THE 2016 RYDER CUP PREVIEW:
Can the Americans Recapture the Trophy?
BIGSTOCK
F
ree from the health risks
and construction issues
that caused many Olympic athletes to forgo the
Rio Olympic Games,
there’s no way the best
by RANDY KING
golfers from America and Europe would
miss competing in the 2016 Ryder
Cup—a historic, highlight-filled event
that marks the pinnacle of global golf.
So, on Sept. 27, two dozen of the
world’s top golfers will travel to Chaska, Minnesota, where they’ll tee off in
three days of four-ball, foursome and
singles matches. This year’s event, held
at Hazeltine National Golf Club, will
determine if the Europeans—winners
of three straight competitions—continue their recent domination, or if Team
USA, led by Davis Love III, will reclaim
the Cup.
“Well, I think we have a completely
different attitude and culture this time
around,” Love, a six-time U.S. Ryder
Cup participant who was named captain
in February 2015, said prior to the PGA
Championship in July. “Our assistant
captains have been invested in this since
December of 2014. It’s a little bit earlier
start than we’ve gotten in the past.
“I think it was December 4 or 5 maybe,
we started these conversations, right
after Scotland. The PGA of America sat
down real quick. Instead of sitting down
and talking about who the next captain
was going to be, they started talking
about the future of The Ryder Cup. I
think Pete Bevacqua and Derek Sprague
vsga.org
started a process right when they got
back from Scotland; we lost three in a
row, what’s been going on here?
“We’ve been invested in it for a long
time. We’ve put a lot of thought into it.
Phil (Mickelson) and I talked this morning over some things that we talked all
the way back in the first two meetings,
goals that we set, plans that we made.
So I think we are just a little bit more
prepared. We are better organized and
better coaches, better team managers
than we were back in 2012.”
Since its inception in 1927, the Americans have built a commanding 25-13 lead
in overall Ryder Cup standings. However, the European squads have reigned
supreme as of late, taking six of the last
seven championships. They’ll be led by
Northern Irishman Darren Clarke, a fivetime member of the European team and a
two-time vice-captain, who withdrew from
this year’s U.S. Open in hopes of devoting
more time to Ryder Cup preparations.
“I just think the Europeans have had
the run of the greens,” Clarke said before
the PGA Championship. “I think they
have made a lot of big putts at the right
time. And you know, the gap in the players, the gap in the quality of the players
is so small, that if somebody knocks in a
20-footer at the right time or something,
that can make a huge difference.
“You know, Davis is doing admirably
everything he possibly can to get that
20-footer going in on his side. I’m obviously trying to do the same coming from
the European point of view. And what-
by DAVE POND
“
I think
we have a
completely
different
attitude
& culture
this time
around
”
—DAVIS LOVE III
S E P T E M B E R /O C T O B E R 2 0 16 | V I R G I N I A G O L F E R
27