Watson Adds Floyd as Assistant

USA captain Tom Watson has added Ray Floyd to the American team as an assistant manager for this September’s Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Floyd joins Andy North as Watson’s current two assistant captains ahead of this year’s event, forming a non-playing unit that will be looking to lead the Americans to a surprise victory in Scotland later this year.

Watson picked the four-time major winner as a wild card when he last captained the American team in 1993, making Floyd the oldest player in the history of the tournament at 51. Floyd’s appearance at the Belfry was his eighth appearance as a player, and came four years after he skippered the Americans to the drawn 1989 contest at the same venue.

Floyd, now 71, has experience as an assistant captain after filling that role under Paul Azinger when the Americans won the Ryder Cup for the first time in nine years at Valhalla in 2008 – the last time the USA managed to win the Ryder Cup. While Europe will be expected to retain the trophy (they are currently odds-on with Paddy Power to be victorious), the Americans will go into this year’s tournament on the back of their impressive Presidents Cup victory last year.

Going into the tournament as the underdogs in the Ryder Cup odds against the European team, Watson admitted having an assistant with the experience of Floyd could be an essential tool for the Americans in Scotland later this year.

"You look at Raymond's eyes, you never saw his eyes waver. No matter if he was shooting 80 - which he rarely did - or shooting 65, his eyes had a focus that you like to see.

"The way he played the game was every shot counted, and that's the type of guy that I want to be taking care of my back, as the captain.

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