US ‘unhappy’ with Whistling Straits venue
Ryder Cup course suits Europe, says Harrington Candidate for captaincy calls for ‘neutral set-ups’
Padraig Harrington has claimed the US Ryder Cup players are upset that the next match is being played at a “European-style” course in Wisconsin because it will nullify their home advantage.
Harrington, who is widely expected to be appointed Europe captain and who revealed he was approached by the European Tour immediately after last month’s win in Paris to confirm he is interested, had previously stated his belief that neutrals should be brought in to set up the courses.
Nine of the past 11 matches have gone to the host team and such are the fine margins at the top of the game now that Harrington believes it could become too predictable.
Thomas Bjorn ensured the Paris layout was extremely tight, with thick rough flanking the sliver-like fairways. That was in stark contrast to Hazeltine two years previously, when Davis Love III instructed the greenkeepers to widen the fairways and turn the match into a “birdie fest”. On both occasions, and indeed, before, the tactics worked.
“The Australian PGA should set it up or someone,” Harrington said. “The two teams are so good and so close in ability that it’s too tough to win when you have [to play against] those home advantage biases.”
However, Harrington does not believe the next US captain – who almost certainly will be Steve Stricker – will be able to tailor Whistling Straits to suit the Americans. The Pete Dye-designed course near Kohler has unashamedly been based on the links of Great Britain and Ireland.
“Thomas knew going into France that if he made par to be precious then Europe would have an advantage, and it proved that way,” Harrington said. “I do think it should be a neutral set-up. I don’t think it’s going to happen soon but it will eventually if it keeps going, we win in Europe, they win in the States.
“The US players aren’t that happy it’s at Whistling Straits.
“They know they would have had a better chance at a Hazeltine style course, rather than going to a links course in the States. Whoever is the captain next time will know it’s as good a course as we’ll ever get for Europe. Whistling Straits, at that time of year? Hopefully it will be cold and windy as well.”
As The Daily Telegraph exclusively revealed last month, Lee Westwood has pulled out of the running to succeed Bjorn, so this leaves a clear path for Harrington.
The three-time major winner insists it is not that clear-cut a decision and that there are “two of three or other contenders”. But even when one considers the merits of Paul Lawrie and Miguel Angel Jimenez, it is impossible to envisage anyone other than Harrington being handed the role.
The 47-year-old has been a vicecaptain in the past three matches and those respective captains, Paul Mcginley, Darren Clarke and Bjorn, are on the panel – alongside European Tour chief executive Keith Pelley and former Ryder Cup player David Howell – who will make the pick, expected in December.
Harrington is playing here at this week’s Turkish Airlines Open and, despite being 178th in the world, feels he can contend for the £900,000 first prize following three top-10s in his past five events and a tie for fourth here last year.