Do Great Ryder Cup Players Make Great Ryder Cup Captains?

Do Great Ryder Cup Players Make Great Ryder Cup Captains?

Over at Betway, there is an interesting analysis of the relationship between a Ryder Cup Captain’s playing record and his success as a Captain. The live sports betting company thinks that the results are good news for the American team

Five European Captains have scored 20 more points as Ryder Cup players: Seve Ballesteros, Bernhard Langer, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal. Of those, only Faldo recorded a loss. Interestingly, Faldo also is the former Ryder Cup Captain with the most points in his career at 25.

Overall, eight of the ten winning European Ryder Cup Captains scored ten or more points as Ryder Cup players.

It is a different story on the United States’ side, Betway blogger Jack Green points out. There, the five with the most points as players have lost as Ryder Cup Captains more often than not. Only Billy Casper, with 23.5 points as a player has a winning record. Jack Nicklaus, with 18.5 points is 1-1.

Conversely, the United States Ryder Cup Captains who pulled off wins were not themselves outstanding players. Davis Love II is 9-11-5 (Win-Loss-Tie) as a player. Paul Azinger was 5-8-3. Ben Crenshaw went 3-8-1 in his Ryder Cup playing career.

Just a thought here: Tiger Woods, for all his dominance as a PGA TOUR player, is 13-21-3 in the Ryder Cup. Phil Mickelson is 18-22-7. Losing records for two of the most dominant players of the era. Between them, they have 126 wins and 21 majors. Something about their regular play doesn’t translate to the Ryder Cup.

Will they make good Ryder Cup Captains? The Betway analysis says they might.

Another thought: There’s long been a notion in baseball that the best managers were themselves mediocre players. Among those fitting the mold: Earl Weaver, Jim Leyland, Billy Martin, Sparky Anderson, Tony LaRussa, Bobby Cox and old-timers Charlie Comiskey, Walter Alston and Joe McCarthy.

It is also not hard to find a list of great players who were terrible baseball managers

One theory for this is that mediocre players understand the struggles others experience. That empathy might help with managing talent. Great players, on the other hand, may not understand why others are not also great.

That’s an excuse for the US team, but it doesn’t explain the success of good European Ryder Cup players.

What does it all mean for your wagering? You should read the entire article at the link above.