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Former PGA pres. Bishop: Mickelson was 'grandmaster' of Ryder Cup task force

Former PGA of America president Ted Bishop believes Phil Mickelson got precisely what he wanted from the now-dissolved Ryder Cup task force, acting as the "grandmaster" of the 11-man committee.

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Writing for Golf Magazine, Bishop said Mickelson got the captain he wanted in Davis Love III, even though at the 2014 Ryder Cup he explicitly named Paul Azinger and favoring his approach. However, Bishop also contends Mickelson didn't care for Azinger's sometimes brash leadership style. The five-time major winner liked the framework, which Love employed in building a four-point lead heading into the final day of the 2012 Ryder Cup.

Bishop believes Fred Couples, three times the winning U.S. Presidents Cup captain, will get the nod to lead in France in 2018, followed by Steve Stricker in his native Wisconsin in 2020, Jim Furyk in 2022 and Phil Mickelson taking his turn at Bethpage Black in 2024.

Perhaps most interesting was Bishop's suggestion that the Ryder Cup is now Mickelson's baby, and may somewhat explain why fellow task force member Tiger Woods didn't show to last week's news conference to announce the changes.

"Phil made his presence felt. I can't help but think that Phil's taking charge of the U.S. Ryder Cup process might represent the first time in years that he isn't living in Tiger's shadow," Bishop wrote. "I wonder if that has motivated Phil, because he certainly seems energized by the task at hand."


Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.