Phil Mickelson Rips Ryder Cup Captain Tom Watson After Getting Benched

Phil Mickelson and United States Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson are feuding in the wake of the U.S.'s latest defeat.

Europe destroyed the U.S. on both Saturday and Sunday, easily winning the Cup for the third-straight time. When it was over, Mickelson fired a shot at Watson in an interview with NBC.

Phil said the U.S. had a good strategy in '08 (the last time they won the Cup) and questioned the strategy this time around (via Jason Sobel):

"We had a great formula in '08. I don't know why we strayed. I don't know why we don't go back. What [Paul Azinger] did was great." He kept it up at the team press conference: The comments came a day after Watson benched Mickelson and his partner Keegan Bradley for both Saturday sessions. Watson told reporters that Mickelson begged him to play in a text message but he decided against it. From the Golf Channel:

"After informing Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley they wouldn't be playing in the afternoon -- after the pair had already sat out the morning session -- Mickelson was especially persistent in trying to change Watson's mind.

"'He said, "We can get it done, Captain. We want the chance,"' Watson said of Mickelson, who had previously talked the pair's way into playing on Friday afternoon."

Watson was blunt in his reasoning for benching Phil. He told ESPN, "They didn't perform all that well [Friday] afternoon. They really wanted to go today. These are the best pairings for alternate shot." Phil isn't the only one who wants Watson gone and Azinger back: