Every two years, the golfing world comes together for something truly special: The Ryder Cup
Considered one of the most, if not the most, prestigious event in golf, The Ryder Cup remains golf's flagship event that transcends tours, an event so grand it can only be played every two years. To be apart of it, in any way, is career defining.
As we head into another edition of the Ryder Cup this week, we take a look at what makes this event so special and revered by the golfing world.
WHAT IS THE RYDER CUP?
For those who do not know, the Ryder Cup is team golf at its finest, the ultimate battle between US and European golfers.
Prior to the event, a captain is chosen for both the US and European teams, typically a previous Ryder Cup member, by former Ryder Cup captains. The 12-player team rosters are then partially filled by player performance, the exact criteria varying between the two teams. After this, to fill up the remaining roster spots, captains make special picks for players they want on their team who did not meet the qualifying criteria. Vice captains are also picked by captains, whose role is to aid the captain in decision-making and partner pairing throughout the event.
The Ryder Cup is played over a three day period and is a match play event. It features three golfing formats: foursomes, where teammates alternate shots between them, fourballs, where the best score is taken between teammates and singles, where players are matched up one-to-one.
The goal is the same across all formats: win the match and you win a point for your team, half the match and you receive half a point for your team. The team with the most points at the end of all the matches wins.
UNITY IN A SPORT OF SOLIDARITY
Professional golf is an individual sport, where success is determined by one's skill and ability to overcome obstacles, both physically and mentally.
The Ryder Cup takes this to another level. Not only must a player deal with their own internal pressure to succeed, they must succeed with the weight of their team and country/continent on their shoulders.
This is where the team aspect comes into play. The stakes are so high, the challenges so tough. Having a solid team, one filled with positive chemistry and genuine camaraderie is crucial to winning; teammates are all in it together and must succeed together, both on and off the course. A strong support system and genuine belief in one another builds confidence, and with that, golfing ability. It's this camaraderie that blossoms between teammates that, in part, makes the Ryder Cup so fun to watch. Whether it was Ballesteros/Olazabal, Fleetwood/Molinari or Spieth/Reed, fans love to see partnerships develop and succeed.
With unity comes passion. It is passion that leads to a desire to win, a desire to succeed for your team. The posterboy for Ryder Cup passion as of recently is Ian Poulter, who for some inexplicable reason always seems to play well during Ryder Cups, regardless of what kind of season he had prior. Passion is present not only in the players, but the fans as well. In a sport that typically features a more subdued fanbase (although this is changing as of late), the Ryder Cup is an opportunity for fans to show their passion in a way not possible during typical tour events. It's akin to a NBA or NHL fanbase during the playoffs, players will get cheers from their fans and boos from their opponent's fans. This is why the 2020 Ryder Cup was postponed to 2021, organizers knew that the tournament would not be the same without the devout fanbase that follows the Ryder Cup.
To create unity in a Ryder Cup team is difficult. The aforementioned camaraderie and passion is something that cannot be studied or forced; it needs to develop naturally. Egos must be suppressed and players must realize that it takes a team to succeed. This is where the Europeans, in my opinion, have excelled over the Americans. The ability for European captains of the past to put together teams that just work is remarkable. It takes a special player to be able to handle the pressures of a Ryder Cup and captains must be able to spot this. This is the reason why some of the best professional golfers do not perform well in
the Ryder Cup, it's difficult for them to adjust to the pressure.
WHY DO WE WATCH?
While we may all watch the Ryder Cup for different reasons, there is something that unifies us all. I believe that we as fans watch the Ryder Cup to witness history being written, live in front of our eyes. We watch to see teams grow and succeed and watch to see the truly amazing golf that is spawned as a result of this. Anything can happen in the Ryder Cup, at any time. Momentum can swing, players can dominate, the recipe is perfect for us fans.
When someone asks me what is so special about the Ryder Cup, I ask them to look at the 2012 Ryder Cup. The Miracle at Medinah, as it was known afterwards, was the first Ryder Cup played after the death of European Ryder Cup legend Seve Ballesteros. The Europeans were down 6-10 heading into the Sunday singles, but against all odds came back, winning 9 of the 12 singles matches and halving one to finish with a score of 14.5 to 13.5. It was a display of golf unlike anything I have ever seen. The raw passion the Europeans had was on full display; they're were winning it for Seve, not for themselves.You can't write storylines like that.
So as another edition of the Ryder Cup is played this week, I encourage all golfing fans to watch the event. I can guarantee it will be like no other golfing event or sporting event you've seen. Be sure to not only watch the golf shots, but the player's emotions, the passion and intensity in each shot, the fan's reactions and enthusiasm, and everything else going on in the background.
It'll be easy then to see why this is the flagship event of professional golf,
-Nick
Toronto Golf Reviews
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