Westwood piles the pressure on USA
Just let golf do the talking after latest Mickelson apology
LEE WESTWOOD ramped up the pressure on the Americans last night, claiming the Ryder Cup at Hazeltine is one they dare not lose. The 43-year-old Englishman and master of the mind games deftly played on the host nation’s nerves as they seek to end a run of three straight defeats in the event. Westwood, who will be playing in his 10th consecutive Ryder Cup, said: ‘Where do the Americans go if they lose this one after putting their task force together and trying to replicate what Europe has done? If it doesn’t go right, what else can they do?’ Westwood, who will break Sir Nick Faldo’s individual record of 25 points if he wins two matches and halves another, added: ‘I love the rowdiness. It’s a brilliant atmosphere.’
THE sorry build-up to the 41st Ryder Cup continued yesterday with Phil Mickelson becoming the latest player to issue an abject apology.
So much for sorry being the hardest word. After Danny Willett asked for forgiveness for his brother’s infantile comments about Americans it was Mickelson’s turn to express remorse for demonstrating once more he’s no leader of men.
Quite what the veteran leftie was thinking when he felt the need to drag Hal Sutton’s captaincy from 2004 through the mud, just as he did Tom Watson’s at Gleneagles two years ago, only he knows. But at least he had the grace to admit this time he was wholly in the wrong.
‘I feel just awful,’ said Mickelson. ‘I’ve communicated with Hal and told him it was in bad taste and how sorry I was that it came across like a personal attack.’ Oh dear. Perhaps it’s just as well then, that for the next three intense and exhausting days the players can let their clubs do all the talking. And what a long weekend it promises to be, as one continent desperate to break the losing habit takes on another equally keen to extend its long winning streak.
The first morning is always important at every Ryder Cup but this one feels absolutely vital for the aspirations of both sides. True, only four of the 28 points available during the competition will be at stake, but psychologically it will feel a lot more than that to the team that comes out on top and establishes momentum.
A passionate home crowd will turn febrile if the early play offers encouragement and the danger for Europe from a slow start is the Americans will visibly grow in confidence.
After all the talk of task forces, of trying to avoid an unprecedented fourth successive defeat and being labelled the finest US team ever assembled, the home side are clearly under enormous pressure to deliver and it is paramount Europe don’t allow that situation to change.
One thing the Europeans have in their favour is they will be playing foursomes in the opening session.
Has US skipper Davis Love made a serious error in not opting for fourballs first off — as he was entitled to do — given how critical it is to put points on the board early and America’s seriously poor record at foursomes?
Love hinted weakly he was forced into the decision by logistics and the need to get the opening series finished by lunchtime. But it’s hard to imagine if he’d fought hard enough for fourballs to be played this morning, his request would not have been granted. Now it’s up to Europe to make him regret his weakness.
Think back to Gleneagles two years ago, when the outcome of the entire contest was essentially decided by what happened in the two series of foursomes.
Europe won six of the eight matches, halved the other two and ended up winning the trophy by five points.
The task for Europe, therefore, is to continue to deliver in this format and make sure they reach lunchtime today at least level on points to contain the influence of the crowd. Much has been made about the difficulty of trying to win a Ryder Cup with six rookies in the side — as Europe are trying to do on this occasion — but this can be overplayed. Here are the facts: since 1979 there have been five occasions when either America or Europe have fielded a team containing six or more debutants — and four were won.
When it comes to the endless debate about youth and experience, therefore, you’d go with young nerves every time over those that have become too frayed.
Look at the terrible Ryder Cup records of so many of the American players and it plainly demonstrates why the pressure valve must not be released. Just two of the 12 Americans have ever been on a winning Ryder Cup side and one of those, Mickelson, has been on no fewer than eight losing ones.
Think of how difficult it is going to be for the likes of Zach Johnson, who has played in four and lost four, or Matt Kuchar, who has played three and lost three. We all know these players are good golfers if you allow them to play with a freedom that comes with racking up points. That’s why it is so critical to deny them that freedom.
Who will win? They look two evenly matched teams to me. Both are strong in the leading positions and both have a number of players with question marks against their names.
If America get off to a fast start, then it could all run away from the visitors as the crowd becomes a 13th man. That’s when inexperience can really show itself.
But if Europe can at least keep it close going to the final singles matches, then all the old insecurities and scars from past matches could well reveal themselves, just as they did at Medinah.
‘The closer we get to the start and the more time I spend with our guys, the more I think we’re just going to sneak it,’ one of Europe captain Darren Clarke’s backroom team confided yesterday.
Let’s hope he’s right. Let’s hope the leaders in the team like Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson impose themselves once more and a couple of unlikely Hazeltine heroes emerge.
My gut instinct, however, is that America will win this time. It’s easy to overlook two of their last three
losses were by a hair’s breadth and they can’t keep being unlucky, as they were at both Celtic Manor in 2010 and Medinah. Even last time at Gleneagles when it looked like a blowout it all came down to what happened in the foursomes.
But hey… I’m looking forward to Europe proving me wrong over what has now become established as three of the greatest days in all of sport.