The future of the Ryder/President's Cup

[Rick Shefchik]

Endings aside, I don't think international team golf can maintain the status quo much longer. Until this weekend, the President's Cup was hanging by a thread; only Nicklaus's presence as captain persuaded the top-tier U.S. players to attend.

Yet the competition was tremendous, and the event took a huge leap forward in public interest and acceptance. When you consider that 17 of the top 20 players in the world were present in South Africa, that's a compelling argument to find some way to keep the President's Cup -- or the essence of it, anyway -- alive. Yet we all know the U.S. pros are not going to want to play international team golf every fall. You could argue that it would be just as much fun to watch U.S. pros who are willing to show up, even if Tiger and Phil and Davis do not, but that ignores the real drama of seeing Woods vs. Singh or Els in a match for pride rather than money. Estes vs. Els just doesn't have the same feel.

So what to do? Jack Nicklaus seems to be in the drivers seat when it comes to these things, so it's time for him to find a way to merge the President's Cup and the Ryder Cup. I would suggest abandoning the U.S. team in favor of a Western Hemisphere team that playes an Eastern Hemisphere team every other year. The Euros will squawk, but most of their stars are now playing in the UBS Cup. This way, we get Weir and the next stars to emerge from South America, while they get Sergio and the next stars to emerge from Europe.

It would also put the kibosh on the overt "USA! USA!" crap that has hurt recent Ryder Cups, without diminishing our ability to identify with our Western team, if we so choose. The Internationals certainly didn't need nationalism to hold their interest in the President's Cup, just as the Euros have banded together beautifully in the Ryder Cup. Neither of those groups of players should lose the opportunity to play international golf in the spotlight, but if Nicklaus (or somebody) doesn't do something about the status quo, somebody's going to be squeezed out.

[John_Conley]

Rick:

The PGA Tour is chronically frustrated that they don't have anything to do with golf's 5 biggest events - Masters, US Open, British Open, PGA, and Ryder Cup.

I know'd they'd LIKE to merge the Prez Cup into the Ryder, but what incentive does the PGA of America have to see that happen?

Just curious.

A good idea, but can it be executed?  Also, the sad reality is that participation for events like this will be highest if they are held in Orlando or Jacksonville.  Australia and South Africa are inconvenient for the contestants, like it or not.

[Rick Shefchik]

John --

Nicklaus is the necessary embassador, but Tiger is the incentive. If he skips one of these team competitions, and announces his intention to only play once every two years -- and I'd have to say that's a definite possibility -- that's all the incentive the PGA of America needs. When one event falls apart, and the other is looking threadbare compared to the one that failed, that's when the ball will move.

[david h. carroll]

oh, and make sure that whenever it's contested on US soil that it's held at that modern day classic, RTJ

[George Pazin]

I feel bad for any golfer who's too "busy" to play in one international team competition a year. Life is indeed becoming too tough for such people.

The NBA changed its slogan from "Fantastic" to "I love this game." Perhaps the Tour can switch from "These guys are good" to "These guys are lazy."

Don't like gettin' old and cynical, but, good lord, one week of international travel is that much of a hardship? Heck, half of these competitions are played in the US.

[rgkeller]

One event every four years. Sixteen on a team, including two women and two over fifty.

Six days of play with two rounds of singles including the last day.

Huge purse to winners, nothing to losers.

And like real life, the USA versus the world.

[CHrisB]

Well, no one is about to skip the Ryder Cup, so we probably don't have to worry about that event.

One way to buy some time for the President's Cup is to hold it somewhere in Canada for the 2007 matches (they'd probably have to move it up to September like the Ryder Cup). That way, Tiger et al. would likely not skip the matches in 2005, 2007, or 2009, and so you wouldn't have to worry about it again until the 2011 matches, when it might be taken to a place like Japan or NZ or back to Australia (or maybe to Fiji if Vijay wins about 10 more majors... ). By then the President's Cup Matches will have been played 9 times, and they could make a big deal out of the 10th, etc., etc.

That would mean overseas travel for only the Ryder Cup in 2006 and 2010 before the President's Cup in 2011, and not again until the Ryder Cup in 2014. Three times over the next 10 years--that's not really too excessive...

Of course, Mike Weir (and other emerging young Canadians) had better keep playing well to make this plan work!

[rgkeller]

I expect several US pros would skip the Ryder Cup. They are just waiting/looking for an excuse to avoid being crucified by the media.

[Rick Shefchik]

Oh, come on, rgkeller, we should at least get Canada. Despite what they say about us, if push came to shove, they'd rather be with us then ROTW.

But I love your idea of adding women to the international teams. Why not? They'd play each other in singles, obviously, but it would be very interesting to see them play mixed team golf with the men. It might even motivate Phil to play better.

[rgkeller]

Canada is run by Frenchmen living abroad.

They belong with Europe.

[Chris Kane]

ChrisB,
In that case, why not hold every President's Cup in America, just like the "World" Golf Championship tournaments?  

Then there's no need to bother with noble ambitions like growing the game. These lazy American pros will only have to travel overseas once per year - the British Open.  What could be a better scenario than that?  

[cary lichtenstein]

This is an interesting thread. I just attended the Presidents Cup in South Africa, and I can tell you what a giant pain in the ass it is to travel there and back. I agree that at some point, the pros are going to get together and refuse to play, probably when Jack steps down.

I would be much in favor of just reformatting the Ryder Cup to include the world, add a giant purse for the winers only, maybe let the participants put up 100,000 each of their own money, do it over 4 days, and have it in the US and Europe, following the British Open.

[tonyt]

The first player to skip a Ryder Cup would not get torn to shreds by the media.

The crucifiction would have been completed in the locker room, long before the media could get to him.

I agree with Chris. There is more than one nation on this planet, although every now and then, an American will try and convince us otherwise.

[rgkeller]

ChrisB,
In that case, why not hold every President's Cup in America, just like the "World" Golf Championship tournaments?  

Then there's no need to bother with noble ambitions like growing the game. These lazy American pros will only have to travel overseas once per year - the British Open.  What could be a better scenario than that?  

If these events were done purely for promoting good fellowship, the game of golf and better international relations then the tournaments could be held anywhere. But since they really are about money, the sponsors need the the US TV money and the US corportations tent money so most will be held in or near the US.

[David_Tepper]

Gary Van Sickle wrote a good column on this a few months ago:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2003/writers/gary_van_sickle/09/01/underground_golfer/index.html

[Steve Lang]

 

Why not have it in our 50th state?  Bet everyone would come then..
 

[stovepipe]

Lets just see what the powers that be say, if its what im thinking the sh*t going to hit the fan big time!

[CHrisB]

Mmm hmm...this should buy some time for the President's Cup until 2011...

From Golfweek:
The Presidents Cup returns to the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia in 2005, and all signs point to Canada for the next international stop.

The tour is close to announcing Royal Montreal as the 2007 site, although there are a few loose ends to tie.

Another issue is the Canadian Open, which traditionally is played in early September. That would be about two weeks before the Presidents Cup.

“We have to take the Open into the consideration,” PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem said. “When it’s played is a matter of discussion.”

Where the Canadian Open is played could be another factor.

One reason for the Presidents Cup going to Royal Montreal is that the ’07 Canadian Open is scheduled for Angus Glen in the Toronto area.

After that? The tour still wants to take the Presidents Cup to the West Coast so it can be on prime-time television.

[George Blunt]

Wow, I wish I had a job where I worked 26 weeks a year and got a paid vacation to play a little mano a mano for a week.

To not participate due to the "hassles" of international travel is obviously a personal decision, but those who chose not to participate would be the losers.

(Remember that these guys are not flying in the back of the plane, and often they are in their own plane.)

I think some of the tour veterans forget the benefit to their own game when they play under such intense pressure.  Davis Love and Brad Faxon come to mind as players who revelled and improved under the Ryder Cup format.  

After watching the PC, there is no doubt in my mind that both teams were playing to win, and all the participants will draw on those experiences next time they feel the heat coming down the stretch at a major.

If any xenophobic players decide they don't need that to harden their game, so be it.

George

[Jonathan Cummings]

The merged Cup is a great idea.  Have the Merged Cup schedule follow the Ryder Cup schedule (every two years).  The Ryder Cup format would be followed.  BUT, instead of two teams the Cup would be contested by THREE teams - US, BI, ROW.  Each of the three teams would host the tournament site every 6th year.

JC