Is it time for Ryder Cup courses to be set up by a third party instead of the host nation?
It’s a tricky question, but the discussion is a worthy one.
If a miraculous European rally didn’t come to fruition at Medinah in 2012, the past eight Ryder Cups would have been captured by the home side. Only two of those matches (2010 and 2012) were close.
Nothing can be taken from those winning teams. They each earned victory with their play, no questions asked.
It is no secret, however, that hosting the Ryder Cup comes with distinct advantages beyond fan involvement. The captains modify courses to meet their specifications, and this arrangement has been over-the-top at times.
In 1957, Great Britain captain Dai Rees made sure Lindrick Golf Club was kept dry for weeks before the match, with the notable exception of nurturing fiendish rough near the greens where American players, far less experienced with links play, often found themselves.
Recently that manipulation has been more sophisticated. Paul Azinger had a mixed team of wild bombers and accurate hitters in 2008, so he cut the rough short beyond 300 yards and left it long closer in. He even had some tree limbs cut down for J.B. Holmes.
In the past decade, it’s commonly understood that the American squad is long-hitting, not-so-accurate off the tee and prefers faster greens. The European squad is generally shorter but more accurate, while preferring slower greens more commonly found in the UK.
The U.S. chooses major championship-length courses as venues and wants tees set as far back as possible. The Europeans want it much shorter with harsher penalties for off-line shots. In 2018, Le Golf National had thick rough with harsh penalties for off-line shots. In 2012 and 2016, the U.S. set up Medinah and Hazeltine with very little rough.
Even hole locations have come into focus. Davis Love III lamented some of the more daunting placements down the stretch at Medinah in 2012, saying the underdog Europeans were emboldened to take more aggressive lines. There was no such regret for the U.S. in 2016 at Hazeltine when the Europeans compared the simple hole locations for Sunday singles to something they would see in a pro-am.
There was also no comeback.
If the point of a Ryder Cup is to provide entertainment and these competitions are consistently not coming down to the last few matches, why can’t an outside governing body come in to set the course up exactly as they would for another event at that course? Or what about having the course superintendent at that venue recreate what they would do for other elite events that have already taken place there?
These are 24 of the top players in the world. They can make birdies on a hard golf course, just like they did at Whistling Straits.
The course may naturally favor one team and that’s fine. But conditions shouldn’t be modified beyond what the course would normally present.
It’s already a disadvantage to have fans cheering your bad shots. It’s difficult to win a road Ryder Cup.
Maybe it’s time to give the visitors a little help.
E-MAIL SEAN
Sean Fairholm