Chaska - Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson will get to
be part of the US Ryder Cup team after all, even though the seventh-ranked star
was not selected as a captain's pick.
US captain Davis Love named Watson an assistant captain on
Monday, four days before the Americans face holders Europe in the 41st edition
of the biennial men's golf team matches at Hazeltine.
Watson was among the final selections for the last US
captain's selection that was given Sunday to first-time Cup starter Ryan Moore
hours after he finished second in a playoff to Rory McIlroy at the Tour
Championship.
Love said that just after he told Watson that he was not
selecting him to play, Watson volunteered to help the cause in order to be part
of the group they hope will win back the trophy after three losses in a row.
"He said, 'I still want to be a part of this team if
you'll have me,'" Love said of Watson. "We're still in disbelief. It
was an incredible gesture."
While some critics worried Watson could be a disruptive
figure on the US squad, Love said nothing of the sort was true.
"He adds a lot of fun, a different personality,"
Love said. "He brings a great heart. We're thrilled to have him on this
team."
Watson joins a US assistant captain line-up that includes
Tiger Woods, two weeks shy of his planned return after more than a year off
following back surgery, Jim Furyk, Tom Lehman and Steve Stricker.
"We've got quite an interesting group," Love said.
"We felt like we needed some experience. Obviously Bubba rounds that out -
major championship experience, Ryder Cup experience - on our side."
In three Ryder Cup appearances as a player in 2010, 2012 and
2014, Watson went 3-8, winless in three singles matches and two alternate shot
foursomes matches but 3-3 in four-ball.
Love had made a point of telling Watson, who narrowly missed
out on an automatic berth, after the first three picks were made early this
month that he had one more selection remaining, then gave that to Moore.
"We had a lot of guys that were really close,"
Love said. "It was a tough decision. We waited until the last minute to
catch a hot player. Ryan week after week was the hottest player since the PGA
Championship. He has just been right there at the forefront for us."
In addition to his battle with McIlroy on Sunday, Moore won last month's John Deere Classic. Watson won the most recent of his nine US PGA titles, including the 2012 and 2014 Masters, last February at Riviera.