The Ryder Cup result: How will it impact?

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2004 The 35th Ryder Cup | Wrap | 20 Sep 2004

Against most predictions and against most odds, the European Ryder Cup team has again shown what a “star team” can do against a team of stars. Golf is very much an individual sport but the Ryder Cup is very much a team event. No more so was it proven than this week in Oakland Hills with the 18.5 to 9.5 victory by the Europeans.

From the very first match, on the very first day, the gauntlet was laid down by the Europeans when Colin Montgomerie and Padraig Harrington went two up through three holes in their match against Phil Mickelson and Tiger Woods and they never looked back as they went on to win 2 & 1. Hal Sutton’s “dream team” of Mickelson and Woods would quickly turn into a nightmare for him when they again lost in the afternoon. This time blowing an early three up lead over Darren Clarke and Lee Westwood to lose at the last, when an errant Mickelson tee shot forced a double bogey and a loss to a bogey by their opponents.

The decision by Mickelson to change equipment at such a crucial time was already beginning to have repercussions so soon after the get go, and without wishing to place too finer point on it, the slow start by the favourites was about to impact on those behind.

Most felt that if the Europeans were to stand any chance of winning the event in America, against a team littered with bluebloods, they would need to gain a big lead in the fourball and foursomes. I’m not sure that anyone would have imagined for a moment that their lead would be so commanding heading into the final day. With an 11 to five lead, all that was required of the Europeans on Sunday was for them to secure three points in order to reach the magical fourteen points that would have given them the tie and therefore the retention of the increasingly famed and coveted trophy.

It sounded easy and in fact turned out to be just that, but at the start of proceedings on Sunday when the Americans led in four of the first five matches, there was a faint hope of the almost impossible. Woods, Mickelson, Love, Furyk and Perry all led early on, so was this the start of the greatest comeback of all? Not likely. In just a few short hours, the momentum the Americans had established early on day three was gone and so was the chance of regaining the trophy.

The result will be scrutinised and analysed for weeks, months and perhaps even years to come, but need it be? The result reflected the greater capacity of the Europeans to play as a unit and collectively tackle the might of the Americans. When a side is touted as the favourites and the other the underdogs then there can be only one loser, namely the team that was overwhelmingly expected to win. Does this make the Europeans better golfers? Of course it doesn’t. One look at the world rankings and individual records will clarify that point. What is does do however, is that it makes them by far the better team. In an era where the Europeans are now collectively only marginally behind the Americans in terms of their golfing prowess and ability, their capacity to unify against the greater foe was the difference.

Clearly there were many standout individual performances but none more so than that of the most successful Ryder Cupper Europe has ever produced in Colin Montgomerie. In a year when so much has worked against him, on and off course, he has found the resolve and character to win three of his four matches here including his dogged win against a defiant David Toms today. Like him or otherwise (and there are many more in the former category now) you can not help but admire the man for overcoming the deep personal injury he must have copped this year. He did not win as many points as Garcia, Clarke or Westwood, but his contribution went beyond the points he was accumulating.

Only one American, Chris DiMarco, secured more than two points but any question mark over the capacity of Tiger Woods to put in during a Ryder Cup event were likely dispelled this week. He was burdened with a wayward Mickelson in rounds one and two, but kept grinding away and won two of his next three matches when in a better position to control his own destiny.

So what now? It will be interesting to see just what this means in terms of the future of the Ryder Cup and the President’s Cup for that matter. After such a pasting is it fair that the Americans must turn up for a team’s event on an annual basis as they must again next year for the Presidents Cup? They might be interested in 2005 when the event is held in the US but the real test for the ongoing annual demands of team golf will be well and truly put to the test when the Ryder Cup is played in Europe and more especially when the President’s Cup is taken outside of the US in 2006.

The other factor that may be impacted here is the potential damage the loss by the Americans will do to the negotiating position of Tim Finchem when it comes time to go head to head with the Networks in the broadcasting rights for golf. That Tiger Woods is no longer number one, and that the Americans have had their collective backsides kicked by the Europeans, hardly creates the environment or tools which Finchem would have enjoyed a few months ago.

The impact of this result may last considerably longer than the euphoria of the European victory celebrations.