• Click here for Golfweek’s complete Ryder Cup coverage
LOUISVILLE, Ky. – There were many positives to take out of the 37th Ryder Cup. Here, in no particular order, are 10 reasons why we should celebrate the latest edition of Samuel Ryder’s biennial matches.
1. It gave Americans a good look at Nick Faldo’s true personality. All Faldo had to do was stick to the script, but his need to play the English funny man got in the way. Result: he stuck his large feet in his very large mouth on more than one occasion.
Faldo upset various nations during official duties. First he offended the Irish with his Padraig Harrington potato wisecrack. He upset the Danes when he couldn’t remember Soren Hansen’s name, referring to him as “Soren Stenson.” Then the Northern Irish got riled when Faldo couldn’t remember which part of Ireland McDowell hailed from. Finally, he rendered redundant the Welsh Tourist Board’s promotion of Wales by telling millions of people to take their waterproofs to the match at Celtic Manor, Wales.
2. Sandy Lyle’s chances of captaining the 2010 side in Wales grew exponentially because of Faldo. At least there is a better chance Sandy will stick to the script rather than make the sort of gaffes Faldo specialized in. Surely, the thinking now has to be: If Faldo can do it, then why can’t Sandy?
3. American golfers can bond as a team. For years we’ve been hearing ad nauseam about how only European teams had the right chemistry, camaraderie to bond together into a cohesive unit. I’ve never totally bought into this theory. I think the Euros are looser, but that doesn’t mean they are more tightly knit. However, the U.S. team at Valhalla put paid to popular theory. They were just as cohesive as the Europeans.
4. Rookies rise to the occasion. Where do you want to start on this one? Boo Weekley, Hunter Mahan, Anthony Kim, J.B. Holmes, Steve Stricker and Ben Curtis all helped the U.S. cause. Euro rookies Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Graeme McDowell and Soren Hansen weren’t exactly overawed either. Future captains shouldn’t have to shield rookies. Let them rise to the occasion.
5. Ian Poulter can be world No. 2 one day. The Englishman made the headlines earlier this year when he claimed he could be No. 2 to Tiger Woods. The way Poulter played at Valhalla perhaps explains why he made that remark. More important, his outstanding golf shut up those who said he didn’t deserve his captain’s pick over Darren Clarke. He did.
6. When it comes to golf on the radio, the BBC is best. The only way to follow the matches at Valhalla was through BBC Radio 5 Live’s on-course commentary. It was funny, witty, informative and very entertaining. Sometimes it did veer off track, such as an extended treatise on baldness that cut into the action, but that was but a minor blip.
7. Whatever Paul Azinger’s recipe is for success, he should repackage it and sell it to future captains and sports teams. I was one who thought Faldo was going to win the captaincy battle, but Azinger proved me wrong. His tactics were spot on.
8. U.S. newspapers need to get on board the royal and ancient game. One of the worrying aspects of this match was the absence of many U.S. newspapers. In fact, it’s debatable if there were more U.S. journalists than there were Europeans. I know it’s college football season, the start of the NFL and Major League Baseball is deep into the nuts and bolts of the year, but I was surprised to see so many empty seats that should have been filled by U.S. journalists. (I know – this isn’t a reason to celebrate.)
9. Valhalla proves that so-called stadium golf courses do work. There were so many vantage points for spectators that the PGA of America didn’t have to erect too many grandstands. The best viewing course I’ve seen in my years of covering golf.
10. America may have won the Cup, but they lost the cheerleading battle. As Azinger said, American fans need to learn some songs rather than the same old “U-S-A! U-S-A!” chant. That chorus got a bit tired on the first tee compared to the singing Euros. As for Lee Westwood’s claims that some fans were unsporting, I can’t relate to that statement. I spent a lot of time on the golf course and didn’t witness one bad incident. I thought the Louisville galleries were exemplary.
Posted: 9/23/2008
print
email
discuss
