Padraig is right man to lead Euro fightback
IT’S going to be a big job for Europe to win back the Ryder Cup in France in two years’ time. And I am backing Padraig Harrington as the man to lead them.
The USA were thoroughly-deserving winners at Hazeltine. But more than that, last weekend marked a shift in attitude in American golf.
That was the most united USA team I have seen for years. They had a team spirit just like Europe.
In years gone by, I had a feeling there were American players who couldn’t care less if they won or lost. Not this time.
That attitude was best summed up by Bubba Watson. Despite his World Ranking of seven, he was overlooked for the team.
But rather than wallow in his own disappointment, he asked Davis Love to be a vice-captain because he wanted to help the American cause.
And when the match was won, Bubba, this so-called non-team player, was crying his eyes out.
American golf is used to excellence and, quite frankly, they were sick of losing the Ryder Cup.
I didn’t like Phil Mickelson’s outspoken attack on Tom Watson at Gleneagles two years ago. But it showed his desire and passion to win the Cup back.
That was also demonstrated by the other 11 players, the captain, vice-captains, the rest of the PGA Tour and the huge crowds. The united front was too much for Europe to handle.
The Americans will not want to slip back to their bad old ways when they come over to Le Golf National in 2018. So Europe needs a strong captain to lead the fightback.
It looks like a straight fight between Harrington and Thomas Bjorn for the job, but the Irishman has the right credentials.
As a three-time Major Champion, he will have the respect of all the players and he’s an articulate and thoughtful guy.
He will still be playing in two years’ time and crucially he divides his golf between Europe and America, so he can keep an eye on players on both Tours.
I hope the idea of having a third successive Irish captain after Paul McGinley and Darren Clarke does not hamper his chances.
There is also the politics of maybe having a continental captain for a match in continental Europe, and that is where Bjorn comes in.
But Thomas is an irascible character, who is prone to getting angry. That may have helped his game at times. But I’m not sure that is ideal for a captain.
What concerns me is the European Tour looking inwards and forcing people to play more in Europe to qualify. That would be a backward step.
Either the qualification process or eligibility rules need to be tweaked because the current system did not produce our strongest team.
Whether it would have changed the outcome or not, Paul Casey would have added experience, quality and form to our line-up.
To beat the Americans, you need 12 players on song. You must feel you can pick all of them as you can quickly become exposed.
That was my scenario at The Belfry in 1993. Sam Torrance was injured, Seve Ballesteros was off-form and Bernhard Langer had not played for weeks.
When your team is struggling, you are under pressure and that happened to Darren.
I didn’t have a problem with him picking Lee Westwood, but Lee just didn’t perform. Westwood was there to help the rookies, but that never materialised.
The best team won but that will be little consolation for Darren. I know what it’s like to fly home without the Cup – and it’s a very empty feeling.