Not So Silly: Team USA Should Expand Its Player Roster

Invite Canada and Mexico to Play in the Ryder Cup

Chris Duthie

Like most golfers who can’t get enough about the game, I enjoy perusing various online golf blogs to see what’s what and who’s who. One topic that caught my eye was a half-tongue-in-cheek article about inviting proven Canadian and Mexican players to compete in the biannual Ryder Cup matches.

My initial reaction was, “How silly is that?” But after the thought kernelled and swelled, my second thought was, “Why the hell not?”

Right now, the PGA of America is in all-hands-on-deck mode to figure out how to right our smashed and floundering ship. Exasperating stuff, even if this increasingly competitive event is intended to promote goodwill and sportsmanship among players and countries.

Bringing Canada and Mexico into the fray has real merit, and shoring up a Ryder Cup team’s deficiencies by inviting in other countries has a measurable, formidable precedent.

After all, Team Great Britain & Ireland was regarded an entirely toothless Ryder Cup competitor before 1979, the year it became Team Europe and then roared to a 10-win, 6-loss, 1-tie record—including winning eight of the last 10 matches.

But would or should the Canadians—who play at part of the International team against the likes of Bubba and Rickie in the biannual Presidents Cup—participate with them in the Ryder Cup?

Why not? Last year Saskatchewan’s Graham DeLaet (pictured below) starred at the Presidents Cup (won by Team U.S.), going 2-1-1 and defeating Jordan Spieth. He has won more than $5 million on tour the last two seasons.

Furthermore, who wouldn’t want to include the Maple Leaf prowess of Nick Taylor (pictured below), who just won the PGA Tour’s Sanderson Farms Championship; tour warrior David Hearn, who has banked more than $1 million each of his last three seasons on tour; Adam Hadwin, a talented player that dominated on the Web.com Tour last year; and up-and-comers Taylor Pendrith, Corey Conners and Adam Svensson, who played lights out and finished second at the 2014 World Amateur Team Championship.

For Mexico, look no further than Carlos Ortiz, the promising PGA Tour rookie who last year won more than $515,000 and finished third on the Web.com Tour’s Priority Rankings.

At some point, the PGA of America will figure out it’s not about who captains the ship, but who is rowing the damn thing. The time has come for Team USA to swallow its formidable pride, add Canada and Mexico to the mix and become Team America.

RELATED LINKS

PGA of America President Ted Bishop Fired

Mr. Watson, We Presume?

America’s Stellar Presidents Cup Performance

Chris Duthie is a contributor to Colorado AvidGolfer, the state’s leading resource for golf and the lifestyle that surrounds it. It publishes eight issues annually and proudly delivers daily content via www.coloradoavidgolfer.com.