The Loop

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Watson sits Spieth, Reed and criticism starts

September 26, 2014

It did not take long for criticism to surface, only moments after U.S. Captain Tom Watson chose not to send out victorious rookies Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed in the afternoon foursomes on the opening day of the Ryder Cup.

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(Getty Images photo)

Spieth and Reed defeated Ian Poulter and Stephen Gallacher, 5 and 4, in a Friday morning fourball match at Gleneagles.

From Twitter:

Don't understand why Phil & Keegan are playing alt shot this afternoon instead of Spieth & Reed. Have to hit fairways in that format...

— Dave Stockton Jr (@DSJR1) September 26, 2014

spieth/reed win 5&4 and get benched. That is odd. Daft. Stupid

— James Corrigan (@jcorrigangolf) September 26, 2014

Can't wait to hear Tom Watson's answer to the question of sitting Spieth/Reed ? Should be interesting!

— Peter Kostis (@peterjkostis) September 26, 2014

Nick Faldo on Golf Channel, however, resisted criticizing Watson when was asked whether he was surprised at the benching of Spieth and and Reed.

"No," Nick Faldo said, "because I think you've really got some great specialists — Furyk and Mahan, Kuchar, Zach Johnson. I think you've good really good foursomes specialists there. Maybe Phil [Mickelson] is the one, physically. It's a really hard walk. You're going to have to rest Phil somewhere, I would have thought. To thrash it around here for 36 is going to be a tough day for him."