Double Major winning Mark O’Meara believes despite Tom Watson’s legendary stature the 2014 USA Ryder Cup team face a Highlands to wrestle back the trophy against Paul McGinley’s rival European leadership at Gleneagles.
O’Meara is a veteran of five Ryder Cups between 1985 and 1999 when he bowed out of the biannual competition losing his Singles encounter to Padraig Harrington at the ‘Battle of Brookline’
Mark O’Meara believes USA Team could be facing a struggle despite the appointment of legendary Tom Watson for the 2014 Ryder Cup. (Photo – www.golffile.ie)
It remains shameful the pettiness on the part of the PGA of America O’Meara has never been offered the USA Team captaincy while the PGA Tour is just as much to blame in also not bestowing the Houston-based golfer with USA Presidents Cup leadership.
Dual Augusta winners O’Meara and Watson were paired just once in the history of the Ryder Cup and that was in 1989 when they were on the wrong end of 6 & 5 thrashing at the hands of Seve Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal.
And while they failed to get near the Spaniards that afternoon at The Belfry, O’Meara believes Watson’s side could struggle to muster the combined muscle in trying to overcome the might of McGinley’s men.
“I’ve got second feelings about Tom Watson being appointed to lead the American side even though he’s been an amazing great player, a past Ryder Cup captain and he’s also a Hall of Famer,” said O’Meara.
“Personally, I would have chosen someone like Larry Nelson who would make for a great USA Ryder Cup captain but he now seems to have been passed over.
“But I don’t think it matters who they choose at they have gone with young players, they’ve gone with players they thought were good and no matter who they chose the European Team have risen to the occasion to win most every time.
“And with Paul McGinley at the helm they’re still going to be a very strongly knit outfit and I don’t see Europe any weaker under Paul.
“I know Paul very well and I know what a strong team player he’s been and what the Ryder Cup means to him, and he’s going to have some great players around him.”
