Morikawa aims to turn the tide
HAVING four of the world’s top five players did not do the United States any good in the 2010 Ryder Cup, nor did having three of the top four in 2018.
Now, following a 12-month delay caused by the Covid pandemic, US captain Steve Stricker will discover if having eight of the top ten can see his side regain the trophy in his home state of Wisconsin.
At Celtic Manor it was Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk and Stricker the player who were the top-ranked men who could not prevent Colin Montgomerie’s side winning the cherished gold trophy.
Eleven years on at Whistling Straits, it will be Stricker the captain and vice-captains Mickelson and Furyk who are tasked with ensuring the home team justify their position as favourites and keep the Ryder Cup on this side of the Atlantic.
Woods will have to make do with offering words of inspiration from afar as he continues his recovery from a life-threatening car accident, but while the backroom staff has a familiar feel, the US team is banking on an injection of new blood to turn around their fortunes. For the first time since Valhalla in 2008, half of Stricker’s team is made up of rookies, albeit rookies such as two-time major winner Collin Morikawa, Olympic gold medal-winner Xander Schauffele and FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay.
“We’re really excited,” said 24-year-old Open Championship winner Morikawa, who was still at university when Europe cruised to victory in Paris.
“It is puzzling how we’ve lost a lot in the handful of years looking back at the past, but that’s the past. We’re here and we’re about the present or hopefully what the future is going to be like. It’s about this week and hopefully we can turn that around and kind of turn that tide in our favour for however many years I’m able to play this.”
It remains to be seen how much longer many of the current European team can compete in the Ryder Cup, with Lee Westwood (48) and Ian Poulter (45) likely to be the next two captains and Paul Casey (44) and Sergio Garcia (41) approaching the twilight of their careers.
Padraig Harrington, the European captain, will need to use such experienced players wisely alongside rookies Shane Lowry, Bernd Wiesberger and Viktor Hovland, as well as world number one Jon Rahm and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy.
“We all know in Ryder Cups there’s a fine line between playing too much and trying to stay fresh,” Harrington said. “I have a slightly older team, experienced team, (but a) pretty fit team. That’s the one thing about it. We’re not struggling in that sense.
“Sergio or Paul Casey, they’re fit and strong. You don’t see them having any issues with playing 36 holes if they have to, but it’s something I would be aware of, that we don’t want to burn players out before Sunday.”
Stricker has called for the home fans to be loud without “crossing the line”, while Europe wisely attempted something of a charm offensive by wearing outfits in the colours of local NFL side Green Bay Packers and throwing souvenirs into the crowd around the first tee during practice.