Hunter Mahan, left, and John Wooden throughout the 2014 Ryder Cup.
Getty Photographs
Possibly it’s the house discipline. Paul Azinger thinks so.
Or perhaps it’s the house crowd. Or the strain. Jim Gallagher Jr. thinks so.
Or fairly presumably it’s all the above. After which some.
“I don’t suppose there’s a true clarification for it,” Azinger stated.
Talking throughout a convention name to preview NBC’s protection of the Ryder Cup, the previous pros-turned-analysts had been attempting to dissect why the U.S. Cup staff hasn’t received on European turf since 1993. In fact, there are in all probability extra causes behind it as there are years within the drought itself, and the People will get one other crack at it beginning Thursday in Italy.
Then John Wooden had a thought. He’s caddied in a number of Cups.
One thing concrete has additionally stood out.
“That is in all probability not going to be the most well-liked opinion on the earth,” he began.
Oh?
“However in my expertise, the Europeans outwork us on the placing greens throughout the observe rounds. They play extraordinarily slowly. We’ve been behind them. We performed behind them earlier than. It’s simply extraordinarily gradual.
“For those who watch them, it’s a really, very disciplined method. They work gap areas along with their companions throughout the observe rounds. The 2 caddies, the 2 gamers, they’ll all work it collectively. As soon as they get into the event, they’ve received all these putts learn. We’re sitting there stunned they make the whole lot.
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“I feel there’s one thing to do with their preparation. I simply suppose it goes deeper. I feel they’ve a routine that’s higher for determining putts. Whenever you watch the Ryder Cup typically, the People, once they name their associate in or a associate’s caddie in, it seems to be slightly awkward at occasions. It’s not very succinct, streamlined. They don’t learn putts with someone all 12 months lengthy and abruptly they’re doing it.
“I feel the Europeans, I don’t know what it’s, I’m not saying I do know precisely what the factor is, however I feel they’ve a greater manner to determine putt. I additionally suppose they’ve a concept on the greens, even across the inexperienced. Everybody, to a person, I feel tells one another the subsequent one doesn’t matter. I don’t care; it’s going to matter in all probability. I feel they go into these putts and people chips considering the subsequent one doesn’t matter. For those who depart your associate with a tricky one, so be it.
“You watch guys like Colin Montgomerie, Sergio [Garcia], guys through the years who’ve been good putters, however in Ryder Cups they develop into nice putters.
“These are simply one thing that I considered for some time. I don’t know if it’s proper, simply my opinion, a concept that I am going with.”
What did Gallagher suppose?
“I’d must agree with that, too,” he stated on the convention name. “I feel in addition they took the underdog position, whether or not they had been or not. In match play if — the one factor that basically issues in the whole lot is that you just consider you may beat the opposite individual or the opposite staff. As quickly as that different staff thinks which you can beat them or they will beat you, that helps.
“I feel they’ve taken that to coronary heart, too. They’ve satisfied themselves that they’re nearly as good. It’s like Zinger stated, they’re taking part in nice. I feel their groups through the years have actually modified. World golf, you take a look at the way in which the sport has modified. These guys have ready simply as a lot because the People. I feel either side need it equally as a lot. I feel it comes all the way down to they’ve taken slightly bit completely different method.
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“I’ve by no means thought of that with preparation with placing. Possibly that’s it. It will get down to creating the putt on the proper time, and so they’ve been ready to try this over there.”
As a minimum, the concept is value watching subsequent week.
In spite of everything, take into account what Azinger believes is the margin within the occasion.
“However I at all times seemed on the Ryder Cup, in my era, my period, as being razor skinny,” he stated on the convention name. “I might examine it to being in Vegas. There’s solely a one p.c benefit in blackjack, however they’re constructing some fairly good lodges on it.
“A one p.c edge, you may give Europe that one p.c edge, you may give them a one and a half p.c benefit earlier than we tee it up for a mess of causes.”
