Tiger and Phil ‘should not be captains’

• American analyst rips captaincy credentials of duo
• Says Phil ‘did corrupt this team from the inside out’
• Would rather see Stricker or Furyk get the opportunity

US golf commentator Brandel Chamblee has said that neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson deserve to captain the USA in a future edition of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup.

Reports surfaced over the weekend that Tiger had called 2016 US Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III during the Presidents Cup – won for a sixth consecutive time by the US – to stake a claim for a role in his backroom team for next year’s match at Hazeltine.

Mickelson, meanwhile, was widely praised for the positive influence he had on the US Presidents Cup side both on and off the course in South Korea and, at 45-years-old, he has been tipped to lead the Americans in either the 2018 or 2020 Ryder Cups.

Chamblee, however, believes that neither player deserves such a responsibility. Speaking on the Golf Channel, he said that they ‘don’t deserve it’.

“Athletes when they’re sort of past they’re prime, so to speak, look back with a little more respect and reverence at events that they were more the source of the fire of,” said Chamblee, pictured above. “But I don’t really think it’s appropriate to give players a leadership role in an event that they didn’t show interest or passion for when they were competitors.”

He went on to criticise Woods for not bringing his best form to team matchplay events and was even more scathing of Mickelson, a veteran of ten Ryder Cups and eleven Presidents Cups.

“He did corrupt this team from the inside out,” said Chamblee. “You can point to 2004, not coming together with Tiger Woods, not practising even on the same golf course, changing equipment that week and, in 2012, asking to be sat in the afternoon on the Saturday with Keegan Bradley. Then there’s the last Ryder Cup where he didn’t even arrive with the team and then, of course, his disparaging remarks of Tom Watson. These are not leadership-type qualities.”

Chamblee added that he’d rather see the likes of Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk given the opportunity to lead the side.

You can see and hear all of his comments right here…

Brandel Chamblee :: Is he right?

Do you agree with Brandel Chamblee that neither Tiger Woods nor Phil Mickelson deserve the chance to lead a US side in a future edition of the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup? Leave your thoughts in our ‘Comments’ section below.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor