Bjorn and Europeans gets it right against Americans in Paris
Ger Walsh
I SAID last week that I would delighted to be eating humble pie this week if Europe won the Ryder Cup but I didn’t think it was going to happen and, of course, I’m not the only person who writes about golf that thought the same.
The Europeans were written off by most people even before a ball was struck and as the morning foursomes were drawing to a close on day one, it looked like we were all going to be proved right until Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood snatched a win and, as we now know, Europe swept the boards in the afternoon fourballs to lead 5-3 after the first day, a lead they never surrendered.
When it was all over on Sunday afternoon, the blame game began with USA captain Jim Furyk taking much of the flak over his selections and, in fairness, leaving two-time major winner and golfer of the year Books Keopka to sit out the afternoon fourballs on Friday after he won in the morning did, indeed, seem like a strange decision, as did the inclusion of Tiger Woods for both matches on day two, when he was clearly struggling.
Patrick Reid, rather like Phil Mickelson did last time, had a go in the media and it seems that all was not well within the USA camp with the US Masters champion claiming that Jordan Speith didn’t want to play with him.
European captain Thomas Bjorn and his backroom team certainly had the last laugh on their critics, with their four “wildcard” picks contributing nine and a half points out of Europe’s winning total of 17 1/2, while on the American side, the four American “wildcards” contributed two points, both from Tony Finau, meaning that Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Bryson DeChambeau contributed nothing.
Last week they were hailing Tiger’s comeback win as the greatest in sporting history, while this week he was a pale shadow of himself and he’s been written off again.
It’s most likely that we’ve seen the last of him as a Ryder Cup player unless he produces another Lazarus-like comeback in time for Whistling Straits in 2020 and his record from 33 matches over seven Ryder Cups reads: 13 wins, 17 losses and three halves, which is rather poor when compared to what he has achieved in golf as an individual player.
Rory McIlroy had a lot to say for himself after Europe’s win but his performance in France wasn’t exactly inspiring with two points out of a possible five and his putting woes are there for all to see.
Tommy Fleetwood and Francisco Molinari are being hailed as the new European heroes and with a combined nine points from a possible ten between them it’s hard to argue with that.
Ireland’s Padraig Harrington is being touted along with England’s Lee Westwood to be captain for the next match in 2020, and if not then perhaps in 2022 in Rome, or maybe he’d like to wait and see if JP McManus can bring it to Adare in 2026 and lead out Europe in his home country?