Tiger and the Ryder Cup
I’ve been giving Tiger’s so-so record in the Ryder Cup some thought. There’s no question he’s the best player on the planet, but it appears on the surface that the Ryder Cup might not interest him enough to give it his all. On the contrary I believe. The Ryder Cup is a team event by its nature. Twelve guys get together, (supposedly) bond, drink beer, share a truth stick, and generally get to know each other for 2 weeks out of every 2 years.
There’s only one problem with this scenario. Each and everyone one of the guys on the Ryder Cup team are Tiger’s opponents 98% of the time. The more he lets down his guard and allows them to peer into his preparation and mental approach, the more they’ll understand how to beat him at his own game. Given Tiger’s drive to win majors, what possible value does he get out of the Ryder Cup that’s worth allowing his opponents to look into his soul? I think this applies to Phil Mickelson to some degree as well. He literally doesn’t even practice with the team on the same course! It’s not that he’s not friendly, he’d just rather not share his prep time with anyone.
I don’t think it’s a coincidence that both Woods and Mickelson have begged off the initial “bonding” experience in Ireland already because of prior commitments. The less time they spend with the “guys”, the better off for them in the long run. Think about it; if you were one of Tiger’s peers (and I use that term loosely), wouldn’t it be incredibly enlightening to just hang with the man for a couple of weeks and do nothing but watch how he prepares? You can’t put a price tag on that experience.
Tiger is so singularly focused on winning that the Ryder Cup just doesn’t fit his model, and quite frankly, you can’t fault him for that. I’ve said before that I think the Ryder Cup should revert back to it’s true roots and make it a fun event with relatively little pressure. A blind draw each day would add a true element of fun and take the “us vs. them” mentality out of it. Picture Tom Lehman and Ian Woosnam taking their pairings out of a hat each day and just saying, “play on, and we’ll meet at the 19th hole at the end of the day!”. Yeah, I know I’m dreaming.
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