollie Flustered!

Derek Lawrenson reports that the Vice Captain has never actually been offered the job!

He has certainly got a grumpy potential vice-captain on his hands after Jose Maria Olazabal made the stunning revelation on Thursday that Monty had appointed him to the post without even asking the Spaniard if he wanted it.

Anyone know the Spanish for ‘That’s news to me, pal?’

Such was Ollie’s reaction to a series of questions on the subject at the Dubai Desert Classic, where he was in no mood to gloss over what he clearly feels is a terrible breach of protocol.

‘The only words Monty and I have spoken was when I got to the clubhouse on Wednesday and I congratulated him and he said: “We need to talk,” and that was all,’ said Olazabal.

You assume it is the vice-captaincy he wants to talk about?

‘I am not going to guess anything.’

Monty: Over 50s Out Of Touch With Today's Youth

I'm not sure where that leaves Monty since he'll be 51 when his self-appointed captaincy comes up (2014),  but he tells Mark Reason that once they turn 50, Ryder Cup captains lose all sense of what's going on!

Montgomerie said: "We found last time with Faldo's situation that you do lose as a captain over 50 [is this bad news for the 50-year-old Sandy Lyle] a sense of what's happening with the youngsters, a feeling of what's going on."

Given Faldo's obvious lack of empathy with parts of his team, was it surprising that he appointed only one assistant captain? And would Montgomerie be prepared to help out in Wales if he didn't make the team in 2010?

He said: "I would be willing to do anything to help. I said so pre-Faldo when he didn't pick me. I was surprised that Darren, who has played in five of these things, and myself, who has played in eight, were left sitting at home last time. I am sure we could have helped the European cause in some way.

"I was fully expecting some sort of call when the voicemail came through from Nick. At the end of his spiel about, 'I'm sorry, I haven't picked you because' – which I fully accepted, I didn't play well enough to get selected – I did expect the follow on: 'But would you come out to help in some way'. Anything. But it didn't happen. I'm sure Darren would have felt a similar way."

Sergio: We Approved Faldo's Worst Moves!

John Hopkins finds Sergio Garcia in a chatty mood regarding the Ryder Cup. Love this Red Auerbach/Boston Garden playbook stuff:

“The US team played their cards well. They knew where the pins were going to be and the tees and we didn't. The locker-room we had was really, really small and uncomfortable. I wish it had been even half the size of theirs. We had two showers, one next to a toilet. At the opening ceremony they played my anthem twice, once when the Spanish flag was raised and once when the Swedish flag was raised.

“Nick Faldo's speech at the opening ceremony was too long. In past Ryder Cups there has been the captain and two or three vice-captains. It seemed like that way you covered a lot of ground. On the Sunday this year, covering all 12 of us with only two guys was rather difficult.”

And on the Sunday lineup call to stack the backend of the lineup:

He also pointed out that the order of play for Sunday's singles was not just Faldo's choice, but one that had the approval of every Europe team member. “The defeat was not Faldo's fault,” García said. “Nick Faldo was not the best captain we have ever had, but I don't think he was the worst.”

Ryders Brace For Pavin Captaincy By Ordering Up Heavy On The Azinger Nostalgia, Well Done

You can already sense that they're clamoring for those earth-shattering one-on-ones with about-to-be-announced Captain Pavin.

John Hopkins in the Times:

There is some surprise in the selection of Pavin, 49, to be the man to lead his team at Celtic Manor Resort, near Newport. The PGA of America is believed to have wanted Azinger to repeat his role, but the man who masterminded the first US victory since 1999 decided against it. “All I can say, boys, is it’s not going to be me,” Azinger said on Monday.

Did anyone else read Azinger's comments that way? I thought it was more resignation at being passed up?

Rex Hoggard at GolfChannel.com:

The PGA may have pulled the plug on Azinger, but it was a surgeon’s scalpel that cost him his ultimate Ryder Cup experience. When Tiger Woods’ season ended shortly after his historic U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines it robbed Azinger of his chance to captain a team that included the world No. 1.

“It’s one of those things I’m going to miss the most. Not being able to spend time with the likes of Tiger Woods . . . it’s unfortunate,” Azinger said before the matches.
For the man who didn’t leave a blade of Kentucky bluegrass undisturbed in his quest for Ryder Cup gold, the PGA’s decision and Woods’ season-ending injury are particularly painful rubs on an otherwise agreeable green.

Mark Reason in the Daily Telegraph:

If they do overlook cap'n Azinger, the PGA of America will prove that they are serious rivals for "the 57 old farts" of the RFU once lampooned by Will Carling.

Four years ago Tiger Woods and many others wanted the smarts of Mark O'Meara, but the PGA of America wouldn't have him because O'Meara had once suggested that some of their Ryder Cup profits should go to player-nominated charities.

Now, if Azinger has it right, the officers of the PGA are set to refuse to reappoint their first decent captain since Tom Watson in 1993. The hot favourite to replace Azinger is the 49-year-old Pavin. 

Update on Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 08:23 AM by Geoff

Not everyone is infatuated with Azinger at the moment. Jim McCabe in the Boston Globe:

In an effort to market himself and profit from the success of his captaincy with the US Ryder Cup team, Paul Azinger fired his longtime agent and went with superpower IMG. Apparently, the Ryder Cup isn't about the money, at least until it's over, at which time it's all about the money.

"Nick was in a world of his own"

Lewine Mair's on Nick Faldo's desire to captain the European Ryder Cup Team again:

It was on the day prior to the Hong Kong Open that Faldo said he was missing the buzz and missing his men. "We all got along well," he said. At the time of the match, he had described his team as a 36-strong affair taking in the 12 players, their partners and their caddies.

Some of those "team" members who were on duty in Hong Kong have suggested that he was showing no signs of missing them. He barely acknowledged a couple of the caddies, and did not have too much time for Miguel Angel Jimenez either. Apparently, Jimenez was the recipient of a "Hello!" followed by the briefest of enquiries as to his health. "Nick was in a world of his own," said Jimenez.

Faldo's Fired Up And Ready To Go, Too!

Just like Captain Azinger (who is now hinting that he might be interested in this Bob Harig story), Nick Faldo is putting out feelers that will be swatted down in the name of one-off captaincies.

However, intriguing was this line in Lawrence Donegan's story:

Yet if there was much grumbling in some circles, members of his defeated European team have remained steadfastly loyal to him in the months since Valhalla. This may weigh in his favour if he should actively campaign for the job in future, although it might not be enough to secure him the position.

In other words, the press has not been able to wrangle any really good back-stabbing stories out of the losing lugs! Don't worry, there's time...

"He's common folk just like we are"

PGA.com's Kathy Orton talks to the Ryder Cup players who visited the White House Monday.

Boo, on the outgoing President who attended Yale and Harvard Business School.

"He's common folk just like we are," added Boo Weekley. "He's just like his daddy, I think. I met his daddy before, a couple times. Like his daddy told me at the Ryder Cup, he said, 'Son, you act just like my son.' I said, 'Yes, sir, I probably do. I don't know that for a fact, but I probably do.'"

There you go. 41 says 43 acts like Boo Weekley.

This is lovely...

Hunter Mahan was worried that he upset the President because he told him he was from California, even though he now lives in Texas.

"He asked if I was from Texas, and I'm not originally, but I do live there," Mahan said. "I consider myself a Texan more than a Californian, which is where I'm from. I hope I didn't offend him."

I can see where he might be offended. I've never understood why the President should have to deal with a state that does not give him the electoral votes he desires. So offensive. 

Maybe Hunter should just not play in California?