The Ryder Cup: Closer than it may seem
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2010 The 38th Ryder Cup | Preview | 29 Sep 2010
Arguably the most anticipated clash in world golf, the Ryder Cup, takes place this week at the Twenty Ten course at the Celtic Manor Resort just outside Newport in Wales.
The name Twenty Ten came as a result of this course being specifically created for this year’s staging of the Ryder Cup, the layout a combination of the old and the new. Nine holes were newly created by European Golf Design, a joint venture between the European Tour and IMG, the other nine a carry-over from the previous Wentwood Hills layout designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr but extensively remodelled.
This week’s encounter is the 38th since the Ryder Cup was first played at the Worcester Country Club in 1927 although only the 16th since the contest became a serious one in 1979. In that year the Europeans joined forces with those from Great Britain and Ireland for the very first time and tackled the Americans at White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia.
Although the Europeans were again defeated that year it signalled a major and lasting change in the contest. It would take until 1985 before the Europeans would win for the first time as a combined team but ever since, this has been truly one of the great contests in world sport let alone world golf.
Prior to 1979 the Great Britain and Ireland side had won only three of 22 encounters but since then Europe has been victorious on seven of 15 occasions and in seven of the last twelve.
The introduction of players such as Seve Ballesteros and Bernhard Langer not only changed the face of the Ryder Cup but changed the face of world golf forever. The closeness of the contests has provided a far greater self belief not only in European golf but it has also had a filtering and positive effect on the game worldwide.
International golfers now know that the American golf is not the impenetrable fortress it once was or at least was perceived as being and the golfing world therefore can thank those with the foresight to make that decision back in the mid 1970’s to include those from Continental Europe.
Five of this year’s European Team are from Continental Europe. The impact the success of the European side in Ryder Cup in recent years, as a result of the Europeans inclusion however, has rubbed off on most of the others in the side. It has led to this particular European side, on paper at least, the most commanding European favourite ever.
A closer look at the respective line-ups however might tell a slightly different story. Four of the world’s leading five ranked players are in the US side, eight of the top twenty ranked players while on the European side only Lee Westwood is from the leading five players and seven are from the top twenty. Not that the world rankings necessarily tell the full story of current form but the tale of the tape suggest this might be closer than many are suggesting.
The Europeans are of course playing ’at home’ and that in itself adds a huge advantage and there is a strong feeling that the ’home team’ will gel together as a team much better than their opponents.
The European Team carries six rookies. Martin Kaymer, Rory McIlory, Edoardo Molinari, Ross Fisher and Francesco Molinari all get the chance to experience the heat of a Ryder Cup battle for the first time.
The Americans have five playing in this cauldron for the first time. Matt Kuchar, Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Jeff Overton and Rickie Fowler have all had magnificent seasons however and at least have that to rely on in this greatest of all team golf contests.
The Ryder Cup has become a battle of tactics and in that regard the respective sides are led by two of the cagiest and experienced Ryder Cup players in the history of the event. Colin Montgomerie and Corey Pavin can’t hit the shots, obviously, but their decisions, especially in the Fourball and Foursome match combinations, will play a significant role in the outcome of the battle.
I think the Europeans can win but I do not think it will be the one sided contest many are suggesting it might be.
