USA changes are great news for the Ryder Cup

The raft of changes announced this week for the new structure of the US team is great news for the Ryder Cup.

The Americans have lost eight out of the last 10 matches, but their interest has not waned. In fact, they’re desperate to win the Ryder Cup back.

Far from being disheartened, they have gone to great lengths to put a long-term structure in place. I’m pleased they are looking to the future.

The PGA of America has ceded some of their control of the Ryder Cup in the US to the players and the PGA Tour, and it’s another victory for PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem.

It’s obvious the players weren’t happy with Tom Watson’s captaincy at Gleneagles, and they didn’t have a say in his appointment.

The task force, set up in the wake of their loss in Scotland, has proved more than a mere talking shop. It’s had a big say in the appointment of Davis Love as captain for a second time after the dramatic loss at Medinah in 2012.

And more significant are the subtle alterations to the timing of the team selection.

The eight automatic qualifiers will be announced two weeks later than previously, after the first week of the play-offs rather than after the PGA Championship.

Then two weeks after that the captain names his first three wild-cards, and finally he has one spare pick to use after the FedEx Cup finale, which has been dubbed the “Billy Horschel Rule”.

That’s to avoid a scenario like last September when Horschel won two events back-to-back to scoop a $10 million jackpot but didn’t make the team.

Tom Watson had already chosen his wild-cards, so there was no place for the hottest player in golf at the time.

The Americans have decided they need the option of bringing in a player bang in form, who’ll bring that confidence with him into the team room.

And the fact there will be two former captains and two former Ryder Cup players as vice-captains should create the idea of continuity in the team set-up.

Although I want Europe to keep winning, perhaps we’ll look back in future and see Gleneagles as the tipping point for American fortunes.

They’re sick of losing to us and this time, they’re really determined to do something about it.