Davis Love III, the Al Pacino golfer of U.S.
Pacino’s Michael Corleone, in “The Godfather,” uttered a great movie line: “Just as I thought I was done…they pulled me right back in.” Love III, who was America’s cart driver last fall, thought he had finished his duties as America’s favorite buggy driver, but he will be called back to serve as a driver for U.S. Captain Zach Johnson at the 44 th edition Ryder Cup next week in Rome.
Love, who is now the vice captain of the United States, said: “I keep telling my guys that I am ready to finish.” “But I have heard a lot about Davis Love being back again. What about some other guys?
“I had a friend tell me, “I’d stop worrying, you guys are winners.” ”
Since the Task Force appointed Love as Ryder Cup Captain for 2016, Team USA won five of their last six Cups, between Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup. Its only loss was at the 2018 Ryder Cup held in Paris. Love has been Ryder Cup Captain twice, in 2016, when he led Team USA to a 17-11 win at Hazeltine National Golf Club. In 2012, he was the captain at Medinah Country Club in which the Euros overcame a 10-6 deficit on the final round. Love, 59, has also served as vice-captain in 2010, ’18, and ’21. Love has played in six Ryder Cups since the last time Team USA triumphed on European soil, in 1993.
Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images. Davis Love III, the USA Ryder Cup captain 2012 and his brother Mark are at Medinah Country Club. Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images
Johnson stated that he would lean heavily on Love next week, someone whom he holds the highest regard for. Love and Johnson live on Saint Simons Island in southern Georgia. Love is also known as Uncle Davis or “The Godfather”, and Johnson as “The Sea Island Mafia”. Johnson, when asked what Love meant to the team said: “He has always been an example for me on golf courses.” I am drawn to people who are quiet and listen well. He is the perfect example of this. He is very intelligent and wise, but can also be a regular guy. He never thinks about himself. Instead, he is focused on efficiency, effectiveness, and the importance of keeping the important things the most important. He’s unfortunately a rare species in today’s world. He is a wonderful person, someone you can trust, and a guy with high integrity.”
Stewart Cink is the only member of Team USA who has a new face. He was Johnson’s last addition to his backroom as vice captain. Love was the U.S. Ryder Cup Captain in 2016, and led them to victory. In 2018, he remained as Jim Furyk’s vice captain, so that the former captain could share all of his experience with his successor. Steve Stricker convinced Love to return in this role at Whistlingstraits. Tiger Woods, PGA Tour Commissioner Jay Monahan, and Love convinced each other that Love, as a Tar Heel from Charlotte, was the best person to lead the U.S. at the Presidents Cup in Charlotte last year.
“I know that at some point he will have to step aside, but the guys still want to be with him and Fred Couples.” Johnson explained that there is a lot of continuity in the team. “I understand it can be frustrating to some people, because no new players are coming into the team. But at the same we feel that we have individuals we consult and vice captains who can become a captain one day, whether Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup. I don’t care about it, nor does anyone else.
Love replied, “I felt the same.” “I wanted Fred to be at the Presidents Cup, because I had not been to a Presidents Cup before without Fred. There’s an element of comfort for the captain. “I know a lot guys in the team, some of whom are probably tired of my presence, but they at least know what to expect.”
