American golf fans must be growing pretty tired of hearing about the need for an overhaul in how they approach the Ryder Cup, with Team USA emerging victorious just four times since 1995.
The PGA of America absolutely cannot afford to bury their heads in the sand following what transpired at Bethpage Black last week. An incredible fightback on Sunday from Keegan Bradley‘s men may tempt them to.
However, the fact remains that Europe were able to win just one of 11 singles matches and still lift the Ryder Cup.
That should be humiliating.
The potential problem with Team USA turning to Paul Azinger after another Ryder Cup defeat
Understandably, there have been calls for Paul Azinger to come back into the fold in some capacity. Incredibly, Azinger has not been used in any role since masterminding the victory of 2008.
That week at Valhalla should have been a turning point. Team USA responded to three straight defeats with an outstanding win in Kentucky. And Azinger was rightly lauded for introducing a pod system where he split his team into groups of four. Therefore, each man knew the only other three players they would potentially be paired with that week.
It has definitely been a huge mistake not to utilise Azinger more in the 17 years since. But that does not mean that he should inspire the approach in 2027 at Adare Manor.
Keegan Bradley suffered after setting up Bethpage Black for the teams of the 2016 Ryder Cup, rather than 2025. Bradley admitted he regretted cutting back the rough in New York, with Europe’s top players capable of keeping up with their opponents off the tee.
That error highlights how the dynamic has changed so much in less than a decade. So it would potentially be another huge gamble to hope that Azinger can transform the team’s fortunes as an advisor with the opportunity that he should have got after 2008.
The PGA of America would also be wise to remember Tom Watson‘s captaincy in 2014 before giving Azinger the belated chance to recapture the magic of Valhalla.
Obviously, what Steve Stricker did in 2021 should not be overlooked, with Team USA winning by a record margin at Whistling Straits.
But there is another captain who should be brought into the fold and help advise the approach the team takes in Ireland in two years.
How Stacy Lewis transformed Team USA’s Solheim Cup approach
Europe had won the previous two Solheim Cups when Stacy Lewis was appointed as the US captain for the 2021 event at Finca Cortesin in Spain.
Lewis decided to head down a completely different path, bringing in Justin Ray and putting her full faith in the data when it came to picking her pairings.
As reported by Golf Digest before the 2023 Solheim Cup in Virginia, the US team had access to an app which provided live updates and allowed Lewis to see how a potential pairing would likely fare against any possible partnership on the European side.
In fact, they managed to collect strokes gained data from practice rounds in Spain. That led to the out of form Lexi Thompson playing four matches that week and delivering her joint best performance in the Solheim Cup.
Ultimately, Lewis had to wait to get her hands on the trophy in 2021. A 14-14 tie ensured that Europe held onto the cup for another year.
But Gainesville would provide the stage for Lewis’ great triumph. Team USA won both sessions 3-1 on the opening day, and then remained four points ahead heading into the singles.
Team USA ended up winning 15.5-12.5. Lewis, meanwhile, became the first US captain since Judy Rankin to oversee more than one Solheim Cup and not suffer an outright defeat.
Crucially, Lewis got so much out of her star player. Nelly Korda was supremely good over the first two days, and did not even see the 17th hole on Friday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The world number one set the tone, as she went out in the top match in every session she played.
Keegan Bradley, meanwhile, got just 2.5 points from Scottie Scheffler and Bryson DeChambeau in New York, despite the pair playing five matches each.
Data cannot decide everything when it comes to the Ryder Cup. But following the 2025 event, it is surely fair to say that Bradley either received poor information or did not feel that he could trust it.
Opting to send Collin Morikawa and Harris English out together in foursomes on both mornings seemed baffling, as did having Russell Henley tee off on the odd holes on Friday rather than Scheffler.
The Solheim Cup and the Ryder Cup are vastly different in a lot of ways. But it is much easier to draw parallels between the captaincies of Lewis and Luke Donald than Lewis and Bradley.
It said a lot about how enjoyable the experience was when Korda danced her way to the first tee ahead of her singles match with Charley Hull. Meanwhile, Lewis made absolutely sure that Thompson was the first player to lift the trophy in what is likely to be her final appearance in the event.
The importance of moments like that should not be underestimated.
And with the two-time major champion now retiring at the end of the season, there is a perfect opportunity for the PGA of America to get her insight into what lessons can be taken from her time as Solheim Cup captain.
The PGA of America does not have a lot of success stories to call upon as they look to avoid another heavy defeat on the road in 2027.
They should absolutely speak with the likes of Azinger, Davis Love III and Stricker. Even Tom Watson should get a call given that he was the last American captain to win the Ryder Cup in Europe back in 1993.
But it would be yet another own goal from the organisation if they did not consult with Lewis and find out what she was able to do to take Team USA in a completely different direction.
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