Bubba Watson skipped over to play Ryder Cup, named 5th vice-captain

Bubba Watson didn’t play well enough to make the U.S. Ryder Cup team, and he didn’t impress captain Davis Love III enough to merit any of four wild-card picks at his disposal. However, Watson’s impassioned plea to Love to somehow be a part of the American side at Hazeltine National has landed him a consolation prize.

On Monday, Love named Watson his fifth vice-captain, joining Tiger Woods, Tom Lehman, Jim Furyk and Steve Stricker with a cart and an earpiece on the ground in Minnesota.

“Bubba Watson was obviously disappointed not to be on the team. But as our team has really bonded together over the last couple months, Bubba has offered a couple times to come and be one of our assistant captains, and I told him we had an extra red cart and we’d love to have him,” Love said Monday.

The 37-year-old, two-time Masters winner finished ninth in the points standings, missing out on one of eight automatic qualifying spots on the team. In the PGA Tour playoffs, Watson didn’t shine, extending a streak without a top-10 finish that dates back to March.

However, Watson, who has a 3-8-0 record in three appearances as a player, did make an impression in an informal practice session at Hazeltine on Monday ahead of the PGA Tour season-ending Tour Championship. Afterward, Watson said he texted Love to say that he wanted to be a vice-captain if he couldn’t earn the final wild-card pick. Ryan Moore’s weekend performance, including a four-hole playoff showdown with winner Rory McIlroy, as well Moore’s play since the PGA Championship, landed him the last spot.

Watson’s response to the bad news surprised Love.

“And then I called [Watson] and told him that I was going a different direction again, and he immediately said, ‘I still want to be a part of this team, if you’ll have me,'” Love recalled.

Love said his team was equally as shocked, and pleased, to welcome Watson to the team room.

“When I told the team members and assistant captains that were there last night, we’re still in disbelief,” he said. “I mean, Bubba’s back there changing from player clothes to assistant captain clothes right now. We have a bag with his name on it already made. We don’t have gifts for him as assistant captain, but it was just an incredible gesture, and I think that shows where our team is.”

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

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