2014 Ryder Cup (PGA Centenary Course, Gleneagles Hotel; Perthshire, Scotland) September 26-28
U.S. Captain: Tom Watson (already announced)
European Captain: Paul McGinley
U.S. Team
1. Tiger Woods
2. Phil Mickelson
3. Bubba Watson
4. Dustin Johnson
5. Zach Johnson
6. Webb Simpson
7. Keegan Bradley
8. Jim Furyk
9. Steve Stricker
10. Hunter Mahan
11. Jason Dufner
12. Rickie Fowler
Outside looking in: Possible Ryder Cup Rookies
Nick Watney
Kyle Stanley
Bud Cauley
Harris English
John Huh
Robert Garrigus
Bill Haas
Outside looking in: Former Ryder Cuppers
Brandt Snedeker
Matt Kuchar
Davis Love III
David Toms
Justin Leonard
Analysis of U.S. Team
The American team will come to Gleneagles hungry and motivated as ever to win the Cup on foreign soil for the first time since 1993 at the Belfry. Ironically, Tom Watson was the captain of that team. Watson was the perfect choice because he was the last U.S. captain to win away from home and he's an excellent leader. Another point of consideration is the fact that he's a hallowed figure in the U.K. due to his Open Championship success, winning five Claret Jugs. He will be extremely thorough in knowing every knook and cranny of the PGA Centenary Course. His players will respond to him unlike any other captain.
In terms of the players that will accompany Watson to Scotland, there won't be much change from the 2012 team. Tiger, Phil, Bubba, "DJ," Dufner, Simpson, Zach Johnson, Furyk, Stricker, and Keegan Bradley will travel to Perthshire eager to avenge Europe's "Miracle at Medinah." However, as with every team, there will be some new faces, but certainly ones who are used to the pressures of an away match. Rickie Fowler and Hunter Mahan, both members of the 2010 team in Wales, will regain their places in Watson's team after being left out of the 2012 team.
Many of you might be saying: 'How can you leave Kuchar and Snedeker out?' There are always players who go through slumps or just have an off-year or two. Kuchar, outside of his Player's Championship victory, didn't have that great of a season and probably wouldn't have made Davis Love's team without that win. Snedeker won the Farmers Insurance Open and the Tour Championship, in addition to the season-long FedEx Cup in what was an incredible 2012. However, no former FedEx Cup champion has made it back to the Tour Championship the next season. Unfortunately for "Sneds" and "Kuch," they were the odd-men out in my prediction of the team. I think they can make the team, but I just feel like Mahan and Fowler will be more consistent over the qualification period.
European Team
1. Rory McIlroy
2. Luke Donald
3. Justin Rose
4. Paul Lawrie
5. Ian Poulter
6. Lee Westwood
7. Graeme McDowell
8. Peter Hanson
9. Fransesco Molinari
10. Padraig Harrington
11. Martin Kaymer
12. Sergio Garcia
Outside looking in: Possible Ryder Cup Rookies
Thorbjorn Olesen
Shane Lowry
Matteo Manassero
Anders Hansen
Jamie Donaldson
Robert Rock
Simon Dyson
Danny Willett
Rafa Cabrera-Bello
Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano
Bernd Wiesberger
Richie Ramsay
Stephen Gallacher
Scott Jamieson
Martin Laird (must become a European Tour member in order to earn qualification points)
Marcel Siem
Joost Luiten
Michael Hoey
Raphael Jacquelin
Alex Noren
Kristoffer Broberg
Outside looking in: Former Ryder Cuppers
Nicolas Colsaerts
Ross Fisher
Henrik Stenson
Paul Casey
Darren Clarke (possible 2014 captain)
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Thomas Bjorn
Jose Maria Olazabal
Colin Montgomerie (possible 2014 captain)
Edoardo Molinari
Robert Karlsson
Analysis of European Team
There are three candidates for the captaincy in 2014: Paul McGinley, Darren Clarke, and Colin Montgomerie. If the European Tour Committee follows through on their prior criteria, "Monty" would be left out due to his previous captaincy in 2010 at Celtic Manor. Really, either Irishman would make an excellent captain, but I feel that McGinley would be the ideal choice for 2014. McGinley has played on three winning-Ryder Cup teams, captained two victorious Great Britain & Ireland Seve Trophy teams, and has been an assistant captain on the past two Ryder Cup teams. He's someone who was born to be a Ryder Cup captain. The only thing that may prevent him from being captain in 2014 is his playing credentials don't measure up to Clarke's. Clarke, on the other hand, still has ambitions of playing on the team in 2014, having been encouraged by his strong finishes in his final two events of 2012. The 2011 Open Champion is the more popular player and would be the ideal captain in the U.S. in 2016. The American fans love him and he may find it easier than McGinley to deal with being an away captain. In the end, I believe McGinley is the perfect choice for 2014 and Clarke should plan on being captain in 2016. Either way, Ireland should be getting its first ever Ryder Cup captain.
In terms of the team, I believe 11 out of the 12 from the last Ryder Cup team will be at Gleneagles. Obviously, with injuries and poor play, this could drastically change but, at this moment, that's the team I see. I'm not saying that that's the team I would like to see. I would like to see a number of Scots in the team (Lawrie, Ramsay, Laird, Gallacher, Jamieson, Montgomerie) and a few of the oldies (Clarke, Jimenez, Olazabal, Bjorn, McGinley), but we'll have to see how this plays out. I certainly don't want another situation like Wales had in 2010, when there wasn't a Welshman competing. I can see anywhere from one to four Scots in the team; I am certain that every Scottish golfer will be giving his all for these two years in order to play in front of their home fans at Gleneagles.
It was tough deciding who, if any, wouldn't make the trip to Gleneagles after playing on Olazabal's team in 2012. It's highly unlikely that all 12 members will be competing in the 2014 contest, but I decided to drop Colsaerts in favor of Harrington. Colsaerts has joined the PGA Tour for the 2013 season, in addition to remaining a member of the European Tour. I just don't know how he'll adjust to playing both tours after just recently finally playing to his potential. Harrington, who seems to have taken care of his swing changes, closed the season with encouraging results and will be looking to get back into the 2014 team after missing out last year. He had played in every Ryder Cup since 1999. He'll be extremely motivated and it all begins with him getting back into the top-50. The top-50 of the world golf rankings are eligible for all four Majors (Harrington is exempt until after this season courtesy of his 2008 PGA Championship victory), World Golf Championships, and limited-field events such as the Player's, the Memorial, and the Volvo World Matchplay Championship. The fact that Harrington did not play in one WGC in 2012 hurt his chances of making the team. In WGC's, there's no cut and players are guaranteed Ryder Cup points. He'll be looking to get back to where he was in 2007-2008, where he made it to number three in the world rankings; at present, he's ranked 59th in the world.
Prediction
Europe retains the Cup, 15.5-12.5
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