Watson to rest Bradley and Mickelson
Team USA Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson has decided to rest Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson for Saturday morning’s fourball session at Gleneagles.
The pair beat Europe’s Sergio Garcia and Rory McIlroy 1UP in the last match of Friday morning’s fourballs to help the US to a 2 ½ to 1 ½ lead.
However, they faded badly in the afternoon foursomes and lost 3&2 to Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson as Europe surged back to take 5 to 3 lead.
Watson told Sky Sports that Bradley and Mickelson will likely return to action on Saturday afternoon.
“It’s really just common sense I think. They played 36 holes. They are tired,” he said.
“I’ll give them a break in the morning, get their legs back. They may not go together but they will go in the afternoon.”
Mickelson agrees that he did not play well on Friday afternoon says his poor performance is was not due to fatigue.
“I don’t know the description I would use, I didn’t feel like I was out of gas as far as out of energy, but I stopped hitting good shots,” he said.
“I didn’t play very well in the afternoon. I ended up not making putts that I normally would make and hitting some shots that I haven’t been hitting. I didn’t play the best.”
Watson has been criticized for leaving out debutants Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed, who exceeded expectations with a 5&4 win against the experienced Ian Poulter and rookie Stephen Gallacher in the fourballs.
They will play Thomas Bjorn and Martin Kaymer in Saturday’s fourballs, while Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson play Bubba Watson and Matt Kuchar.
Jamie Donaldson and Lee Westwood face Jim Furyk and Hunter Mahan, and McIlroy and Poulter team up to take on Jimmy Walker and Rickie Fowler.
Latest
-
PGA ChampionshipJustin Thomas pays tribute to caddie Jim ‘Bones’ Mackay after his US PGA victory
Phil Mickelson’s former bagman gave Thomas a crucial pep talk after he shot 74 on Saturday.
-
PGA ChampionshipTommy Fleetwood confident he is ‘coming out the other side’ after dip in form
Fleetwood finished in a tie for fifth at the US PGA Championship.
-
PGA ChampionshipEmotional Justin Thomas credits his experience for US PGA victory
Thomas also won the 2017 US PGA at Quail Hollow.
-
PGA ChampionshipJustin Thomas eclipses Will Zalatoris in play-off to claim second US PGA title
The former world number one’s victory equalled the biggest comeback in US PGA history.
-
PGA ChampionshipRory McIlroy’s Sunday charge at US PGA Championship ends in disappointment
McIlroy’s closing 68 in Tulsa was followed by him declining to speak to waiting reporters.
-
PGA ChampionshipPaul McGinley says Tiger Woods deserves better than to be a ‘ceremonial golfer’
The 46-year-old withdrew from a major championship for the first time in his professional career at Southern Hills.
-
PGA ChampionshipMito Pereira with three-shot lead at US PGA as Tiger Woods withdraws
It is the first time in his career that Woods has withdrawn from a major.
-
PGA ChampionshipMatt Fitzpatrick relishing chance at securing first major title
A third round of 67 means Fitzpatrick trails leader Mito Pereira by three shots at the US PGA Championship.
-
PGA ChampionshipTiger Woods withdraws from US PGA following his worst round at event
The American made the halfway cut with a shot to spare at Southern Hills, but struggled to a nine-over-par 79 in the third round.
-
PGA ChampionshipRory McIlroy suffers early blow to slip further back at PGA Championship
After a run of five straight pars McIlroy pulled his tee shot to the par-three sixth into the water and ran up a double-bogey five.