October 2, 2023 4:40 pm

Well, they didn’t disappoint, did they? The Solheim Cup and the men’s version, the Ryder Cup – proved to be thrilling examples of sport at its very best. While the advent of LIV has made many top golfers look very greedy, both these contests were played for pride. Not a dollar in sight.

The Solheim Cup was the one I felt we had a better chance in. After 2 days of shuffling for position, the teams then went into the 12 singles on Sunday and performed an exquisite tug of war on the trophy. For a period, the momentum swung to Europe’s ladies, then the Americans surged back. Down the home stretch a couple of the more experienced Europeans let things slip. Thankfully, one of the captain’s picks, Caroline Hedwall, turned her match around to create the perfect climax. In Spain, before her home crowd and royalty, Carlotta Ciganda on the par 3 17th hole, stuck an exquisite iron shot. She followed with the birdie putt to tie the match at 14 points each. As holders of the trophy, it was enough for Europe to retain it.

Ryder Cup Drama

Then came the boys in Rome and the Ryder Cup drama. Each team claimed the underdog tag, but I felt we were going to have a job on our hands to wrestle the Ryder Cup back. The drubbing we took two years ago in Whistling Straits still felt relevant.

My fears were unfounded. The Friday foursomes was the first time Europe has had a clean sweep of the first session of the tournament. Like most golfers, I am a little superstitious and was concerned that captain Luke Donald chose to move away from the usual format of Fourball in the morning and foursomes in the afternoon. What do I know? They played brilliantly. Victor Hovland set the tone by chipping in at the first hole. Jon Rahm then bounced the ball off the flag for a near hole in one. Sadly, the ball didn’t drop, but there were many other highs still to come throughout all of Friday.

Saturday came and we were all expecting a huge reaction by the Americans. It never happened. They were better, but we were still very good.

Most will know I am not a fan of LIV. So to see Brooks and Koepka lose by the largest margin ever in a Ryder Cup match, 9 & 7, was a personal highlight. The day was slightly spoiled at the end with Rory and Matt Fitzpatrick letting the last game slip through their fingers.

Controversy

There was also the “hatgate” that occurred on the last green. I was not aware of the rumour regarding the reason Patrick Cantlay wasn’t wearing a cap throughout the week. Perhaps he wanted to tan his forehead?  Whether not being paid was a reason I do not know. But a caddie from the American side mouthing off at a player is not acceptable. The partisan nature of the crowd is part of the fun of the game, but those on the green have a responsibility.  We should not forget the war on the shore at Kiawah Island when the Ryder Cup got ugly. We are a game that is based on respect of the players and that must remain the highest priority.

The final day dawned on Sunday with Europe needing only four points from 12 matches. As ever the captain loaded the stronger players into the early groups to get the points on the board early. If the first four matches were won by Europe, that would have been it. Although it would have saved me having to take more blood pressure tablets, it would have been a real anticlimax too. Fortunately, the Ryder Cup is seldom like that, and it did indeed come down to the last 3 matches. When Rickie Fowler hit the water at the sixteenth, that was the final curtain for the Americans. Although we won the final three matches, the 16.5 to 11.5 final scoreline doesn’t convey the tension we had all felt.

The power of this event to drive interest in the game is still very evident. In the first 24 hours after the Ryder Cup finished, World of Golf received over five times the enquiries for our free beginners’ golf lessons that we would normally expect.

Long may the close and strong Europe/US rivalry continue. We look forward to Bethpage Black, the New York golf course that will hold the next Ryder Cup in America in 2025. COME ON EUROPE!

Categorised in: Competitions, Golf News