Sunday, October 21, 2018

 

The Ryder Cup-2918





More than one hundred thousand golf fans packed the fairways and the grandstands of a golf course near Paris, France, last week, to watch the latest edition of the Ryder Cup. Most of them were there, of course, to watch the Americans lose.


The Ryder Cup takes place every two years, and the trophy is named after an English businessman who donated the cup. The first Ryder Cup took place in 1927, in Worcester Country Club, Massachusetts. Nowadays, it has become the scene of very bitter rivalries. American fans are delighted to chant “USA, USA” when their players are doing well. The Europeans reply with “Ole, Ole, Ole...” which is heard, occasionally, at the Bell Centre in Montreal.


There has been a bit of animosity toward the Americans for decades. It may have come from the methods used by the Americans to help the Europeans after the World Wars. There may be a hint of jealousy on the part of the Europeans towards the Americans and their success in world economics. The rivalry on the golf course is intense.


Until recently, there was a certain dignity on golf courses. Marshalls and course personnel hold up signs to quieten the crowds while players prepare to putt. For the most part, that is still respected. What is somewhat bothersome is the mean-spirited way fans explode when one of the rivals misses an easy putt. It's like cheering a double fault in tennis. Just rubbing it in.


I am certain that all of this commotion has an effect on the players. Many American players who are normally unfazed by the clamour played very poorly in France. The team was defeated 17 1/2 points to 10 1/2 points. In golfing circles, a pretty sound thumping. Bubba Watson, Tiger Woods, Jordan Spieth, Rickey Fowler all suffered defeat in the singles competition.


Francisco Molinari is the first golfer in history to win a major tournament, and then end up with a perfect 5-0 record at the Ryder Cup. He was mobbed by his fans after he drained his putt to defeat Phil Mickelson, ahead by 4 holes with two holes to play.


Sergio Garcia defeated Fowler in his singles match. With his victory, he became the winningest competitor in Ryder Cup history. The European team consists of players from Belgium, Denmark, Sweden, Italy, Germany, Spain , and France.
The next Ryder Cup will take place at Whistling Straits, Haven, Wisconsin. Two years later, the championship will be held in Italy. Molinari seemed to be in agreement with that decision.


It made for riveting television. The format is match play, and players can make substantial gains when opponents have a couple of bad holes. Tiger Woods, who recently won his first tournament in several years, was weary after the Cup. “It's been a long grind,” he told ESPN's Bob Harig. “This is my seventh week of golf out of the last nine weeks. I believe I've been grinding at it.”


When they lifted the golden goblet out of its case, you could almost hear the roar on this side of the Atlantic. Rest assured, if the Americans are successful in Wisconsin in a couple of years, there will be plenty of “USA” cheers. Guaranteed.


There are still a few nice golfing days remaining. Hit 'em straight.

James Hurst
October 10, 2018.




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