Phil Mickelson took some heat after publicly calling out Tom Watson for his strategy following another Ryder Cup debacle. For many of us who weren’t following closely, Mickelson came across as being pretty obnoxious.

But then word got out on how Tom Watson had actually behaved, and how poorly he led his team. Watson has always had a sterling reputation, but he came across very badly with how he treated his team. It was amazing to see opinions on this matter shift so quickly, and Watson ended up issuing a statement where he essentially apologized for his behavior.

The upshot is that Mickelson’s criticisms are now being taken very seriously, and the entire process of picking Ryder Cup captains is being evaluated. And that’s a good thing. The performance of team USA has been pretty lame, and it’s time to have a more logical and professional process. Let’s hope that then leads to better play and some wins.