Ryder Cup talking points: Something old, something new, something Covid, winner in blue?
United States captain Steve Stricker and European counterpart Padraig Harrington pose with the Ryder Cup. Picture: Andrew Redington, Getty Images
The European team has been on an amazing run of success dating back to 1985 and the formula has been simple – ride the hearts and putters of proven veterans. Pádraig Harrington did not deviate from the blueprint, adding stalwarts Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter as captain’s picks to a roster that boasts five players making at least their fifth appearance in the biennial matches. Had Bernd Wiesberger not slipped into the final qualifying spot on the European points list at the deadline, Justin Rose would likely be in the team as well.
Lee Westwood, making his record-tying 11th Ryder Cup appearance, bristled at being called Europe’s old man at 48. “Can we use the word mature? No, actually mature doesn't apply to me, either,” he said.
Harrington believes that maturity is more critical than ever with his team trying to win on foreign soil. “Certainly, it's pretty tried and tested in Europe that we're going to go with experience when we're coming across here,” he said. “We do have a few rookies on the team to provide that enthusiasm but we are strongly relying on that experience.” Westwood, Garcia, Poulter, Rory McIlroy and Paul Casey have each experienced winning Ryder Cups in the States, so we’ll see if the old guard can pull off another road win before ceding the stage to a new generation.
While Europeans have aged like fine wine when it comes to these matches, the Americans have generally turned to vinegar. Thus U.S. captain Steve Stricker is trying a fresh approach with six rookies and only 12 combined Ryder Cup starts on his roster.
Considering Stricker himself debuted as one of six American rookies in winning the 2008 Ryder Cup, he’s convinced not having any baggage or scar tissue from bad experiences is preferable to loading up with players who already know how to lose.
“We have done some analysis of those rookies since 2008, and U.S. rookies are a 40-29-17 record in Ryder Cup,” Stricker said when he made his picks. “So rookies fare very well in this type of forums, and we're excited to have these rookies.”
One of the cruelest elements of any sport is the sealed envelope that contains a member of each team who would have to sit out in the event the other side has an injury. Now they’ve added a second “Covid envelope” contingency plan with three names inside in case players have to withdraw because of the virus before the Sunday singles. The envelope player or players would have to sit out the singles matches, and each would be declared a half.
There are normally no alternates for the Ryder Cup, although a captain’s agreement this year would allow replacing a player if there is an injury or virus outbreak before the start of competition on Friday.
“You have to be prepared for these things, and as I said, it's been there all along, so it's nothing really new,” said Harrington. “It's obviously highlighted because of Covid, but there's always been a name in the envelope for an injury, just like coming into this we were asked to be aware that having somebody as a reserve, somebody as a backup who you would bring along, and what happens if somebody pulls out because of Covid. Because, you know, it's something that could happen in these times.”
It’s always difficult to win the Ryder Cup on foreign soil, but this year’s challenge for Europe is further enhanced by the fact that travel restrictions will make the throngs at Whistling Straits overwhelmingly biased to Team USA. The European team mounted a charm offensive by wearing colours of the nearby Green Bay Packers and cheeseheads to the first tee arena before tossing them out to fans.
“The U.S. fans have been brilliant so far. They really have,” said Poulter. “They're wishing me well. Not too well, but they're wishing me well, which is quite nice. That hasn't always been the case, but so far so good.”
How that shakes out when the competition heats up and the beer flows more heavily on the weekend remains to be seen.
When Herb Kohler hired Pete Dye to take his unremarkable former military airstrip on the shore of Lake Michigan and “make it look like Ireland,” the plumbing fixture magnate always had hosting major events on his mind.
After three PGA Championships in 2004, 2010 and 2015 and a U.S. Senior Open, the Ryder Cup is the biggest thing to come to Destination Kohler and it will be the last time we see the remarkable man-made dunescape on the global golf stage for awhile.
While it may look linksy, the Straits course doesn’t play like one. With eight holes on the cliffs above the Great Lake (including all four par-3s) it makes for a dramatic backdrop that should be well suited to showcase match play.
U.S. captain Stricker has been hands-on in setting the course up to take advantage of his team’s power, making sure his bombers can find some comfort in the gentler rough as long as they keep it out of the 900 or so bunkers at pockmark the property.
Considering the last PGA here yielded the lowest score in major championship history (20 under by Jason Day in 2015, a mark matched by Dustin Johnson at the soft November Masters last year), it’s a good bet that there will be a lot of aggressive play and birdies or better accumulated.
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