It’s time for the skipper to inspire

As a player, José Maria Olazabal formed a dominant partnership with the late great Severiano Ballesteros that was second to none.

The foundations for their partnership lay in their fierce pride and determination. They did not come from an elite golfing environment. Their game was a game of imagination and flair “dug out” of the ground through relentless practice. They relied on the naked eye and “feel” to guide them through their apprenticeships but more than anything they relied on a bulletproof short game, which for the most part. masked the technical deficiencies in their games.

What set them apart from everyone else in the Ryder Cup was their intense desire and enthusiasm to beat the Americans. What made them so engaging to TV viewers was the sheer entertainment they brought to their performances.

Imagine, then, Olazabal’s dilemma this week when preparing his team. His game was designed for an older generation where the flaws in technology meant creative shot-making gave you an edge. Modern technology may well have elevated his team onto another playing stratosphere, but what he could offer was his mindset and the communication of a winning formula to the rest of his players.

Yesterday’s opening session was as much about attitude as anything else. From the outset, the European cause was helped by the performance of Tiger Woods whose attitude was abysmal, demonstrating again his obvious discomfort with a team game. His body language suggested a lack of maturity and leadership. While a quick adjustment to his alignment (he is aiming too far left) will most probably sort out his problems, his antics have done nothing to endear him to his fans. If I were Davis Love III, I would have dropped him as much to demonstrate my authority as to remind him he is participating in a team game.

That said, Olazabal would have been delighted with the start of his players. They expressed themselves, they looked focused and there was great attention paid to detail. They looked prepared for everything but more importantly they more than demonstrated Olazabal’s own trait of never giving up, of always finding a way out. Their body language was fantastic and it was backed up by a spirited early performance, none more so than Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell who blitzed their opponents with a barrage of birdies.

However, just when many of the Europeans had the upper hand, they blinked and what ensued would have set alarm bells ringing for Olazabal. As the American putts began to roll in, the body language of the Europeans changed. As the noise levels grew, several of his veterans proved powerless to stop the rot. Old putting frailties were exposed and the USA smelt blood.

By the end of a tough morning session Olazabal, would have been delighted his team had emerged with a couple of points (thanks to the partnerships of McIlroy & McDowell, Poulter & Rose) but his credentials as captain were now in question.

Whatever Olazabal did say to his players at lunch time, it didn’t have the desired effect. As the USA pounced early, the Europeans looked flatfooted. The wisdom behind Love’s course set up now became even more apparent as his players bombed their drives and blitzed the course, while the Europeans underperformed.

The final outcome of the Ryder Cup of course will not be decided until tomorrow, but already we have seen a decisive shift in momentum.!

Already though the outlook looks bleak and it will take true inspiration from Olazabal if he is to conjure up a famous victory at Medinah.