As Zach Johnson and His European Nemesis Land in Hot Water, PGA Tour Legend Vigorously Springs to Their Defense: ‘Got to Leave Somebody Out’

The golf world is pretty busy this week with three tournaments happening simultaneously. The Ascension Charity Classic is one among them. The 3-day tournament has a $2 million purse and features 78 senior golfers competing for the title.  

Ernie Els is one of the star players in the tournament, which is all set to begin in a few hours. The highly regarded South African golfer answered a couple of questions about the upcoming Ryder Cup in a press conference. One question was related to the caption’s picks. Let’s find out what Els said.

Ernie Els shares his experience as captain

Ernie Els probably received the question because of his experience of being a captain. In 2019, he was the captain of the President’s Cup team. He has also represented the European team in the Ryder Cup six times. 

The question required Els to comment on the captain’s choices of both the teams playing in the Ryder Cup, and the controversies surrounding them. He started off by saying, “Yeah, you’re always going to get criticized. I was when I had to make my selections. You’ve got to leave somebody out.”

Ernie Els explained how the picks are decided. “But there’s always a plan by why you are making certain decisions. It’s really got to do with pairing, just the whole team concept.” He also mentioned how things will be fine as long as the players do not take it personally. However, he acknowledged that it’s difficult, as players work toward being a part of their teams all their lives.

Then Els spoke about how being a captain is as hard as being a player. The player deals with the pressure of playing or not playing in the Ryder Cup. The captain has to live with his decisions all his life. The 53-year-old seemed quite sympathetic to the captains for being at the harsh end of public opinion.

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Let’s dive into the extent of criticism received by the two captains and what were the exact grounds for the harsh feedback.

The contested picks of Zach Johnson and Luke Donald 

There were a number of decisions by Zach Johnson as he finalized the Ryder Cup US team 2023 that received strong criticism. Fans felt the need for Keegan Bradley to be a part of the team and were skeptical about the inclusion of Sam Burns. There was disappointment over Dustin Johnson being excluded as well. 

While Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young shared similar form and potential, Young being excluded invited some protests as well. More than these names, the fans generated more noise against Justin Thomas being a part of the team.

Zach Johnson’s European counterpart, Luke Donald, did not have an easy time either. His exclusion of players like Ian Poulter and Sergio Garcia also generated strong feedback. Especially, Ian Poulter’s heroics in the previous Ryder Cup impressed many fans, and they wanted him back on the team. 

What are your thoughts on Captains having a hard time with their picks? Tell us in the comments section below!

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