Atlanta – Paul Azinger and Nick Faldo have competed on the golf course and shared space in a television tower as commentators.
The next time they square off will be as Ryder Cup captains in two years at Valhalla.
Azinger, a former PGA champion and cancer survivor who played in four Ryder Cups without losing a singles match, has been selected the next American captain, according to two people with knowledge of the appointment.
They did not want to be identified because the PGA of America has not announced its selection, which could come as early as next week.
He will be in charge of a U.S. team that has lost three straight times to Europe, including record margins (18 1/2-9 1/2) the past two matches. Last month in Ireland, Europe became the first team to win all five sessions of the matches.
“I think he’ll bring a lot of fire,” Jim Furyk said. “He’s a feisty player, a real competitor. I think he’ll bring that attitude to the team.”
The PGA of America had talked to Azinger about being captain for the 2004 Ryder Cup – a captaincy that would have gone to his close friend, Payne Stewart, who died in a plane crash in 1999 – but he declined.
Azinger said last week at the Chrysler Championship in Florida that he had spoken to the PGA of America, but stopped short of calling it an interview process.
Given how the Americans have been hammered the past two times, he was asked if wanted the job.
“Well, it’s like everything to gain, nothing to lose now,” Azinger said last week. “Yes, I would like to do it.”
Europe already has announced Faldo, a six-time major winner, as its captain for the 2008 matches at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Ky. The appointment of Azinger gives this Ryder Cup a history of captains.
Perhaps their most famous showdown came in a singles match at The Belfry in 1993, played a month before Azinger was diagnosed with lymphoma in his left shoulder. Faldo made a hole-in-one in that match, and even though the U.S. had earned enough points to win the cup, Azinger kept grinding, eventually earning a halve.
When NBC Sports later showed highlights of that match, Azinger quipped, “Look at that. I had cancer and he still couldn’t beat me.”
