Advertisement

yahoonick

The Ryder Cup begins on Friday at Hazeltine, with the three-day contest set to captivate millions around the world. Yahoo Sport’s Nick Metcalfe is in Minnesota and previews the biannual match between America and Europe.

image

Writing off the Europeans before a Ryder Cup has often been a precarious business. On many occasions in the past it has seemed nearly all the cards are stacked in America’s favour, only for Europe to somehow find the inspiration to pull off famous victories.

However, Darren Clarke’s team really will have claimed quite a triumph if they’re celebrating at Hazeltine on Sunday night. The hosts are favourites to win their first Ryder Cup since 2008 and deservedly so.

First thing’s first. The Americans are really hungry for this, in a way we might not have seen for a couple of decades. Frankly, they’re tired of losing. So alarmed were they by another chastening defeat at Gleneagles two years ago that a senior member of their team Phil Mickelson openly criticised captain Tom Watson, who was sitting only a few feet away.

A task force made up of the great and good of American golf was set up to try and change their fortunes. The rules for selection were changed, so in future the captain - Davis Love, their losing leader from 2012, is the man taking them into battle this time round - would make their final pick on the eve of Ryder Cup week. So Ryan Moore only knew he’d be here at Hazeltine last Sunday night.

There’s also the make-up of the home team. Many of the younger players - the likes of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed - will be desperate to taste victory in the grand old team competition for the first time.

And in terms of sheer quality, the hosts do look strong. Many of their players are near the top of the world rankings - not just Spieth and Reed, but the likes of Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Mickelson.

image

Then there’s Europe’s team, which includes six rookies. There’s nothing to say first timers can’t pull off a week of brilliant performances. For one thing, they can often play without fear. Ryder Cup history is full of debutants that have produced crucial victories under pressure. But six is a lot to blend in, and so much will depend on the experienced old hands not having off weeks.

The likes of Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Henrik Stenson, Sergio Garcia and Martin Kaymer will really need to perform as we know they can. And Lee Westwood, the elder statesman of the team, will have to be just as inspirational as he has been on so many occasions in the past.

Captain Clarke will be entitled to feel a little hard done by that Ian Poulter, so often a Ryder Cup talisman, was ruled out with a knee injury, while former US Open champion Graeme McDowell, a mainstay of recent teams, has been so short of form.

Not only that but two players in the world’s top 20, Paul Casey and Russell Knox, ply their trade on the other side of the Atlantic and therefore weren’t able to qualify automatically for the European team.

At least half the rookies, probably more, will have to make significant contributions at Hazeltine. You simply can’t shield that many. They’ll have to be at the front and centre of proceedings, and for much of the time they’ll need to deliver the goods. It’s asking a lot.

And if all that wasn’t enough, there’s the venue. The home crowds will be partizan at Hazeltine, rauclously so. Many European fans will be here too - and they do travel far better than their American counterparts - but there’s a strong chance some of those rookies on the visiting team will experience some shock at the sheer ferocity of a Ryder Cup crowd.

image

However, as Clarke pointed out earlier this week, Europe can boast the Masters champion, the Open champion, the Olympic champion and FedEx Cup winner in their ranks. He also asked: ‘Aren’t we always underdogs? Aren’t we always not supposed to win?’

And it should be pointed out that America do have two rookies, plus five others that have only played in one contest. So it’s by no means the most experienced Ryder Cup team we’ve ever seen.

Despite that, although my heart may say Europe, my head very much says America. Perhaps by two or three points. It may even be a case that the best thing to happen for Europe come Sunday will be that a number of their players have picked up valuable experience that could prove crucial in the following match two years from now in Paris.

Whatever the outcome, one thing is for certain. We are once again going to witness three days of truly great sport, at an event that has consistently provided wonderful theatre in the past three decades. The Ryder Cup has arguably the best format of any competition in top level sport, with the drama ceaseless for three days.

Even those general sports fans that wouldn’t ordinarily know their birdies from their bogeys so often get wrapped up in what is always such an engrossing occasion.

The build-up has felt very long at times this week at Hazeltine, but that has only heightened the anticipation. There’s a calm right now in this pretty corner of Minnesota, but that will all change very quickly come Friday. If the noise emanating from home fans during practice is anything to go by, we are in for a speical atmosphere indeed over the coming days.

Hold on to your hats. Golf’s very special biannual team event is with us once again.