2008 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Azinger: 'We have lone wolf captains'

Team USA has lost three straight Ryder Cups, and six of the past seven, and Paul Azinger, who captained the U.S. to their last win in 2008 at Valhalla, is open to returning, but only if the PGA of America makes some changes. 

Azinger said:

I'm not going to rule anything out. But my goal is the bigger picture. It is time for the PGA of America to recognize the great disconnect and formulate the same business model for selecting a captain as it does for selecting its president and officers.

Europe consistently repeats a philosophy of leadership that every captain has learned from the captains in the past. It is an approach that is comfortable and familiar. The U.S. approach is less comfortable and completely unfamiliar to every repeat player. The players have to adjust to a completely unique system to the previous two years.

Phil Mickelson was critical of Team USA and captain Tom Watson after the Americans were defeated handily at Glenagles. He looked back on Azinger's time as captain fondly, and said it was Azinger's formula that worked, and his formula that the U.S. must return to. 

"Nobody here was in (on) any decision," Mickelson said after the Europeans celebrated on home soil. Mickelson lobbied Watson to put him in Saturday, to no avail, sitting for the first time in his career during Ryder Cup play. 

Azinger wouldn't comment on Mickelson's presser, but said America needs to make decisions by committee.

America's issues in this Ryder Cup go far deeper than who Watson should have played. What Europe has in place for its selection process is a business model. They are more bonded. We have lone wolf captains. The captain matters.

There is a razor-thin line between winning and losing these matches. Europe has the intangible right now. They give themselves the one percent extra chance to win through its business model and cohesiveness.

The PGA of America is expected to announce its captain for the 2016 Ryder Cup by the end of the year, and Azinger said it must learn from Europe.