October 5, 2012 – After the hangover and time for reflection following the adrenaline rush that the 2012 Ryder Cup gave us all, no one can doubt that we have been watching one of the biggest sporting events of the modern era, so they say, only surpassed in audience and excitement by the Olympics and the Football World Cup.
For Europe to catch up and win was difficult, but not impossible. Seve’s memory was very present throughout, and Jose Maria Olazabal‘s team players put the puzzle together piece by piece, first overcoming the four-point lag, then knocking out the Americans, and finally leaving them without resources.
I don’t think Europe behaved like a steamroller that magic Sunday at Medinah CC. It’s just that Donald, Poulter, McIlroy, Rose, Lawrie, Colsaerts, McDowell, Garcia, Hanson, Westwood, Kaymer and Molinari had nothing to lose, and they enjoyed a collective consciousness that each could contribute their bit for the team. That is something the Americans lacked, given that all they needed were with four more victories out of the 12 matches, plus a couple of ties, and they’d have had the cup in the bag.
Well, that’s what the experts are for. They are now analysing and interpreting, in perspective, what happened in the heat of the competition on the golf course. But there’s one thing that’s clear to everyone. In the Ryder Cup one team wins and the other loses, and regardless of your nationality, the team you support, your handicap or your interest in golf, with events like these… everybody wins, golf wins!
So, why aren’t there more team golf competitions? Well, yes, there’s the Presidents Cup (USA vs. Rest of the World), and the Vivendi Seve Trophy (Britain and Ireland vs. Continental Europe), but they have less impact, so we have to wait another two years to see another Ryder Cup.
One of the virtues of the sport is that it grows strong roots. As a child, you might be a Manchester United, Arsenal or Chelsea supporter, or a Barça or Real Madrid supporter and, whether they win or lose is unimportant – you will probably keep those same colours all your life. You buy the shirt and you belong to the fan club.
But golf fans follow players, and if Bubba Watson wins the Masters, Webb Simpson the U.S. Open or Ernie Els the Open Championship, you can look for their shirt in the pro shop at the club-house and you won’t find it. Instead, most golf fans are passionate about good golf, as it always is in the Ryder Cup, and even more so when you thing about this year’s Cup, whether McIlroy, Woods, Sergio, Furyck, McDowell or Mickelson are on stage. And we expect to witness the master shots which decide the winner of a tournament on the last hole, whether it’s hit by the nº1 or the rookie of the moment.
The Ryder Cup is different. The feeling is unconditional. Americans support their team and Europeans support theirs, and in the rest of the world, everyone has their favourite. Here the pros put aside their individual Tour interests, to share a team spirit and come together as a single strength in the style of FC Barcelona, with Jose Maria Olazabal and Davis Love III as the leading conductors of the orchestra, like the former Barça coach Pep Guardiola.
This is where the role of captain of The Ryder acquires its full significance, because unlike the Davis Cup in tennis, they have to direct all the matches at the same time. Here their buggies become like motorized bench, giving out advise to all their players at key moments and at different holes. Luckily, they are helped by the vice captains, which keeps them sane.
The format is fun, the atmosphere fantastic and the tension addictive. So I think that yes, more team golf competitions are needed. Tournaments which challenge the pros’ pride, and where the emotion makes the audience quiver. Maybe the International team still lacks charisma at Presidents Cup. The Vivendi Seve Trophy has only been held twice, and the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio will see the reintroduction of Olympic golf with a 72-hole format ‘stroke-play’ without a mention of team play.
Miguel Angel Buil, MyGolfWay.com Editor.
Maybe it would be good to create continental leagues which would come together in a World League, or perhaps transform one of the prestigious high-cache events, like the final of the Race to Dubai or the FedEx Cup, to run a parallel team event. Who should suggest it? USGA and R&A, or PGA and European Tours. And… would the pros be willing to get used to an annual team competition? I think it is something that the fans would very willingly accept. And with it, golf would extend its frontiers.
October 5, 2012 – After the hangover and time for reflection following the adrenaline rush that the 2012 Ryder Cup gave us all, no one can doubt that we have been watching one of the biggest sporting events of the modern era, so they say, only surpassed in audience and excitement by the Olympics and the Football World Cup.
The Ryder Cup is different. The feeling is unconditional. Americans support their team and Europeans support theirs, and in the rest of the world, everyone has their favourite. Here the pros put aside their individual Tour interests, to share a team spirit and come together as a single strength in the style of FC Barcelona, with Jose Maria Olazabal and Davis Love III as the leading conductors of the orchestra, like the former Barça coach Pep Guardiola.
