“Worst captain ever” – Fans slam Zach Johnson after his ‘time management’ comments about his Ryder Cup captaincy
The 2023 US Ryder Cup captain, Zach Johnson, said that had he focused more on time management ahead of the event, the results might have been better.
At the 2023 Ryder Cup, Team Europe thrashed the US team by a score of 16.5–11.5 at the Marco Simone Golf Club, maintaining their winning streak at home since 1993. Rumors circulated that there was a fracture within the visiting team, and Johnson also faced heavy criticism for his team selection.
On Tuesday, November 14, Johnson faced the media for the first time since the Ryder Cup defeat. He was quoted as saying, via Sports Illustrated:
"The common denominator that I go back to that I wish I could have changed, or not changed, I wish it would have dawned on me earlier is just the pure commodity of time and understanding that it's precious."
"If I could have put more value into time management, I could have put my guys in a better position to play golf at a better rate early on."
Fans on social media didn't seem satisfied with Johnson's answer. Here's a look at some of the tweets on X (formerly Twitter):
"Worst captain ever"
"I would have more respect for the guy if he were to admit that there were more worthy players that he left off the team instead of spewing out garbage answers like this."
"Maybe bring the best team. Try that first"
"Not taking Bryson was a huge mistake. Something tells me he’d never admit that in public, even if he realized it."
"He put politics ahead of golf. It is completely on him for not selecting our best players to represent America."
"You just picked the wrong guys by holding a grudge against LIV. Keeping Bryson home was simple negligence."
"Like spending time prior to go see other guys play and see how their game looked to determine if they could have helped the team? That time management? I agree."
"Lol top 3 worst Ryder captain of all time and homie wishes he had understanding time ? This tracks perfectly"
"Really, it never occurred to you that you let the PGA blind you while choosing your talent (picks). I grew up influenced by George Washington's never tell a lie...just speaking for a friend."
"Tell me you’ve never had a real job without telling me you’ve never had a real job. This is disgraceful."
"No acknowledgement his decision making on team composition is really what failed. He didn't take it best, he will forever be reviled for that alone."
"Time management? Really? Your team members have hit a golf ball most every day of their adult life and you think you needed more time to manage their prep? Try choosing better players"
What's next for Zach Johnson? The golfer's upcoming schedule explored
Zach Johnson will next be teeing off at the RSM Classic 2023, which is the seventh event on the FedEx Fall and the final event on the PGA Tour 2022–23 season.
The 156-player field event will commence on Thursday, November 16 at Sea Island Golf Club’s Seaside Course. Zach Johnson is paired with Luke List and Martin Laird for the first two rounds. The trio will tee off from the first hole on Thursday at 8:22 a.m. ET.
Johnson last played at the 2023 Fortinet Championship where he failed to make the cut in Round 2.