European dominance continues

It’s the closest golf gets to The Hunger Games. It provides the most exciting format in the game and mixes that with a type of tension not found elsewhere. Experienced major winners will confirm that nothing else in golf comes close – including coming down the stretch on a major Sunday afternoon. It’s called The Ryder Cup, and it belongs to Team Europe – again.
Europe won with its biggest margin in 8 years; 16.5 to 11.5. The expected victory was completed with four games to spare on a Sunday afternoon that, due to European dominance, lacked the intensity and excitement of the come-from-behind “Miracle at Medinah” of two years ago. On that occasion, the last day’s singles matches started with USA leading Europe 10 – 6. As fate would have it, that was also the score leading into the last day at this year’s contest at Gleneagles. But that is where similarities stop.
To win the Ryder Cup a team needs many things to go right, including its top players performing at or near their best. The top Europeans did this, their American counterparts did not. Taking every game into consideration, the Europeans were 110 under par, the Americans 78. So yes, the Europeans clearly outplayed their opponents and in doing so made this their 8th win in the last 10 matches – that is dominance.
Many players had good to great performances, none more so that Justin Rose whose 4-point return from five games (3-0-1) cemented him as Europe’s Talisman. But still he was not the stand-out figure, the one person whose influence over Team Europe was the single biggest reason they won. That honour belongs to Irishman and Captain Paul McGinley.
In a masterly display of management, McGinley completely out-thought, out-planned, out-selected and out-played his more illustrious counterpart and 8-time major winner Tom Watson.
To some this became evident early in the two-year cycle, when differences in the respective captain’s approaches were seen. Such differences start with the appointment process adopted by either side. The European Captain is selected by the European Tournament Committee – made up of European Tour players and currently chaired by Thomas Bjorn. The American Captain is appointed by the CEO of the PGA of America. In short, one team has its players pick their captain, whilst the other uses its most senior administrator.
American captains have been people whose reputations have been based mainly on their golfing record – a factor that is irrelevant to the requirements of modern-day management, as exemplified by Tom Watson. The standout exception of recent times was Paul Azinger – a manager who used contemporary management methods when appointed captain of Team USA in the 2008 contest – the last time they won.
Right from when he was first appointed, McGinley made it clear he would leave no stone unturned in his preparation. Using valuable experience gained as a vice-captain, in the previous two Ryder Cups, the meticulous McGinley’s thoroughness manifested itself in players relating how he had kept in constant touch in the months leading up to selection. Ask any European player to assess their captain’s performance, and they will be effusive in their praise. The American players, when asked the same question, would refer to Watson’s significant golfing achievements. Unfortunately for Watson and Team USA, those golfing achievements mean nothing when it comes to managing a Ryder Cup Team.
Whether it is in preparation, selection of wild cards, match selections, singles playing order or the appointment of vice-captains, Watson’s performance has been found wanting. McGinley’s, on the other hand, has been inspired, outstanding.
Take the last mentioned category; vice-captains. Watson hired those mainly in his own mould. Andy North’s only previous Ryder Cup experience was as a player in 1985. Raymond Floyd, at 72, is as remote to modern-day players as he was to his peers. Steve Stricker was the only one with first-hand knowledge of some of the current team.
Contrast this with Team Europe’s back-room squad; Padraig Harrington, Miguel Ángel Jiménez, José María Olazábal, Des Smyth and Sam Torrance. The difference in contemporary Ryder Cup experience, especially management and leadership, couldn’t be more marked.
The now infamous fallout between Watson and USA Team leader Phil Mickelson has been aired extensively. The lack of team harmony became crystal clear at the closing press conference where Mickelson openly criticised team methods, lack of player input and an effective game plan.
These days it takes a great deal more than having good players to win a Ryder Cup. It takes effective captaincy and that means professional management, efficient leadership and the ability to inspire. In this regard Tom Watson was found to be out of his depth. McGinley, however, was very much in his element, and it showed.
This year’s MVP: Paul McGinley.
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