CockyYanksare dafttoRydeusoff
ONE week from now they will all be gathered at Le Golf National.
The first four members of the European and American Ryder Cup teams will be paraded to begin the final build-up to one of the most eagerly anticipated clashes of golf’s superpowers.
As if the excitement needed ramping up any more.
As is often the case, bold words have been blurted from the other side of the Atlantic.
It should come as nothing new to European golf fans.
It has been going on for years, despite results of the last two decades giving more than enough cause for humility.
But there’s no chance of just quiet confidence when that little gold pot is in American hands and captain Jim Furyk boasts arguably the strongest US side ever assembled.
They’ve every right to be confident when you consider 10 of their 12-man roster are Major winners – double the number of Europeans to have claimed one of golf’s big four.
Or that six of the last seven Majors have been won by guys in their ranks – Patrick Reed, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka.
But to write off the European challenge – as some have done already – would be to fall into the old habits that became part of America’s problem. Overconfidence in the face of a highly motivated underdog, fuelled by a strong team spirit. One observer in particular has been withering in his assessment of Europe’s chances. We’ll not name him here because that’s the kind of attention his column seeks but his message is this...
“One of the greatest events in sport is on the verge of irrelevancy. The young, talented, hungry golfers from the United States are going to roll to victory in 2018.
“This will set the stage for a decade-plus of blowouts, sapping the intrigue out of the Ryder Cup. It’s going to get so lopsided that you can expect future Ryder Cups to have all the dramatic tension of ... gasp! The Presidents Cup.”
At least his latest opinion was laced with faint praise for one of Europe’s stars, Tommy Fleetwood, saying “I love everything about Fleetwood and expect him to play well but the US has 10 just like him.”
A tweet that prompted a brilliant response from Fleetwood, saying: “None of them have long hair and almost all of them are taller than me. They also have American accents and mine is English and my wife is 20 years older than me!”
Brilliant. That’s exactly the right measure of salt Europe’s players and fans should be taking when they keep hearing how powerful the Americans are and how they’re going to wipe the floor with them. Just like they were hearing on Saturday night at Medinah. Back then they were headed for humiliation amid personal insults like Paul Lawrie being compared to the workman who comes and fixes your heating and air conditioning.
Oh, is that right? The next day he marched out and looked very much like the winner who wipes the floor with Brandt Snedeker 5&3 to start the European last-day landslide, forever dubbed The Miracle.
American captain Furyk is too savvy – and too bruised by previous experience – to fall into the old trap.
The message he’ll be sending is that this contest is never won on paper. The fact it has been 25 years since they won an away match should be the ultimate cautionary tale.
They arrive in France as the bookies’ favourites, boasting 31 Majors between them.
But Europe have the world No.1 in Justin Rose, The Open champion in Francesco Molinari and a four-time Major winner in Rory McIlroy.
Yes they have five rookies but the class of Fleetwood and Jon Rahm has been abundantly clear on the PGA Tour and at the Majors.
And they have grizzled Ryder Cup campaigners in the four wild-cards Thomas Bjorn added to fuel that famous team spirit. Europe have a heck of a chance – and you would be a fool to write them off.