Man it's good to be reading your work again, KVV. Appreciate the entire FEGC team calling out everyone with a hand in this debacle.

To point 3, I agree. From a financial point of view, this event was a win for the Ryder Cup and team U.S.A. So why does it really matter if we win or not? To point 2, I think what Wagner said about the President's Cup was spot on. I think U.S.A players get fatigued by doing this type of event every year, while team Europe only has to focus on this event. I'm not going to repeat everything he said, but what you stated ties into that broader picture.

This pod was great! A couple of thoughts: 1. The governance problem. If the US Ryder Cup team were a business, the PGA of America would be a misaligned board of directors. The captain is essentially the CEO, but without clarity and support from the board, sustained success is nearly impossible. Europe, by contrast, feels 180 degrees different in this regard. 2. Europe is multiple cycles ahead. It's painfully evident that Europe is at least one to two Ryder Cup planning cycles ahead of the US. Europe has built a rock-solid foundation to build upon, while the US is effectively hitting the reset button every two years. If trust and process matter—and they clearly do—it's nearly impossible to build that in just two years. The next US captain needs at minimum two years to properly prepare and plan. Realistically, the US should consider naming a captain for the next two Ryder Cups to allow them to truly build something sustainable. My recommendation would be to host 3-4 minicamps for players who could realistically make the team, using these to identify the right-fit players and build team chemistry early. Captains should have a clear profile of what they need and use events beyond just PGA Tour wins and majors to evaluate fit. If you want genuine buy-in and commitment, lay down a gauntlet early and see who rises to the occasion. 3. The incentive question. Does it actually matter to the PGA of America if the US is properly prepped and competing at maximum potential? I suppose they don't want the team to look completely unprepared, but the financial incentives of this event seem completely divorced from whether the US wins or loses. That misalignment may explain a lot.

I wonder if NBC will hire a form US Ryder captain and current consultant to sit in the booth at Adare Manor to openly root for the US team. Trying to recall a sporting event where one of the main commentators was so compromised. OK, Tom Brady. Nevertheless.

I would like to see Matt Kuchar be the next captain for the US, why not?

Great article! The US really needs someone in that age 45-55 range to come into the role and serve consecutive terms to get some consistency and real reforms in place. It obviously should be someone respected by the players, but it doesn't need to be someone that's "in the club." Tiger is the first choice because he's not competitive and he's a maniac and would put attention to detail into it. But, he has so many other obligations that him doing it once is doubtful and consecutively is certainly a no-go. But, I really think there's value and an advantage in the right guy doing it 2x in a row. I'd look at someone like Justin Leonard or David Duvall.

My favorite golfer from the first days of swinging a club. He could have had it all following the '21 PGA. Now a leper to the game and to some a national embarassment. Fall from grace in the biggest of ways.

If they're going to play more majors at Bethpage, they need to figure out how to firm it up, it is comically soft and it hasn't rained during the tournament (though there was a healthy rain the day before). Hopefully a May calendar date will help, but I would've said the same about late September. In any case, I'm looking forward to watching the '28 Women's PGA out there, fan behavior should be much improved for that event.

The US needs their own Dodo Molinari behind the scenes.

We never thought Zach would have competition - Zach II is now in the conversation. Time for a professional manager - think U.S. Olympic Basketball - bring in a Steve Kerr