It’s been eight long years since a US side hoisted the Ryder Cup but it’s seemed like a lot longer as the specter of European Team dominance in this event has enveloped USA Team golf. The US Ryder Cup effort has had as much recent acrimony and controversy as a presidential election campaign but that can be forgotten now as this 17-11 win wipes out some of the sting of past failures.
For sure it’s a redemption for Captain Davis Love III, who’s 2012 USA Team gave away a four-point lead going in to the singles, which led to the biggest home field choke job in the long history of the competition.
This win should also be a reprieve from criticism, if not a wholehearted endorsement of the “Task Force” which formed in the ashes of the Gleneagles debacle of 2014 with the stated purpose of once again finding a winning formula for Team USA.
Kudos also to Philly Mick, the anarchist who threw the bomb at his Captain Tom Watson at the 2014 Gleneagles, one of the prime movers of the “Task Force” approach not necessarily for his off course activities but for his on course performance in posting a 2-1-1 record in what is likely to be his last Ryder Cup as a player.
Preparation is a key to performance, for sure, but it doesn’t ensure victory. Players need to win it on the field.
And what players were on display today!
Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy displayed more individual bravado, in-your-face boastfulness than has ever been seen in a golf match, anywhere, anytime.
They fed off each other, off each others play and off the crowd in the most brazenly demonstrative manner anyone has ever seen in Ryder Cup singles match play. Reed went eagle, birdie, birdie, birdie on holes 5 through 8 and only gained one hole to claw back to all square. At the long par three 8th hole Rory dropped a 50-foot bomb for birdie and then exploded into an Incredible Hulk exhortation to his fans, the hostile crowd and Reed. When the dust settled, Reed stood up and stroked his twenty footer in a for matching two and then let out his own crowd pleasing screams and exhortations.
Great stuff, all done with a spirit of appreciation and good sportsmanship as Reed and McIlroy fist bumped and slapped each others back as they left the green.
As good as this match was, in terms of golf purity it took a back seat to match 6 which pitted old man Lefty against Sergio the Spanish Bull.
These two had a collective 19 birdies in a match that was halved on 18 when both drained closing threes’. Phil had one three putt green which ended up as the only blemish on two spectacular cards but which ultimately cost him the match and the full point for his captain.
In the end, Phil’s missed half point didn’t matter. His teammates had him covered as they won the singles session 7.5 to 4.5 and parlayed the 3-point lead from Saturday into a convincing 17-11 victory.
At long last, the fog has lifted from US Ryder Cup golf- at least for now.
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