I’ve read and heard all the autopsies for the Ryder Cup Matches, and the conventional wisdom is that the European team kicks American butt regularly because they want the win more than do the Americans.
Bull.
The American team may be driven by a desire not to be embarrassed, but that is just as much incentive as any other. One loony reporter asked if it had to do with the Americans being involved in the President’s Cup alternate years. Perhaps it was tedious doing this kind of thing every year. Sergio quashed that.
The European team just enjoy playing golf more than do the American players. Golf is such a mental game. Blocking out extraneous thoughts during play is important. But the Americans seem to be all wrapped up in strategy and swing thoughts. Where do I place this shot? What will the wind do to my ball? How many things can go wrong? I certainly don’t want to hit this ball into that bunker….
The Europeans just seem to be out there on a weekend outing, knowing there will be beer in the clubhouse when they finish, win or lose. They may have many of the same anxieties on the first tee box, but those butterflies quickly float away. They all seem to look at their lie, check the distance, decide what to hit, and hit. Americans have been Nicklausified. And that’s why John Daly could have helped. He is the Retro-Golfer.
Maybe it’s time to bring back some of the old guys, too. Hale, Fuzzy, Jake. They might not win, but they would be fun to watch.
I didn’t watch much of the Ryder Cup after the Americans had such a disastrous start. However, unless he has changed his game recently, I find it hard to believe that Padraig Harrington simply looked at his lie, decided what to hit and then hit. He is, by far, the slowest player I have ever seen. He wouldn’t last three holes on a public course in the US without someone hitting hitting a ball into the back of his head.
Comment by John Adams at The Commons — September 24, 2004 @ 2:54 pm
You’re right about him. But I love to watch the guys like Darren Clarke just go at it.
Comment by Bunker — September 24, 2004 @ 4:19 pm