The latest standings for Ryder Cup points puts a lot of new faces in the running for top ten positions on Team USA. If Team USA was picked on the basis of the current standings it might affect the TV viewer ratings but would it effect the performance of the team? After all this a meritocracy and these players are on form, which is the point that Lehman has been making. The weakness that Woosnam has identified is that this leaves Lehman with four or five players who have never played in Europe before. I suppose the question is whether this is a liability or just an indication of the massive depth of golfing talent in the US, where players have no need to travel to play very lucrative professional golf?
In Ireland we have a saying “The old dog for the hard road and the pup for the boreen” which I think sums up my view on the effect of the current shape of Team USA. The Ryder Cup Matches are a unique pressure cooker in the world of pro golfing and the added stress of playing for your national team should not be discounted. I think that the current shape of Team USA leaves them at a distinct disadvantage in terms of experience. The Ryder Cup Matches are a team event and experienced players who have played high profile team golf before are more likely to gel. When the pressure is on, I think that the older and wilier Europeans may be more suited to the hard road.
Well said and I agree. This Ryder Cup is going to be an exciting one with Caption Tom at the helm….They need Freddy Couples and Fred Funk…some of the seasoned vets who are not afraid to make the shot that is needed to win..I am looking forward to this cup’s matches…