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Ryder Cup 2021 : une défaite sur le sol américain | |
Une analyse qui met en évidence causes et responsabilités d’une défaite sur le sol américain qui pèsera sur l’avenir du golf européen.Faire la place aux jeunes, à moins de s’appeler Mickelson, n’est pas un cri qu’on entend exclusivement dans le sport Let the second-guessing begin, writes Morning Read's Alex Miceli, who offers suggestions for how the European Team can get well before Rome in 2023. What's Next for the European Ryder Cup Team After the Rout at Whistling Straits Though the United States' winning 19-9 outcome was not final until Sunday evening at Whistling Straits, questioning of the Europeans legitimately could’ve started when they fell behind 6-2 on Friday. The Europeans simply had no answer for the Americans' youth and talent. Friday morphed into Saturday and the Europeans continued to fail their Ryder Cup test, falling behind 11-5. The second-guessing by European fans and media was full blown, especially after three years of giddy anticipation for this Ryder Cup. Sunday’s singles were worse than anticlimatic , they were inconsequential. After the 2012 Ryder Cup, when the U.S. blew a four-point lead after Saturday’s matches and lost 14 ½ to 13 ½ at Medinah Country Club on the outskirts of Chicago, the team and PGA of America were in denial. Eventually then-PGA president Ted Bishop had an idea: let’s put an adult in the room, someone that will have the reverence of the players, but will provide the needed discipline. Tom Watson was the choice and over the next 18 or so months, it was clear the decision was fraught with problems. None of those, though, really manifested themselves until the Americans arrived in Scotland for the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. Only then did it become evident that the U.S. seemed wholly unprepared for the venue and that the team never warmed up to Watson. The USA ultimately lost, 16 ½ to 11 ½, and American Phil Mickelson excoriated Watson in front of the media immediately following the loss. The results of Gleneagles produced a task force, a USA concoction that brought American players together to take better control of their fortunes. Since then, the Americans have won two of three — 17-11 at Hazeltine in 2016 and 19-9 this year. In 2018 the Americans struggled in a 17 ½-10 ½ loss at Le Golf National. Here are a few suggestions: USA Captain Jim Furyk could never get his players over to see the golf course before the week of the Ryder Cup. Steve Stricker asked all his players to make the trip to Whistling Straits a week before the Ryder Cup. All did, except for injured Brooks Koepka. The 11 others came for two days and clearly accomplished a lot. 2. They needed more captain's picks Harrington said that he was offered more picks, but decided against them. Stricker had six picks. While Stricker's weren’t necessarily imaginative selections, he did pick Scottie Scheffler to pair with Bryson DeChambeau, and that turned out to be an inspired selection. The duo won 1 ½ points in team play and Scheffler took down Europe’s top point-getter in Jon Rahm in singles, 4 and 3. If Harrington would have decided to take four, five or six picks, he would have not had a 48-year-old Lee Westwood. Harrington could have instead picked a younger player, who could have contributed or at least gained critical Ryder Cup experience for the future. Harrington could have gone with players such as left-hander Robert MacIntyre, Danish brothers Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, England’s Laurie Canter or Italian Guido Migliozzi. 3. They should have brought a younger team 4. Paddy should have made different pairings After their solid play in the Friday morning foursomes victory, Garcia and Rahm should have been paired together in Friday fourball and they weren’t. 5. They should use a new points system In the end, they didn’t have the firepower the Americans' possessed. The U.S. average world ranking was 9, while the Euros' average was around 30. It will be a tall order. |
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© Giulio Tadiotto 2021 | |