The Ryder Cup has always been about pressure, pride, and the fine line between genius and disaster. Captain’s picks are supposed to be the secret weapon — a way to bring experience, spark chemistry, or reward form that rankings don’t always capture. But sometimes, those choices go so horribly wrong they don’t just fail… they become part of Ryder Cup legend.
From major champions collapsing under pressure, to captains choosing themselves out of pure ego, to icons like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson falling flat on the biggest stage, these are the 10 worst captain’s picks in Ryder Cup history. And I promise, some of these names will shock you.
1. Phil Mickelson, 2018 — Furyk’s Fatal Gamble
It looked safe on paper. Jim Furyk had to pick Phil Mickelson, right? The man was a Ryder Cup veteran, beloved in the locker room, and earlier that year he had even won the WGC in Mexico. It seemed like a no-brainer.
But anyone who looked closely at Le Golf National in Paris saw trouble from miles away. The French course was brutally narrow, with rough that swallowed wayward drives whole and water hazards lurking everywhere. In short, it demanded precision off the tee. And precision was never Phil’s strong suit.
From the start, the gamble backfired. Phil didn’t play Friday. He didn’t play Saturday morning. By then, it was obvious even Furyk didn’t trust him. When he finally got his chance in Saturday afternoon foursomes alongside Bryson DeChambeau, the result was ugly: a 5&4 demolition at the hands of Sergio García and Rory McIlroy.
On Sunday, things got even worse. Paired against Francesco Molinari — who was playing the week of his life — Phil was humiliated again. The end came when he hooked his tee shot into the water on the 16th hole, handing Molinari the win and cementing a flawless 5–0 record for the Italian.
Phil’s contribution? Zero points. Afterward, even he admitted the obvious: “The course exposed my weaknesses.” Sometimes the obvious pick is the worst pick of all.
One bad captain’s pick can sink a team. Lanny Wadkins managed to make three.
The 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill has gone down as one of the most controversial selections in history. First came Curtis Strange. Once a U.S. Open champion, Strange hadn’t won since 1989 and had no form to speak of. He proved as much by collapsing against Nick Faldo in singles, blowing a two-hole lead with five to play.
Then there was Ben Crenshaw, another past major winner. But this wasn’t Augusta, and Crenshaw’s game and health were in steep decline. He went scoreless, offering absolutely nothing when the U.S. needed veteran steel.
And then came the kicker: Wadkins picked himself. At 45 years old, with barely any tournament play in the months before, the captain convinced himself he still had it. He didn’t. He went 1–2, far from the inspirational presence he imagined.
Europe stormed back to win 14½ to 13½, and the spotlight fell squarely on Wadkins’ picks. Three choices, almost zero production. The fiasco was so glaring it forced the PGA of America to rethink how captains and their picks should be chosen. Loyalty and ego aren’t strategies.
The RDER Cup has always been about pressure, pride, and the fine line between genius and disaster. Captain’s picks are supposed to be the secret weapon, a way to bring experience, spark chemistry, or reward form that rankings don’t always capture. But sometimes those choices go so horribly wrong, they don’t just fail, they become part of Ryder Cup legend. From major champions collapsing under pressure to captains choosing themselves out of pure ego to icons like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson falling flat on the biggest stage. These are the 10 worst captains picks in Ryder Cup history. And I promise some of these names will shock you. It looks safe on paper. Jim Furick had to pick Phil Mickelson, right? The man was a RDER Cup veteran, beloved in the locker room. And earlier that year, he had even won the WGC in Mexico. It seemed like a no-brainer, but anyone who looked closely at Legolf National in Paris saw trouble from miles away. The French course was brutally narrow with rough that swallowed Waywood Drives whole and water hazards lurking everywhere. In short, it demanded precision off the tea. And precision was never Phil’s strong suit. From the start, the gamble backfired. Phil didn’t play Friday. He didn’t play Saturday morning. By then, it was obvious even Furick didn’t trust him. When he finally got his chance in Saturday afternoon forsomes alongside Bryson Desambo, the result was ugly. A five and four demolition at the hands of Sergio Garcia and Rory Mroy. On Sunday, things got even worse. paired against Franchesco Molinari who was playing the week of his life. Phil was humiliated again. The end came when he hooked his T-shot into the water on the 16th hole, handing Molinari the win and cementing a flawless 5 to0 record for the Italian. Phil’s contribution, zero points. Afterward, even he admitted the obvious. The course exposed my weaknesses. Sometimes the obvious pick is the worst pick of all. One bad captain’s pick can sink a team. Lanny Watkins managed to make three. The 1995 Ryder Cup at Oak Hill has gone down as one of the most controversial selections in history. First came Curtis Strange. Once a US Open champion, Strange hadn’t won since 1989 and had no form to speak of. He proved as much by collapsing against Nick Fowl in singles, blowing a two-hole lead with five to play. Then there was Ben Krenshaw, another past major winner. But this wasn’t Augusta. And Krenshaw’s game and health were in steep decline. He went scoreless, offering absolutely nothing when the Fast forward nearly three decades. And somehow lessons still weren’t learned. Zack Johnson’s 2023 picks have already gone down as one of the worst captain’s decisions in American golf history. Justin Thomas, Ricky Fowler, Sam Burns. These were the names Johnson banked on. The problem, none of them were playing well. Thomas, in particular, was in the worst form of his career, failing even to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Fowler had just one win in years, and Burns had been inconsistent at best. Meanwhile, Keegan Bradley and Lucas Glover were on fire. Bradley had two wins. Glover had just taken back-to-back playoff events. Both were left home. Johnson justified his choices with vague terms like experience and team room presence. Translation, he picked names over performance. The result, Europe demolished the US at Marco Simone. Johnson’s picks combined for just two wins all week. Fowler went winless. Speed struggled. Burns disappointed. Even Thomas, the controversial pick, managed just one win. Keegan Bradley later admitted he was heartbroken to be left out. Glover’s hot streak made Johnson’s decision look even worse. And Johnson, he walked away with a legacy as one of the worst Ryder Cup captains in US history. Sometimes the story writes itself. Picture this. Web Simpson sitting up late at night texting Captain Tom Watson and begging for a Ryder Cup spot. That’s not the sign of a man whose play demands selection. That’s desperation. Watson ignored the red-hot Billy Horchel and Chris Kirk who had just won the Deutsche Bank championship and were tearing up the FedEx Cup playoffs. Instead, he picked Simpson based on past team experience. From the very first te, the disaster unfolded. Nervous and jittery, Simpson topped his opening drive barely 200 yd down the fairway. That clip went viral, the symbol of America’s doomed week. Simpson played just twice going zero and one and one. Meanwhile, Horchel and Kirk watched from home shaking their heads. Europe rolled to a comfortable win and Simpson’s desperate plea by text became the ultimate warning sign that he should never have been picked at all. The self-proclaimed mad scientist came to Paris with single length irons, data models, and revolutionary theories. What he didn’t bring was a Ryder Cup win. Jim Furick’s decision to pick Bryson Desau looked bold on paper. Here was the future of golf, ready to reshape the game. Instead, Bryson’s debut was a disaster from start to Darren Clark had a choice. Pick Russell Knox, who had won recently and was in the world’s top 20, or lean on veteran Lee Westwood. Clark chose loyalty. The gamble exploded on the 18th green at Hazeltime. Standing over a three-foot putt that would have secured a crucial halfp point for Europe. Westwood missed. The crowd erupted. The US team celebrated and Europe’s morale collapsed. Westwood went 0 to3 that week, symbolizing Europe’s crushing defeat. Sometimes one tiny putt defines an entire Rder Cup and one captain’s mistake. The miracle at Medina is remembered for Europe’s incredible comeback. But what’s often forgotten is how dangerously close Jose Maria Olazabo came to throwing it away with two disastrous captains picks. First was Serio Garcia, his proteéé. Olabo believed loyalty and fire would revive him. Instead, Garcia played the worst Ryder Cup of his career going zero and three and one. His missed, short putts, and nervous body language shocked everyone. Then came Patrick Harrington, a three-time major winner, but well past his prime. Ranked 63rd in the world, his 1:22 record added nothing. Together, the two produced just 1.5 points. Were it not for Ian Poulter’s Sunday heroics, Olzavo’s loyalty could have defined him as one of the worst captains in history. Sometimes it’s not about ego or loyalty. Sometimes captains just throw a rookie into the fire too soon. That was Costantino Roa in 1997. Se Balisteros saw Rocka as the face of Europe’s expansion into Italy. And on the European tour, he had shown flashes of brilliance. But the Rder Cup was another world. Paired with Colin Montgomery, Rocka looked terrified. His drive sprayed everywhere. His pudding broke down. And even Montgomery’s patience wore thin. Rocka’s record zero to three, including a singles defeat that wasn’t even close. The moment proved that potential means nothing when the RDER Cup lights are the brightest. Yes, even Tiger Woods makes this list twice. In 2010, Cory Pavin couldn’t resist. Tiger was still Tiger, right? Wrong. He was winless, reeling from scandal and a shadow of his former self. At Celtic Mana, he went one and three with only one singles win to show for it. Fast forward to 2018. Jim Furick once again couldn’t resist. Tiger had just won the tour championship, but he was exhausted. And the Golf Nationals tight layout didn’t suit him at all. The result, a nightmare 0 to4 record. Two different captains, two different decades, same mistakes. When Tiger was picked on reputation instead of readiness, he became a liability. The greatest of all time turned into the worst captain’s pick in Ride a Cup history. from Mickelson to
