Horschel’s win expose flaws in Ryder Cup judgement day coming early for United States

Billy Horschel had a sizzling three weeks, but the Ryder Cup team was picked after the first week. Erik Lesser / EPA

Accept in advance our apology for twisting and torturing a famous phrase written by a guy who would have cheered for the European Ryder Cup team, had he lived long enough.

It was the best of timing, it was the worst of timing.

Billy Horschel is unquestionably the hottest player on the planet after completing a life-changing and lucrative run in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup series, but his stretch of stellar play could have been so much more.

Horschel picked the most financially opportune moment in history to morph into a world-beater, finishing second/first/first in the past three FedEx events, culminating with last weekend’s win at the US season finale in Atlanta.

Because he won both the tournament and the bonus for topping the seasonal points list, he pocketed US$11.44 million (Dh42m) on Sunday, the richest single-day haul in golf.

Yet, when the Ryder Cup starts next week in Scotland, Horschel will be home in Florida, tending to his wife and infant daughter, who was born late Tuesday night.

It was the third in a series of events that left Ryder Cup fans on both sides of the Atlantic alternately scratching their heads, either in frustration or relief.

When Horschel bungled the 72nd hole at the FedEx event in Boston three weeks ago to finish second, it created barely a ripple.

The US Ryder Cup team was selected 48 hours later and conservative captain Tom Watson picked Ryder veterans Hunter Mahan, Keegan Bradley and Webb Simpson to round out the 12-man roster. Then Horschel won in Denver and Atlanta.

For jarring context, consider that the only other American to win in consecutive weeks on the PGA Tour during the past six seasons is Tiger Woods.

Horschel was 38 under par in that three-week stretch, while Watson’s wild-card picks were a combined 15 over for the underdogs from America.

The rush to judgement made no sense. The US team stopped taking slow boats to Europe when Ben Hogan was in the side.

Still, since Horschel’s first child was due during the week of the Ryder, the hand-wringing was minimal, since he likely could not have played. Then his daughter arrived, roughly 10 days early. Truly, life is all about timing.

The unlikely scenario prompted jokes about annexing Scotland as a US territory if it votes to leave the United Kingdom today. That way, the Americans could add Stephen Gallacher to the side, which would be a fitting development.

After all, the same weekend that Horschel finished as runner-up in Boston, Gallacher finished second in a European Tour event. Two days later, he was picked for the European side.

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