For a second week in succession rival Ryder Cup captains Darren Clarke and Davis Love 111 have managed to avoid each other.
Clarke contested last week’s Valspar Championship while Love was a late withdrawal, and with USA vice-captain Steve Stricker left to co-host with Clarke a Q & A session during the event at Palm Harbor.
Now after the duo were to play a practice round during this Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill near Orlando and the Irishman withdrew last weekend, and after the cut-off day for entries.
This week would have been only the second occasion since last year’s PGA Championship that next September’s Hazeltine opponents would have competed in the same tournament.
“No, I couldn’t play last week at the Valsapar as I was looking forward to catching up with Darren this week as we were going to play a practice round here at Bay Hill but he texted me so say he was not teeing-up this week,” said Love 111.
Rival Ryder Cup Captains Davis Love 111 & Darren Clarke avoid each other for a second week running on the PGA Tour.
“Of course, there is so many things going on in both our lives at present with regards the Ryder Cup so I guess that’s why Darren had to withdraw.”
Clarke’s withdrawal is certainly no sign of weakness on the Irishman’s part and if anything, of the Captain’s to have been appointed European Captain in recent years it is Clarke who is known best to the Americans.
And clearly known better to the Americans than any European Team leader including the very affable Paul McGinley and including also Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, the ‘it’s all about me’ Nick Faldo, Ian Woosnam, steely Bernhard Langer, Sam Torrance and the hapless Mark James who help steer Europe to defeat in 1999 at Brookline.
Indeed, you could go back to the commencement of the Ryder Cup in 1927 and you probably would not find a GB & I or now European Captain and a ‘what you see, is what you get’ leader as Clarke.
“Darren and I go back such a long way, and he and I have become very good friends over the years,” said Love 111.
“I wasn’t at all surprised when he was appointed for Hazeltine, and having kept one eye of his handling of his side at the EurAsia Cup earlier this year, he’s clearly going to be a good European captain.
“I’m sure they had fun that week in Malaysia, and I thought also his selection of Lee Westwood and Ian Poulter seemed a smart move.
“Darren’s totally different to any of the many European Captains I have come in contact with.
“Ollie (Jose Maria Olazabal) was easy to work with at Medinah just because we had a lot of respect for each other whereas Darren and I will have a lot more fun.
“So having Darren as the European Team Captain is already easier, and there’s been issues already about the ‘Captain’s Agreement’ and what I would say: ‘Let me go talk to Darren’. So it’s easier that way and I would say to Darren here is the decision about what we discussed so we’ve already agreed and when the document is presented we simply both sign it.”
Unlike Clarke who already named his five Hazeltine vice-captains Clarke is yet to name one, and it’s certainly made for Love being a whole lot busier this time two years ago.
“We have only gotten to where we are this Ryder Cup year taking care of things just like the PGA Tour with various meetings with the potential players, meetings with the leading caddies, attending Jack’s house for dinner, and meetings with the Tour and PGA of America officials,” said Love.
“However all this Ryder Cup stuff is keeping me busy but then busier as there is more input than this time in 2012 when I was captain.
“So if we are going to have a dinner at Jack’s place like we did, then it means more text messages and phone calls to my vice-captains, and that all takes up my time.
“It’s good but it’s just leading to me being busier.
“Like I was playing in the Father & Son tournament in the first week of last December and one of my amateur partners said to me: ‘When do you get started on the Ryder Cup?’.
“I said to him we have been at it for more than a year ago when we had the first task force meeting and since we had teed off in that event I had already received five emails.
“He said: ‘Really’. And I said to him ‘yes’ as it just non-stop as if I am going to be involved in all the details of managing the team then that’s how it must be.
“And that’s what I have talked to Darren about as some of the decisions that need to be made involve him.
“And if I sound excited in talking about a Ryder Cup in February and March then the reason is simple. We haven’t won one for a while.
“We are talking about so early as we are trying to be ready.”
