Team USA did not have the best time at the 2025 Ryder Cup. Trying to get the better of Team Europe, Scottie Scheffler and Co. failed to deliver. Despite fans rooting vehemently for the home team, Rory McIlroy and his team were just too much for Team USA to overcome. Following the grim outcome, criticism came from all quarters. Now, a European golf legend has opened up about one particular “evil” that Team USA has been battling for 47 years.

Scottish golf icon Sam Torrance made an appearance on the DP World Tour YouTube channel. On being asked about his take on the captain’s pick in the Ryder Cup, Torrance straight up called it ‘evil.’ Notably, the 72-year-old, who appeared in eight consecutive Ryder Cups as part of Team Europe, cited an instance from the 2002 edition while sharing his reasons.

“Evil, evil. Horrible. Horrible. I spoke to most people that were not getting it, but the one that hurt more than any was Ollie. Really? Wow. Because not picking Ollie. You have to remember I only had two picks. Yeah, true. And one of them was Garcia. Yeah. As I mentioned, my highest-ranked player,” reminisced Torrance. 

Back in 2002, Torrance decided not to pick Jose Maria Olazabal (aka Ollie) for the wild card. Instead, he opted for Jesper Parnevik. This decision sent waves of criticism throughout the golfing realm. However, speaking about the incident now, Torrance revealed his true emotions.

“And for me to drop not pick him it broke my heart but it was I had to do what was best for the team. But Parnevik had just won in America that year,” stated Torrance. 

Well, while this was Torrance’s story for Team Europe, it looks like Team USA, too, has been suffering from the same “evil” named the ‘captain’s pick.’ For the record, Team USA incorporated the captain’s pick after ten years, in 1989. Unfortunately, over the years, most of their picks have not worked out well.

Notably, some of the biggest names have come up with some not-so-impressive performances. For example, Raymond Floyd in 1991 and ‘93 had 5 wins and 3 losses. Similarly, J.B. Holmes and Hunter Mahan in 2008 had a win-loss-tie record of 2-0-1 and 2-0-3, respectively. 

The only shining lights amidst all these names were Scott Verplank and Dustin Johnson. While Verplank won 4 and lost 1 in 2002 and 2006, Dustin Johnson put up a stellar show in 2012 with a 3-0-0 record.

Back in 2020, Steve Stricker got involved in a controversy for his captain’s pick. As he picked Tony Finau, Jordan Spieth, Xander Schauffele, Daniel Berger, and Harris English, Stricker overlooked Patrick Reed. Interestingly, Berger had a rank of 12 while Reed held a superior ranking of 11. The decision made headlines, with Stricker receiving a lot of flak. 

Cut to 2025, with Keegan Bradley the captain, everybody expected him to play a major part in the Ryder Cup. Interestingly, Bradley made the choice of not picking himself. His decision drew a mixed reaction as Team USA fell short at home. However, 2025 was not the first time that Team USA had a captain’s pick controversy in recent times.

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Ryder Cup captain’s picks sparked a favoritism debate in 2023

Back in 2023, US fans were left infuriated by a decision made by the 2023 Ryder Cup captain, Zach Johnson. After being appointed captain, he shared his list of six captain’s picks, including Brooks Koepka, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth, Ricky Fowler, Collin Morikawa, and Justin Thomas. While golf enthusiasts were largely okay with the other choices, Johnson’s decision to pick Justin Thomas raised quite a few questions. More so because the 2023 season has been a tough one for the American star.

People questioned Johnson’s decision to leave out Keegan Bradley, who stood in the 11th position that year under the US Ryder Cup points standings. Notably, Cameron Young, who was in 13th position, too, was overlooked. Dan Rapaport took a subtle dig at the scenario and referred to the selected team as the “Boys’ Club”.

Saddened by Johnson’s decision, Bradley stated, “I am super bummed out. I thought I put together a really good year … I’m proud of what I’ve done. I think (Thomas) is a generational talent… I’ve always been an outsider in the sport, but I have tried to get closer to the guys I thought would be on the team.”

For the last few years Ryder Cup has been dealing with these controversies surrounding the captains. The 2023 Ryder Cup controversy now feels even more telling, as similar questions over fairness and favoritism have resurfaced again in 2025.