By ED TRAVIS
Ok, so now it’s been a couple days since the U.S. Ryder Cup team was beaten at Bethpage Black and looking at it realistically the loss in large part was due to the PGA of America’s mishandling of our team…again.
Several factors come to mind, not the least of which is the juvenile behavior by adult fans harassing Euro players, their wives and girlfriends.
That’s got to be fixed and don’t dismiss it by saying well, New Yorkers are like that. Phooey, their mothers never allowed them to act that way and if the overserved members of the crowd are the problem restricting alcohol sales would work as it has at other events. In addition, a more aggressive policy of escorting abusive patrons off site and not allowing them to return would require more security but Augusta National seems to have a formula that works, and the Ryder Cup should as well.
While I’m on my soapbox of Ryder Cup negatives the NBC-TV coverage was rightly slammed by everyone including those who know little or nothing about golf. Too many commercials and too many missed shots forced some viewers to tune in to Andy Griffth reruns on Friday and Saturday. Sunday of course was a different story, even a compelling one, but having such a huge lead Europe only had to show up to win.
Also don’t forget the $750 per day ticket prices and $20 drinks. Would you have happy paying $1500 to see the action on the first two days? I thought not and it’s a shame the excitement for Americans was only on Sunday when our guys tried to redeem themselves with 8 ½ points, but it was too little too late.
The PGA of America owns the Ryder Cup and will generate over $200 million for the 2025 meeting with this money financing a large portion of their activities each year.
Finally, our team being paid is a sign of the overall malaise of our Ryder Cup effort. It is ludicrous the best players in the world, i.e., Americans on the PGA Tour, should argue they have a right to share the PGA’s Ryder Cup revenue.
The lobbying to be paid betrays an American attitude that is in sharp contrast with their opponents from across the pond. None of the 12 on our squad needs the stipend of $500,000 and most, if not all of it, will be donated to charity. However, it does say volumes about the PGA’s mindset they went along with such a bad idea.
The team differences were further highlighted in the opening ceremony comments by the team captains.
American Keegan Bradley spoke mostly about what the Cup and being captain meant to him personally while Luke Donald of the Euros talked about his team. The Euro pregame strategy again successfully played on the idea of being the underdogs until it was as much a part of the team fabric as the rather unspectacular choice in shirts. Not especially pretty nor dramatic but it got the job done.
Not to be overlooked another fact is the amount of time Euro team players spend in the U.S. All have at least parttime homes here and certainly play here much more often than U.S. players venture to Europe so when the Ryder Cup is in the states the Europeans are not only cast as the underdogs but have a vast amount of experience on our courses including the typical setups and types of grass. In the Ryder Cup that knowledge can be a huge advantage.
That Keegan Bradley was our captain is not the problem. It is the PGA of America and their lack of long-term planning indeed having any 365 days per year, multi-year plan to win the Ryder Cup. We have come up short in nine of the 12 Cups played in this century and that is not a who-is-the-captain problem nor even a “greedy” player problem but an organizational problem.
PGA professionals have spoken for some time about the “culture at the top” missing out on major issues and that certainly applies to every aspect of the 28,000-member organization’s running of the Ryder Cup. The fans and our team deserve that the PGA of America does a better job.
