Davis Love III - 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup captain?

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published 17 February 2015

According to a Golf Channel report, Davis Love III is expected to be named U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

According to a Golf Channel report, Davis Love III is expected to be named U.S. Ryder Cup captain for the 2016 matches at Hazeltine in Minnesota.

The official announcement is scheduled to be given on 24th February at PGA of America HQ in Florida, but it is believed the decision to appoint Love III has already been made.

Love III was captain of the U.S. side that lost at Medinah in 2012, despite going into the final day singles with a 10-6 lead. Although popular with the players, Love was strongly criticised for some of his tactical decisions during that contest, particularly for leaving out the unbeaten pairing of Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley in the Saturday afternoon fourballs.

The 50-year-old is part of the 11-man U.S. Ryder Cup task force that was set up after the Medinah defeat, but he wasn’t publicly named as one of the possible candidates for Hazeltine. Fred Couples and Paul Azinger were considered favourites to take the job.

If Love III is named he will follow Tom Watson as the second-straight, repeat U.S. captain. He would become the eighth man to captain the U.S. on multiple occasions. The others being: Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Jack Burke, Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

The Golf Channel report also suggested that Tom Lehman and Steve Stricker might play a part in the 2016 matches. Possible vice-captains?

Darren Clarke is expected to be named tomorrow as European team captain for the 2016 matches.

The USA has lost eight of the last 10 Ryder Cups and six of the last seven.

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Fergus is Golf Monthly's resident expert on the history of the game and has written extensively on that subject. He has also worked with Golf Monthly to produce a podcast series. Called 18 Majors: The Golf History Show it offers new and in-depth perspectives on some of the most important moments in golf's long history. You can find all the details about it here.

He is a golf obsessive and 1-handicapper. Growing up in the North East of Scotland, golf runs through his veins and his passion for the sport was bolstered during his time at St Andrews university studying history. He went on to earn a post graduate diploma from the London School of Journalism. Fergus has worked for Golf Monthly since 2004 and has written two books on the game; "Great Golf Debates" together with Jezz Ellwood of Golf Monthly and the history section of "The Ultimate Golf Book" together with Neil Tappin , also of Golf Monthly.

Fergus once shanked a ball from just over Granny Clark's Wynd on the 18th of the Old Course that struck the St Andrews Golf Club and rebounded into the Valley of Sin, from where he saved par. Who says there's no golfing god?

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