Kevin Kisner has revealed whether he was ever asked if he would be interested in becoming Ryder Cup captain before the PGA of America turned to Jim Furyk to lead the American side at Adare Manor.
Kisner was one of Keegan Bradley’s assistant captains for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage last September. He also performed the same role under Furyk at the Presidents Cup the previous year.
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Of course, there was plenty of intrigue surrounding who the next American Ryder Cup captain would be. Unfortunately, Bradley’s stint proved to be a disappointment, with his side needing a stunning fightback on Sunday to avoid a record defeat.
Kevin Kisner says whether he was asked to be Ryder Cup captain
Tiger Woods ended up ruling himself out of the race. And while Jim Furyk appears to be a very smart choice, it could not be ruled out that the PGA of America would opt for another curveball.
Kisner would have certainly been that. And given that he is winding down his playing career on the PGA Tour, some may have wondered whether he would be in the conversation if they were looking to build some continuity.
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But speaking on the Fore Play Podcast, the 42-year-old suggested why he believes he did not get the call.
Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images
“Did they ask me? No. I don’t know if they’ll ever ask somebody that never played in the Ryder Cup. I don’t know that the PGA of America would just because I never played in a Ryder Cup. I don’t know how it works,” he said.
“I don’t even know who makes that decision. I’m sure they have a board. I know Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas were on a task force or something, I don’t know if that’s still around. I really don’t know the process to how they decide who the captain is.”
A Ryder Cup captain with no playing experience in the event looks increasingly likely
While there is a debate to be had over how important the captains are, it does appear that we are edging closer to the appointment of a captain who has no prior experience of playing in the Ryder Cup.
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John Wood was the team manager for the American side at Bethpage.
And while Edoardo Molinari has played in the Ryder Cup in the past, it is his statistical work that has made him so important to Luke Donald over the last two events.
The Italian seemed to be a potential contender to succeed Donald had he decided to not stay on for Adare Manor.
So while Kisner may not be the man to captain a Ryder Cup team before he has played on one, it would not be a surprise if someone received that kind of opportunity at some stage in the future.
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