So who will he be? Old Captain Blunder who unforgivably allowed the Europeans to win the Ryder Cup twice on United States soil? Or The Redemption Man who fought back from being the victim in the Miracle of Medinah and broke the blue-and-gold stranglehold?
Regardless of their nationality, anyone who has enjoyed dealings with Davis Love would hate for the kindly figure from North Carolina to be classified as the former.
But then, the Ryder Cup does not respect reputations as the Starred and Striped have discovered to their embarrassment in the past two decades of European dominance.
The States have won only once this century – at Kentucky in 2008 – and even though Love’s demise in Chicago two years ago hurt plenty, the red faces were nothing in comparison to those of Tom Watson’s shambles in Gleneagles last time out.
That was as low as it has ever got for the US and in its desperation the PGA of America set up a Ryder Cup task force, containing the likes of Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Love himself. In their wisdom, the panel decided that Love and not Paul Azinger – the 2008 visionary – was deserving of a second chance and so the reputation of the 1997 USPGA champion was put on the line.
What ramps up the pressure further for Love is the calibre of young Americans storming the rankings. Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson and Patrick Reed combine with Bubba Watson and Jim Furyk to make it a six-strong US monopoly of the world’s top 10. With superstars-in-waiting in Brooks Koepka and Kevin Kisner also in the top 20, as well as Open champion Zach Johnson, the time seems right for the US to restate their dominance. And the cynics will venture that the almost certain absence of Woods will only assist their cause.
Darren Clarke happens to be extremely close to Love, but will certainly not want to join Sir Nick Faldo as the only Europe captains in eight matches to fall short. He will look to the likes of Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood and Luke Donald to make comebacks after their slumps this season. The Ulsterman has some fine youngsters in Danny Willett, Matt Fitzpatrick and Andy Sullivan, but he will not wish to go to Hazeltine with too many rookies.
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