Keegan Bradley should pick Cameron Young before himself for U.S. Ryder Cup Team

It’s been nearly three decades, but I still remember vividly the most disappointed I’ve ever been while attending at a golf event.

It was late September 1995, a cold, rainy weekend in Rochester, New York. Somehow, the U.S. Ryder Cup team lost to Europe in a stunning final-day collapse. It was miserable.

Do you remember the likes of Howard Clark, Philip Walton, Mark James and David Gilford? Yeah, well they beat Peter Jacobsen, Jeff Maggert, Brad Faxon and Jay Haas in singles as Europe rallied to win by a single point, 14.5 to 13.5, a result that would have been reversed by just one more U.S. victory.

Lanny Wadkins was the U.S. captain and had taken Curtis Strange as a captain’s pick. So Wake Forest was represented on the 12-player U.S. team by Wadkins, Haas and Strange.

Haas (1-3) and Strange (0-3) went 1-6 during the weekend. The U.S. meltdown on home soil at Oak Hill was a shocker. Wadkins took heat for picking his buddy Strange, who hadn’t won on the PGA Tour since winning the 1989 U.S. Open, which turned out to be his last victory.

Why bring up such unpleasant memories? Because Wake Forest alum Cameron Young could be bypassed when captain Keegan Bradley names his team after this week’s Tour Championship. And if it happens, it might be part of a controversial scenario.

Young didn’t earn one of six automatic spots on the U.S. team through the points system. He didn’t even make the top 12, which would have made him difficult to bypass.

Bradley, who will pick the team, finished 10th in points. He hasn’t ruled out picking himself for one of the six open spots. The media may have made that easier by asking potential Ryder Cup choices such as Rickie Fowler and Jordan Spieth whether Bradley should pick himself and receiving the obvious affirmative answers.

Of course, potential Ryder Cup picks will say Bradley should pick himself. How else would anyone seeking Bradley’s favor respond?

Young should be a captain’s pick. He’s one of America’s top 12 players. He’s on form, shown by his dominating victory at the recent Wyndham Championship. He’s won the New York State Open at Bethpage Black, site of the Ryder Cup, shooting 64 in the final round.

In June, Young tied for fourth in the Canadian Open and U.S. Open. Since winning at Sedgefield, he finished fifth out of the top 70 players at the first round of the FedEx Cup playoffs in Memphis and was 11th out of the top 50 last weekend at the BMW. He has one last chance to impress at East Lake.

I’ll admit, I don’t think there should be any problem playing while serving as captain. I’ve never understood what the big deal is about making a few lineups, picking uniforms and making a few logistic arrangements. The captain has more than a year to do the prep and he picks several “vice-captains” to help him.

Is Bradley a top 12 U.S. player? If the U.S. had a different captain would he be picked to the team? Maybe. Maybe not.

Does Bradley want to take the personal risk? Can he handle the pressure that would go along with picking himself? Does he want to be the focus if the U.S. loses?

GREAT WEEK AT FORSYTH

Shout out to Forsyth Country Club for a busy and successful week. The classic Donald Ross design was in pristine condition for the 54-hole North Carolina Open and Sunday’s final round of the Forsyth (Amateur) Championship.

Credit superintendent Matt Jones, and not just because his aunt, who lives in Florida, is an old friend. Though Brandon Einstein took the course apart with his 18-under-par, bogey-free performance at the state open, the course yielded only one subpar round Sunday — 70 by Forrest Blevins.

As tournament director Bobby Hege of Winston-Salem Parks and Recreation told TriadGolf.com, having the final round at Old Town Club (last year) and Forsyth has reinvigorated the tournament. Hats off to the clubs for hosting the championship rounds.

WHY NOT GUILFORD?

Isn’t it time for Guilford to have its own amateur championship run by the City of Greensboro or by Guilford County? Seems like a natural. Play one round on each Bryan Park course and a final round at Sedgefield, Greensboro Country Club Farm, Starmount Forest or The Cardinal.