Ryder Cup 2012: The Three Mistakes of Davis Love III

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In case you wonder who the three mistakes are, I'll be happy to give you their names:

Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker & Steve Stricker.

Hopefully, Davis Love III is the last Ryder Cup Captain to believe the Grizzled Verteran Theory of Captain's Picks. Here's hoping he's also the last captain to favor players from his own generation when he makes those picks.

I think the Ryder Cup selection process is ready for a change: Either comprise the team of the Top 12 or give the captain the power to pick every member of his team.

Even though DLIII's picks were lousy, what really got the US team was being too hot early and just not hot enough down the stretch. It's that simple and it's the flip-side of what happened to Europe in 1999, In golf, there's simply no way to keep a fire burning that brightly all three days.

I cannot figure out why there's always something awkward about the US team. Mickelson's obviously well-intended kudos to Rose just felt rather weird; calculated, contrived...just odd. Jim Furyk is usually a little prickly after a loss but his, "Ask Sergio and he'll tell you I outplayed him." comment was even less gracious than usual.

The Americans seem destine to go over the top when they win and become sullen and humorless when they lose.

The Euros? Well, somehow they're always just the Euros.