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Paul Azinger 'would captain' USA Ryder Cup team again

Previous winner Paul Azinger reveals that he would return to captain the USA Ryder Cup team in 2016.

Paul Azinger has revealed that he would be open to captaining the USA Ryder Cup team again after calls for him to return following a third straight loss to Europe over the weekend at Gleneagles.

Azinger is the only man to lead America to victory this century, in 2008 at Valhalla, with Europe winning the other six contests since the millennium.

After their 16.5-11.5 defeat on Sunday, Phil Mickelson called for the US team to revert back to the methods of Azinger in 2008 and questioned the approach of 2014 skipper Tom Watson both in the run-up and at Gleneagles.

When asked by USA Today if he would lead his country again, 44-year-old Azinger said: "I'm not going to rule anything out."

Azinger went on to say that the US needs to follow the lead shown by Europe when it comes to choosing a leader.

"There is a razor-thin line between winning and losing these matches," he added. "Europe has the intangible right now. They give themselves the extra 1% chance to win through its business model and cohesiveness.

"Even if you play blackjack perfectly in a casino, the casino still has a very slight edge against you. Right now Europe is the casino and the US is the guy walking to the blackjack table with a fistful of 50s."

The next Ryder Cup will begin at Hazeltine Golf Club, Minnesota exactly two years from today.

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Pascal Lemesre
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Phil Mickelson of the United States plays from a bunker on the 9th hole during the Morning Fourballs of the 2014 Ryder Cup on the PGA Centenary course at Gleneagles on September 26, 2014
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