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Davis Love III hopes changes will reverse USA's 2016 Ryder Cup fortunes

 

 

WASHINGTON -- After missing the cut at The Players Championship last weekend, Davis Love III went back to the locker room on Sunday night, where he bumped into Kevin Chappell, who finished second behind champion Jason Day.

 

Without missing a beat, Chappell immediately brought up the Ryder Cup and talked about how he was going to make the team this year.

WASHINGTON -- After missing the cut at The Players Championship last weekend, Davis Love III went back to the locker room on Sunday night, where he bumped into Kevin Chappell, who finished second behind champion Jason Day.

Without missing a beat, Chappell immediately brought up the Ryder Cup and talked about how he was going to make the team this year.

The Ryder Cup, golf's biennial competition pitting the United States against Europe in a weekend of match-play events, has been dominated by the Europeans in recent years. They have won eight of the last 10 tournaments, including the last three.

Come September, Love will look to buck that trend.

Love is back for the second time as captain after falling short in 2012 at Medinah Country Club near Chicago. However, this time around it's different.

“Being a captain in 2012 was an incredible honor and a great experience," Love told USA TODAY Sports at We Are Golf's National Golf Day event in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday. "To get to do it again, in a different way, being picked by your peers, to come out of that as captain it’s even more special."

This year, the PGA of America Ryder Cup Committee was formed, with the responsibility of identifying future captains and vice-captains and consulting on all matters related to the Ryder Cup.

"To have guys from Raymond Floyd to Rickie Fowler, to have them look at me and say ‘you’re the guy,’ it’s a humbling experience," Love said.

Love compared the new system to the way USA Basketball is run, where a structure and set system that doesn't change from year to year has established a culture of success. It's what the U.S. Ryder Cup team needs.

The Americans have lost in every way imaginable the last 10 events. From back-to-back 18 ½ - 9 ½ drubbings in 2004 and 2006 to losing by one match (14 ½ - 13 ½) on four occasions, including the last time Love was captain in 2012.

The Europeans have strong players, and if the tournament started today, they’d have four of the top 10 golfers in the world (Rory McIlroy, No. 3; Henrik Stenson, 6; Danny Willett, 9; Justin Rose,10).

The U.S. would have four as well (Jordan Spieth, No. 2; Bubba Watson, 4; Rickie Fowler, 5; Dustin Johnson, 8), plus a handful of players just outside the top 10.

For Love, however, it’s not about putting together an all-star lineup. It’s about forming a system for success that will work.

"Kevin can talk to me, he can talk to (vice captains) Tiger Woods or Steve Stricker about (the Ryder Cup), because he knows we’ve bought in this time, more than before. We’re building for the future. We’ve got a lot of momentum and we’re really excited about it," said Love, who understands that the pressure won't change and putts "won't start falling because we have this committee."

Stricker, who played for Love's 2012 team, kept it short and sweet when talking about the 2016 event.

“It’s time for us to do this and win," Stricker said. "It’ll mean a lot, and it’s something the event needs.”

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