Mahan finds Faldo criticism a little overblown

2008-09-25

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ATLANTA (Ticker) - Nick Faldo has found at least one unlikely ally in the wake of savage press criticism of the European captain’s performance at the Ryder Cup last week. An American Ryder Cup player.

Several British writers took Faldo to task for what they charged was one mistake after another, with one headline describing him as “Captain calamity”.

Hunter Mahan, however, thinks such criticism is way over the top.

“Nick Faldo, who’s a Ryder Cup legend, won more points on the European side than anybody (as a player) and they’re crucifying him right now,” Mahan said. “That’s pretty tough, pretty tough. I think someone said this kills everything he’s ever done in his career. I think that’s a bit much for a guy who’s won six majors and was No. 1 in the world for a long time.

“But he was bold in his picks and bold in his selections. Sitting out (Lee) Westwood  and Sergio (Garcia in the Saturday foursomes) was definitely shocking to us to see that. You definitely feel for him, because he definitely doesn’t deserve all that.”

Fellow American Jim Furyk, who clinched the cup for his team, had a slightly different take, saying that criticism of the losing captain is par for the course.

“I’m not surprised (at the criticism) and not because I feel he did a bad job. I’ve just seen it happen to our captain’s for the last three (Ryder Cups),” Furyk said. “It’s part of the job. When you take it, you need a thick skin and you need to realize that you’re either going to be a hero or a goat.

“I can’t remember the last time a captain lost and was applauded for the effort he put in and wasn’t widely criticized. You have to realize it’s coming. We felt for Curtis (Strange) and Hal (Sutton) and Tom (Lehman). These guys poured their hearts into it, put in two years and then we don’t play all that well and they get blasted.

Pressure and criticism come hand-in-hand during the Ryder Cup and Furyk feels that anyone taking on the role of captain knows that coming in. And if they can’t take it, then the Ryder cup is not for them.

“If you can’t deal with it you shouldn’t take it,” Furyk said. “But most of those men got to the position they did and got chosen as captain because they took some criticism along the way and it didn’t bother them and they thrived anyway.”

One neutral party thinks Faldo has been unfairly criticized. Australian Stuart Appleby, who has played in the Presidents Cup five times, claims the captain has only a minor influence over the result.

The way Appleby sees it, it’s not Faldo’s fault that Europe’s best three players, Padraig Harrington, Sergio Garcia and Lee Westwood, did not win once in 12 matches between them.

“I think the British press should be targeting the players more than Faldo,” Appleby said.

Among other things, Faldo was criticized for putting some of his best players at the bottom of the order for the final day singles, as well as for some inappropriate comments during some of his official speeches.