Mark Garrod
If Sunday’s Ryder Cup fightback does not inspire young golfers to work hard, pursue their dreams and even try to mimic Ian Poulter’s look or Justin Rose’s strutting walk when he holed that putt on the 17th against Phil Mickelson, then nothing will.
But it was not only a day for the youth to seize and run with, as shown by Padraig Harrington.
“The Ryder Cup was amazing – I watched it avidly and was very excited and nervous at home,” said the man who lost out to Nicolas Colsaerts for the second wild card alongside Poulter.
“I think the win and how the team played will inspire all European golfers going forward. I personally feel a huge buzz to get out on the golf course myself and will do so at this week’s Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland.”
Ernie Els is also competing at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns, and he too was gripped by the Medinah action.
“I switched into proper sport’s fan mode,” said the South African.
“Obviously I’ve got friends on both teams, but whatever your allegiances it was hard to think of a more enthralling day’s golf than Sunday.
“I’ve certainly never seen anything like it – pure sporting drama of the best kind. Amazing stuff.”
Poulter, Rose, match-winner Martin Kaymer and debutant Colsaerts all graduated from Europe’s Challenge Tour in their early professional careers to become Ryder Cup stars. No wonder then that those on the circuit right now were engrossed as well.
Kaymer’s compatriot Bernd Ritthammer told the European Tour website: “Of course there was an extra bit of pride being from Germany.
“Martin got quite a bit of criticism this year and I’m happy for him. He didn’t play a great Ryder Cup, but he holed his putts when it mattered.
“Not many people are able to do that, but he is. Germany is not the number one golfing nation and we don’t have a lot of tour players, but we have one of the best in the world.”
Poulter’s fellow Englishman Daniel Brooks said: “He is just Mr Ryder Cup.
“He is unbelievable and I was surprised when he didn’t play on Saturday. I think Rose’s win over Mickelson changed the whole thing too – those last three holes were so impressive.
“We all want to do what they do, so I just have to keep working hard and hopefully it will happen. If those guys can do it and climb from the Challenge Tour there’s always hope for us.
“Ryder Cup is the pinnacle for everyone, but I just want to get to the European Tour first and hopefully go from there.”
One of the lessons to be learnt from what happened in Chicago, and the words of Harrington and Els, is surely a simple one. Do not mess with the Ryder Cup.
There are those who have advocated a change to the Presidents Cup format – four days of golf rather than three, with all 12 players on each side playing only one series on the first two days.
It means there are more points at stake – 34 as opposed to 28 – but it is the intensity of the Ryder Cup that helps to bring such a highly-charged atmosphere and such sustained drama.
Playing from dawn to dusk, sometimes with hardly a break between the foursomes and fourballs sessions, only adds to the theatre. The hours of daylight available at this time of year in Europe and America rules out all 24 players being involved morning and afternoon, but having four from each team left on the sidelines gives the tactics an extra dimension that the Presidents Cup lacks.
The fact that Jose Maria Olazabal chose not to use Kaymer – or Peter Hanson — all day Saturday made the German’s performance in the singles all the more praiseworthy.
Another difference between the two competitions is that the Presidents Cup is shared in the event of a tie. That was not the case in the early years. Initially it was decided to have a play-off between one player from each side, but when it was needed in 2003 Els and Tiger Woods still could not be split in the three holes possible before darkness descended.
In the Ryder Cup, as was nearly the case on Sunday, the holders retain the trophy when the scores finish level.
That brought about the situation where Woods saw no point in continuing against Francesco Molinari, even though conceding the Italian his putt on the last green meant Europe also won the match.
“To be honest I didn’t really pay that much attention,” Woods said.
“My putt was useless, it was inconsequential, so I hit it too quick and gave him his putt. It was already over. We came as a team, this is a team event and the cup was already retained by Europe.”
American captain Davis Love said: “It always leaves me confused when we’re all standing around knowing the outcome and matches have to be played to their conclusion.
“I think it’s very awkward. I just think when it’s over we all shake hands and go – it doesn’t really matter. They had the cup and they knew it.
“They were celebrating while we were trying to get out of Tiger’s way and Molinari’s way to hit shots.”
Awkward or not, it is not likely to change after what happened at the 2003 Solheim Cup in Sweden.
Spectators were watching five games that suddenly ended when the cup was decided elsewhere. Instant chaos resulted and they afterwards insisted all matches are played to a proper conclusion.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/p_55NibtHe0/post.aspx
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