Phil Mickelson is a hugely divisive figure in the world of professional golf, so much so that he has previously ruled himself out of running for the US Ryder Cup captaincy because of it.
Mickelson has played on 12 US Ryder Cup teams throughout his career – a record in the biennial competition.
However, Mickelson recently said he’s not the man to captain the US Ryder Cup side, due to the division he caused with his move to LIV Golf.
The 55-year-old achieved incredible success during his time at the top, but now he’s more well-known for his social media activity than for his brilliance on the golf course.
Mickelson actually congratulated US Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley after America’s narrow defeat to the Europeans at Bethpage Black.
However, it was clear to see that Bradley made far too many mistakes. Even with only one European player winning a singles match on Sunday, they still won by two clear points.
And that is not good enough.
Phil Mickelson says a non-golfer should be considered for the US Ryder Cup captaincy
The United States are under big pressure to get things right and atone for the mistakes made at Bethpage.
That will all start now ahead of the 2027 Ryder Cup at Adare Manor in Ireland.
And in response to a question posed on X about whether Tiger Woods is the man the United States need to evoke real change, Mickelson offered an alternative approach.
He said: “Here is why looking outside of golf to a coach K or Lou Holtz is worth exploring. Golf is an individual sport that doesn’t have team work, support system, partnership, team analytics, personality traits, and more. The Europeans have a template that teaches and prepares their captains for these skills. U.S. has a new template every 2 years with little continuity.
“If a coach K or Lou Holtz or someone similar took over, would it be built upon or would it be scrapped and start over again afterwards? If that’s the case, it would be a waste of time and effort and not worth doing to begin with.“
It’s a fair point from Mickelson and the fact that the US have won only four of the last 15 Ryder Cups means that the powers that be should be open to making some big changes.
Coach K and Lou Holtz could be perfect for Ryder Cup leadership role
Coach K is the legendary former College Basketball coach, Mike Krzyzewski, who won five NCAA division titles and 13 NCAA regionals during his time in charge of Duke.
Meanwhile, Lou Holtz is a former College Football coach who won two national championships.
Both have obvious strengths when it comes to leadership, and are renowned for their ability to get the best out of their players in a team environment.
That’s exactly the kind of leader the US Ryder Cup team needs.
Team ethic seems to come naturally to the European players but it certainly isn’t as present in the US team-room.
Team Europe has a blueprint for success which has been passed down throughout the years while the US seem to rip everything up and start from scratch again every other year.
Is Tiger Woods the man to bring success back to the US Ryder Cup team? Mickelson clearly feels like a different direction is required, and I tend to agree with him.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
