It is an indicator of how perceptions around the United States’ Ryder Cup team have altered that the disarray surrounding their last appearance in Europe has been forgotten. Team USA exited Gleneagles with withering criticism of Tom Watson, the captain, by Phil Mickelson reverberating in their ears.
Cue the establishment of a task force, the arrival of a batch of exciting young players and the sense that one of the finest teams in history will take on Europe at Le Golf National.
Among those consumed by the narrative are bookmakers: the US are odds-on to retain the Ryder Cup, despite the fact they have not won on European soil for 25 years. “The Americans have a great team,” says Thomas Bjørn, Europe’s captain. “But they always have a great team.”
Nothing implemented by the US team approaches the realms of rocket science. That so many of their players have relationships stretching back to college days is pertinent. Yet table tennis matches and high fives do not win Ryder Cups. Nick Faldo and Colin Montgomerie would not win popularity contests, but they knew how to contribute to European success.
The Europeans continue to play an underdog card that may not be entirely legitimate. Questions should surround the Ryder Cup reliability of several American players; Jordan Spieth, Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Webb Simpson fall into that category. Although not thought to be serious, Rickie Fowler and Justin Thomas have been troubled by recent injuries. While the return of Tiger Woods has been stunning, he and Mickelson have endured a hectic run to the final event of the FedEx Cup play-offs, which will naturally sap energy at this stage of their respective careers.
Bjørn’s cause for optimism is greater than many are keen to suggest. Justin Rose reached the summit of the world rankings before taking part in this weekend’s Tour Championship. At the same event, Rory McIlroy displayed further evidence that he may be approaching peak form. Tommy Fleetwood is perfectly at home among the world’s finest players, an assessment that is equally true for Jon Rahm.
Faldo concurs with those who believed the US team “looked amazing” after the latest of what has become typical Presidents Cup success last year. “But then things changed,” said the six-times major winner. “Europe’s got some names maybe that people still don’t know very well, but guys that can putt. The Ryder Cup, as we know, is having the mettle to hole the putt time after time. Tee to green, they are pretty evenly matched, but it’s who has got the nerve to hole the putt.
“We have some new faces on the team. Alex Norén can putt and Tommy Fleetwood; some strengths there. Ian Poulter is back on the team and we know all about Rose, now top of the world, his great partnership in the past with Henrik Stenson. We put eight players out for the first four matches and to me, on paper, any match can go any way.
“It does come down to great playing, simply, or it’s a little bit of the elements outside the ropes, the course. The weather could be different. I’m looking a year ago, and it’s low 60s in France, might get a bit of rain and that sort of thing. It’s autumn in Europe and so that would be different, especially if you’re coming from America, boiling hot, still hot in Atlanta. We’ve got plenty of players on the European team in Atlanta as well. It’s six of one and half a dozen of the other. Bottom line, the strength on both sides is fantastic.”
Bjørn agrees, to the point where he senses expectancy or pressure linked to the captaincy has been offset by the general level of excitement attached to these teams facing each other. When they do, history tells us home advantage is significant.
“They [the Europeans] know this course extremely well,” said Jim Furyk, the US captain. “They have played the French Open there for 25 years. They love it. It’s a great course, massive greens, a lot of unique pin placements.
“Our big work is getting ready for that course and we’ll have a very short period of time in person to do that when we are there in France.”
Furyk is intelligent enough to realise the perils associated with strong favouritism. Here cometh the US moment of truth.
