The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
A neutral future for Ryder Cup?
European Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington could see the tournament evolving into one being based on a “neutral set-up” in the future.
Harrington was at Whistling Straits yesterday to join United States captain Steve Stricker in marking one year to go to the 2020 showpiece event in Kohler, Wisconsin.
Rory McIlroy has called for tougher European Tour courses to produce better players and so help improve Europe’s Ryder Cup chances.
Harrington will be out to guide Europe to a successful defence of the Ryder Cup following the 17-and-a-half to 10-and-a-half victory at Le Golf National in Paris last year.
The Irishman, twice winner of the Open, told a press conference: “There is a substantial difference, I would advocate even too much of a difference, between home and away.
“Clearly in Europe, we get to set the golf course up and we set it up in every way we can to suit our players and in the States we have seen that as well, where it is set up to be the most advantageous for the home team.
“It is not going to happen probably in my lifetime, but 40 or 50 years down the road with the Ryder Cup still going along, it would probably be best to have a neutral set-up where there is no setting up a golf course as we did in Europe (last time).
“Thankfully, here at Whistling Straits this is a much more natural golf course and I am interested to see what Steve has in store, but it does not look like you can do a lot with this golf course.”
USA captain Stricker insisted there would be “no real tricks” next year.
“They know how we like to set up the golf courses, just as we know how they like to set up,” Stricker said. “I am sure what he (Harrington) has got envisaged in his mind is going to be the way it is going to be.
“When we go (to Europe) next time (in Rome 2022), I am sure it will be much like Paris.
“But it is a bit more of a challenge here. It is a links-style course, although a lot of it is still played through the air than it is overseas.”