Ryder Cup Preview
It's been almost a decade since the US last won the Ryder Cup. 2008 was the last victory for the US team, and since then things have not gone their way. Europe stole the 2010 Ryder Cup by one point, before the infamous/heroic Miracle at Medinah (or Meltdown at Medinah depending on your perspective). And then last time out Europe cruised to victory, fearsome pairing of Rose/Stenson (likely to team up again this year), winning three matches in a row, with other stars including Jamie Donaldson, Graeme McDowell and Victor Dubuisson.
And short term isn't the US' only problem. Despite utterly dominating the Ryder Cup until the early 80s, winning eleven and drawing one of the twelve Ryder Cups between 1959 and 1983, since then they've only won back to back Ryder Cups once, in 1991-3, with Europe claiming eight of the ten cups since.
But the US team, as always, go into this year's tournament feeling confident. And you can see why, as they have a formidable team at their disposal. Dustin Johnson is in red hot form at the moment, and already has one major to his name this year; Jimmy Walker won his first major two months ago; Jordan Spieth remains one of the world's top talents and he will probably be paired with his 2014 partner, the dangerous and enigmatic Patrick Reed; Rickie Fowler is an exceptional player and Phil Mickleson, as ever, needs no introduction.
On the other hand, the European team looks weaker than it has in previous years. Ryder Cup veteran Ian Poulter is not involved, the aforementioned Donaldson, Dubuisson and McDowell are all out and there are no fewer than six European rookies, including Englishmen Chris Wood, Andy Sullivan and Matthew Fitzpatrick. This European side is missing what you might call big names or heavy hitters in golf, and the line up certainly isn't as star studded as the US list.
But that doesn't mean a whole lot. When you consider that Europe still has some of its biggest guns to call on. Rory McIlroy is one of the biggest and best names in golf; Henrik Stenson has been in the form of his life in 2016, including his brilliant win at The Open and as mentioned he will likely team up with the brilliant Justin Rose again this year; with the likes of Sergio Garcia, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all on the draft sheet. And then of course there's Danny Willett, himself a Ryder Cup rookie who won his first major in 2016 after Jordan Spieth's spectacular choke at the Masters. And it's worth noting that Donaldson and Dubuisson themselves were rookies last time out and were instrumental in Europe's win.
But nevertheless, there really is a sense that the US team need this. This definitely need it more than Europe and arguably want it more than Europe. They have more experienced heads, more big names, and a really, really talented set of players. And Europe's big name players don't necessarily always turn up in the Ryder Cup either, putting a lot of pressure on the likes of Wood and Sullivan to produce. Europe are going to need a near faultless display, and the likes of McIlroy, Rose, Stenson and Willett to all win at least two and a half points for the team.
With half of the European team English, plus McIlroy, (not to mention captain Darren Clarke) there remains a hugely British influence over the Ryder Cup. But for me the key factor in this battle is how the two sides deal with the pressure, and deal with the American crowd. The crowd are going to be very much behind the US team, and that can either bolster them, or on the other hand, just build the pressure on their backs. Moreover, this is a European team that can very much feel at times as though the pressure is all on their adversaries, and make no mistake, the fact that this is the first Ryder Cup since Medinah will absolutely play into both team's heads, and will definitely affect the way that the crowd and pressure affect them.
This is a rookie European side and that might work in their favour when the pressure cooker builds up, especially if it gives them a strange, paradoxical freedom to play that won't exist for say Jordan Spieth. But then this is an experienced, battle-ready American side who are determined to win this tournament. For me, it's all about how the Americans handle the pressure of playing in front of their own crowd, expected to win, needing to win, with Medinah firmly in the back of their minds. If they can handle that pressure, then they should win.
But who knows? It's the Ryder Cup.
The Hard and Fast Section
- Brendan Rodgers is back. Celtic 3-3 Man City.
- Theo Walcott scored twice in an Arsenal cruise.
- ECB new central contracts out. Will explain tomorrow.
- Anderson and Wood to miss Bangladesh tour.
- 30 place penalty for Alonso. Ouch.
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