RYDER CUP
The Jack Nicklausdesigned Centenary Course at Gleneagles, which hosts the Ryder Cup this month, is a thoroughly modern affair, one that is unlikely to provide either team a particular advantage
The
Waiting is
Over The epic biennial team match that is the Ryder Cup is once again upon us, but as Alex Jenkins explains, the Europeans are going to have to fight hard to ensure the Cup remains on their shores.
T
Courtesy of the Gleneagles Hotel
here's nothing quite like the Ryder Cup. By far and away golf's premier team event, this year's edition, which takes place from 26-28 September at the stunning Gleneagles Hotel in Perthshire , will see US skipper Tom Watson lead a side desperate to avenge that spectacular loss at the hands of Europe at Medinah two years ago. He’ll have his work cut out however because Europe, skippered by the tenacious Paul McGinley, will go into the event as firm favourites, thanks in part to the strength of their side – spearheaded by world number one Rory McIlroy – their home advantage and, arguably the most important asset, their camaraderie. Taking part in a Ryder Cup, for most Europeans, is rated second only to winning a major. Indeed, Colin Montgomerie, one of the greatest players in the Cup’s history, even went as far as saying that nothing in golf could surpass
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the importance of a Ryder Cup victory. While you have to take the Scot’s words with a pinch of salt – he famously never won a major championship on the regular tour, although he has since won two as a senior – there is no doubting the significance that the Europeans place in the competition. Even in leaner years, when their side looked on paper to be vastly inferior to their American counterparts, their strength was always greater than the sum of its parts, with relative unknowns like Phillip Price, David Gilford and McGinley himself rising to the occasion and pulling off remarkable wins when it mattered most. The stats themselves make easy reading for European fans: their team has won five of the six Cups that have been played this century and you have to go back to 1993 when the Americans last tasted success on European soil. Adding to Watson’s woes is the fact that he’ll be without two of his main men. Although
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The stats themselves make easy reading for European fans: their team has won five of the six Cups that have been played this century and you have to go back to 1993 when the Americans last tasted success on European soil.
AFP / Courtesy of Rolex / Courtesy of the Gleneagles Hotel
Clockwise from above: Paul McGinley will be looking to make it six wins in seven events for his European side; Jordan Spieth is one of at least three rookies for the American team; Martin Kaymer celebrates holing the winning putt in 2012 at Medinah; Ryder Cup stalwart Phil Mickelson played his way into the side with his fine end-of-year play; there can be few venues as picturesque as Gleneagles 62
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Tiger Woods has never been at his best during the Ryder Cup – his record of 13 wins, 17 losses and three halved matches is surprisingly poor and contrasts strikingly with the form he’s displayed at the Presidents Cup – there can be little doubt that the American side is weaker without him. The same can also be said of Dustin Johnson. The long-hitting Johnson, who has taken a leave of absence from the professional game amid much speculation about his private life, will certainly be missed. Although the match is being played in Scotland, the Centenary Course at Gleaneagles is a thoroughly modern affair, one that was designed by the legendary Jack Nicklaus. You have to think that Johnson, who prior to his withdrawal had been in rich vein of form, would have bagged a hatful of points for his captain. So the Americans are up against it. Or are they? Some have derided their side (even before Watson announces his wildcard picks) as the worst since the US team that capitulated at the
K Club in 2006, losing by a full nine points. The Americans fielded four rookies that year and they’ll have at least three at Gleneagles this time around. But in Jimmy Walker (three-time winner on the PGA Tour this year), Jordan Spieth (one of the most promising young prospects in the game today) and Patrick Reed (a feisty competitor who has already won a World Golf Championships event) talent abounds. Mix this with the experience of the in-form Phil Mickelson and Jim Furyk, double Masters champion Bubba Watson and the impressive Rickie Fowler and this is certainly a team that could spring a surprise. If anything, holding underdog status is a boon for the Americans. In 2008 at Valhalla, when the Europeans were expected to clean up, that Tiger-less side, captained expertly by Paul Azinger, gelled immediately and completely outplayed Nick Faldo’s. Who’s to say the same won’t materialise again? That’s the beauty of the Ryder Cup. Very little is certain. But it’s sure to provide great entertainment. HKGOLFER.COM
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A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE RYDER CUP
1927
The first official Ryder Cup competition is held at Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts, USA. In 1921, matches similar in format to the Ryder Cup were played in Perthshire, but Samuel Ryder attended the 1926 match and donated the cup, and so the official Ryder Cup was born.
1936 1937 1939 1967 1969
Samuel Ryder, who sponsored and donated the trophy for the very first Ryder Cup, passes away in London.
The US team wins in Lancashire, England, with a score of 8–4, marking the first time a team wins on foreign soil. As a result of World War II, all Ryder Cup matches from 1939 to 1945 are cancelled – four matches in total. The US defeats Europe with the highest score in Ryder Cup history: 23½–8½ at Champions Golf Club in Texas, USA.
The Cup sees its very first draw when Jack Nicklaus famously concedes a short putt to Tony Jacklin, ensuring that the US retains the Ryder Cup after winning the previous event.
1973
British player Peter Butler scores the tournament’s first hole-in-one at Muirfield, Scotland. The British team adds players from the Republic of Ireland for the first time, but the US continues to dominate.
GLENEAGLES: HOME OF THE OLD AND THE NEW Despite the Gleneagles Hotel celebrating its 90th anniversary this year, the PGA Centenary Course is one of the more modern additions to the Scottish golfing landscape. Designed by Jack Nicklaus, the championship layout opened in 1993 and was originally called the Monarch’s Course. At the time, Nicklaus described it as “the finest parcel of land in the world I have ever been given to work with”. Created specifically to host big tournaments, the PGA Centenary Course has achieved this, playing home to the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles since 1999 (incidentally, Diageo, the owners of the Johnnie Walker brand are also owners of Gleneagles). The King’s Course, one of the two other James Braiddesigned layouts on the estate, is no stranger to tournament golf either, having previously hosted the Scottish Open from 1987 to 1994.
WHERE THE RYDER CUP COULD BE DECIDED The 16th hole on the Centenary Course could be the big turning point for quite a few matches over the three days as players decide whether or not to take on this long par-5 in two. The wide fairway is dissected by a fairway bunker some 285 yards from the back tee, which will force players to lay up should they find the sand. Avoid it and a lengthy second shot is on the cards to find the long, thin green in two. Take this route and the player will need to cross a water hazard before finding the heavily contoured green. An eagle here would be priceless.
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1979 1985
The Great Britain team branches out to include Continental Europe and is subsequently known as the European Ryder Cup team.
After a record 13 consecutive victories for the US, Europe finally defeats the Americans at The Belfry with a score of 16½–11½. Scotland’s Sam Torrance sinks the winning putt.
1989 1991
The teams record the second tie in Ryder Cup history. As per the rules of the event, Europe retains the Cup.
Dubbed “the War on the Shore”, the rivalry between Paul Azinger and Seve Ballesteros intensifies after they accuse each other of cheating at the previous Ryder Cup event. The match is closely contested, with the pair provoking each other on the course, and the US ultimately prevails with a score of 14½–13½.
1997 1999
Spain’s Valderrama hosts the Ryder Cup, marking the first time the event is held outside the US or the United Kingdom.
The US team is caught up in controversy when supporters run onto the green after a magnificent putt by Justin Leonard on the 17th – running over the putting line of his opponent, José María Olazábal. The event becomes known as “the Battle of Brookline”.
2001
Once again, the Ryder Cup is postponed, this time because of the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center on 11 September. The match is moved to 2002, although it is still referred to as “the 2001 Ryder Cup”.
2006 2008 2010
Europe grabs its third straight victory, finishing with a comfortable 18½ to 9½ win. Team USA, without the injured Tiger Woods, secures its first victory since 1999.
Graeme McDowell beats Hunter Mahan in his singles match at Celtic Manor in Wales to end a strong American comeback and win the Ryder Cup for the Europeans.
2012
A remarkable comeback on the final day from 10-6 down sees the Europeans complete “the Miracle at Medinah”, winning by 14½ to 13½.
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