TIGER’S ADDED BITE TO THE BATTLE
Woods revival poses biggest threat to hopes of Euro glory
HOT on the heels of the latest film in the Mission Impossible franchise unfolding on the streets of Paris comes something else that stretches the bounds of the imagination: the French cheering on the english.
‘Poolts! Poolts!’ was the cry in a distinctly Gallic accent as Ian Poulter made his way to the 10th tee on Tuesday. Yes, it could only be the Ryder Cup, the one time when europe truly is united.
Out in the political world the old enmities may be playing out under the strain of Brexit but here at the spectacular Le Golf National course on the outskirts of Versailles, everyone is chanting from the same hymn sheet under the banner of the blue and gold.
What’s about to unfold over this long weekend at the 42nd edition of golf’s greatest team competition really will be an ode to joy.
‘Allez, allez, allez,’ reads the sign alongside the enormous grandstand surrounding the first tee and the noise emanating from it tomorrow morning might well rival Liverpool’s Kop anthem on a Champions League night.
You do get the feeling a significant number of French people have grown rather sick and tired of being told they have no interest in golf. Sure, it will never replace tennis as the summer sport of choice, and it is a great pity that none of the French players on the european Tour had a good enough year to make the team.
But the fact is, the event sold out in minutes 12 months ago and 65 per cent of the 60,000 people who will attend each day will be French.
On the grounds, there’s already no shortage of enthusiasm for this first staging on French soil, as Poulter’s new army of fans demonstrated.
Chances are, they are about to witness a sporting occasion for the ages. As if there wasn’t enough eager anticipation beforehand, Tiger Woods’ remarkable return to the winner’s circle on Sunday has added an extra edge.
how Tiger gets on in the team format will be one of the most fascinating aspects. This will be his eighth Ryder Cup and we’ve yet to witness a full harnessing of his extraordinary powers. But the previous outings featured the old Tiger, the one who appeared to look upon team-mates as an inconvenience. This one might be the first where he leads by example.
On paper, the match appears beautifully balanced. America have undoubtedly the stronger team, but countering that is the fact they’re saddled with the burden of trying to win on european soil for the first time in 25 years.
On the course known as L’Albatross, they certainly have one wrapped around their necks.
There’s no overstating how important home advantage is at a Ryder Cup. Only one of the last six matches has been won by the away team — and even that one, by europe in 2012, required a miraculous comeback on the final day, as they recovered from a fourpoint deficit.
One of the reasons why is the home captain gets the chance to set up the course — and it can make a huge difference. At hazeltine last time, the vast majority of the American side were flair players known for making birdies rather than methodical types who concentrate on avoiding mistakes.
Accordingly, the course was set up with little rough and the flags placed in easy locations on the greens to play to their strengths.
This American team contains plenty of big hitters, so europe captain Thomas Bjorn has made sure the rough is penal if they stray off line. The fairways are pinched at precisely the areas where big drives would be expected to land.
American players always like fast greens as well, so the putting surfaces will be like treacle.
Will this be enough to foil a visiting side boasting no fewer than nine players who’ve shown enough nerve in recent years to become major champions? You have to go all the way back to 1981 to find the last American side to boast as many, and even the three who haven’t won one of the four Grand Slam events are hardly mugs. Rickie Fowler has done everything bar win a major while Bryson DeChambeau might be the best player in the world on current form. Then there’s Tony Finau, who dislocated his ankle on the eve of the Masters in April and still mustered a top 10 finish.
If he can do that on his Augusta debut, why not a starring role as a Ryder Cup rookie?
europe, therefore, cannot afford to let America get off to a fast start. Given the relentless nature of the action compressed into three days, momentum is everything and this American team have got used to steamrollering the opposition in recent team matches.
It happened at the last Ryder Cup and also the last few Presidents Cups, where they take on a Rest of the World team in non-Ryder Cup
years. One thing that might help the European cause is the sheer amount of golf virtually every member of the American team has played over the summer.
Most of them have competed in six tournaments in the last eight weeks, and now they face the most demanding event of all.
That won’t be a factor if they get into their collective stride and start well. But on a mentally taxing layout it could prove significant if Europe seize the initiative and the Americans are facing not only a hungry opposition but also a wall of noise.
So much to look forward to, then. The restoration of one of the world’s most fascinating sportsmen to near the peak of his remarkable abilities. An American team desperate to end the long drought on foreign soil against a proud Europe side keen to exhibit some French resistance.
Cancel all plans, therefore. If only for three days, Europe stands together, and nobody will want to turn their backs on this one.