Page 77 - Golf World (February 2020)

have been good enough all the way and so lauded by In the modern era, we take the Ryder Cup too
people in the media. And by people everywhere. And seriously. Jack Nicklaus knew what the Ryder Cup
it’s very easy for them to believe that. So when you get should be. It’s not “hit and giggle” but it’s about
on tour and Johnny Miller says you choked, it’s like camaraderie. Jack giving that putt to Tony Jacklin in
“how dare you talk to me like that... don’t you know 1969 summed up what it was about. There had almost
who I am?” Even when you did choke. been fist fights between players earlier that week. It was
not real pretty from a fan perspective or a player
Unpredictability is important to me. I hate to be perspective. Which is why Jack stepped up. He clearly
predictable. I try to come at a player from every felt like giving that putt was what the event needed to
direction. I’ll talk about his weakness one night, then re-establish its equilibrium. Sam Snead was the US
his strength the next night. I’ll talk about his swing one captain and he was furious. That was Jack’s first Ryder
night, then his chipping the next night. I guarantee I’ve Cup and he has always said that the Ryder Cup is only
done 5,000 Tiger Woods breakdowns, but I’m always used as a measure of a player, if that player is a lesser
trying to be different. player. If you need it to fill in gaps.
“Oh, by the way, he played on five
It is only human nature to Ryder Cup teams.” That works
remember only criticism. perfectly for the Ian Poulters of
Anything I have said about players the world. Which is fine. Making
have been mostly about their games. the team is a fine accomplishment.
But I promise you, if I say 100 I certainly never did it. But if
things about any player, 90 of them you’re a great player – and this
will be positive. Because they are was Tiger’s point – your Ryder
extraordinary players. I could put Cup record doesn’t really matter.
clips together and you would think
I was sycophantic towards every But I understand why the Ryder
single star. It would Cup is so important to a lot of
take no time to do people. I once interviewed
that. But people tend Arnold Palmer. I asked him
to remember that I about the Ryder Cup and he
said someone has started crying. It was hard for
changed his swing him to talk about it without
for the worse. crying. When he was introduced
on the first tee as representing the United States of
Phil Mickelson America he got emotional.
thinks he is the I’ve never represented my country in a team event. I
smartest guy in would imagine I would be that way, too. I have
every room. He can represented my school and before the first event our
walk into a room coach was telling us about all the people who had worn
full of CEOs or the same uniform for 100 years before I did. He told us
top-level scientists or we were not only representing ourselves but the
mathematicians and University of Texas. He told us what it meant. And by
think he knows the end I would have run through a wall for him.
something more
than all of them. I’ve The problem with the Ryder Cup is that the fans have
known that about Top: gotten a bit more belligerent. The matches are red
Phil for a long time. I think anyone who knows Phil Phil Mickelson meat to the lions. And the last one in the US was
has a
knows that. “Machiavellian distasteful. In general, the Europeans seem to have fun
The problem is that, again, there is a danger when thread with it. They’re not as hateful. In the US, a minority are
running
you make as much money as Phil has made. You live in through him,” spoiling things and lowering the narrative.
an echo chamber where everyone tells you how amazing according to It’s unfortunate. I wish there was a no-tolerance policy
you are. And you are not held accountable for things Chamblee. and we could get them out of there. Think about it.

you say or things you do. You are never told that you Bottom: The Things would be very different if Augusta National
need to grow up. analyst want a ran the Ryder Cup. That’s what we need. It’s getting out
“no-tolerance
Phil’s got a little Machiavellian thread running policy” of hand.
through him. The reason there is a week off in the introduced
middle of the Fed-Ex Cup is because of Phil. The to improve We’reedgingtowardsaworldtour.But there has to be
spectator
match-play championship has a round-robin aspect behaviour some cataclysmic event to make it happen. Like the
at The
because of Phil. Rees Jones is looked upon unfavourably Ryder Cup. PGA Tour buying the European Tour. Who knows if
as an architect because of Phil. Phil didn’t like Rees’ that is the right thing to do, though. Or they could
work and said so publicly. combine and stop playing opposite one another. That
Phil goes into the media centre and nearly always has would mean a lot of politics. And egos. Bottom line is
a bit of an agenda. He knows that if he is a little bit nice I’m not sure players from the US would want to hop on
here and there he can sell that agenda. He plugs a plane and go to, say, Germany. But obviously it’s
products like no one else. already happened in the women’s game.

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