Unsung hero could emerge at Hazeltine
CHASKA, Minn. — Hazeltine Golf Club is a course where under dogs have made names for themselves in recent years. Rich Beem, an unheralded journeyman, won the 2002 PGA Championship here, and if that wasn’t a big enough upset, Y.E. Yang out-dueled Tiger Woods to capture the 2009 PGA title at Hazeltine, denying Woods his last best chance to win his 15th major.
The 41st Ryder Cup will be contested beginning Friday over the 7,678-yard layout on the outskirts of Minneapolis, and if the script holds true, another unsung hero could play an important role in the outcome. The list of candidates to emerge from the shadows is extensive, particularly on the European team, as six rookies — Masters champion Danny Willett, Thomas Pieters, Andy Sullivan, Chris Wood, Rafa Cabrera Bello and Matthew Fitzpatrick — will see their first Ryder Cup action.
They will be balanced by a veteran group that includes Martin Kaymer, Lee Westwood, Rory McIlroy, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Justin Rose, the Olympic gold medal winner.
Experience means something in the Ryder Cup, where the crowds can be boisterous and the pressure is constant. That’s why the more experienced Americans are favored this year. They have just two rookies in Ryan Moore and Brooks Koepka, but five other players — J.B. Holmes, Patrick Reed, Brandt Snedeker, Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker — have played in just one previous Ryder Cup.
“We’ve got 12 guys [and] we’re expecting a lot of them to step up,” U.S. captain Davis Love III said.
With half its team made up of rookies, the Europeans will need at least three or four of them to point, a prospect captain Darren Clarke tried to lighten by having his rookies take on the veterans during their practice round Wednesday.
“They’ve got a lot of pressure coming their way and this morning was going out and letting them play and try to take the cash off the older guys,” Clarke said, “I have full belief in all those rookies. They are very talented players and I’m sure they will do their utmost to represent Europe the best that they can this week.”
Willett could be looked at as a veteran after having won the Masters this year. In his last outing, he was second at the Italian Open. Pieters also could be trouble for the Americans. He just missed a bronze at the Olympics and won in Denmark after finishing second at the Czech Masters. Bell o tied for fifth at the Wyndham Championship a month ago and is being mentored this week by Garcia, his countryman. The weak links figure to be Fitzpatrick and Sullivan. Fitzpatrick hasn’t done much since winning the Nordea Masters last June, while Sullivan missed the cut in three of his previous four events.
Clarke said he’ll stay “fluid” with his pairings, and will wait to see how his rookies react. Stenson, the British Open champion, is nursing a bad knee and could use some rest. But the Swede has told Clarke he’s available to go the distance if needed.
“If I need him five times, he is more than keen and able to play five times,” Clarke said. “I will try and put the strongest eight players in those Friday morning, Friday afternoon, Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon [sessions] as I see f it for the position the team is in.”
It would be a disappointment if Moore didn’t produce for the U.S. team. The final captain’s pick is coming off a playoff defeat to McIlroy at the Tour Championships and top-10 finishes at the Barclays and Deutsche Bank. He also won the John Deere Classic last month. Koepka would be the true unsung hero if he can produce points. His form has been off of late since tying for ninth at the Travelers.
If Koepka sinks the winning putt to win the Ryder Cup, it will be more of an upset than Yang beating Tiger.