Monday, October 1, 2012

The Meltdown at Medinah


Let me give you a scenario.

You are the American Ryder Cup captain.  It is Saturday night, end of day 2.  You lead the European team 10-6 and Tiger Woods and his playing partner Steve Stricker have gone 0-3.  Most of you would probably think I'm crazy and say it's impossible.

For Davis Love III this was a reality.

Entering Sunday leading by 4 the majority of American sports fans and analysts, myself included, thought the US had all but won the Ryder Cup.  Only one time in the history of the Ryder Cup has a side came back from a 4-point deficit.


Maybe the American side should have seen this coming.  European captain Jose Maria Olazabal was playing for the Euros when the American side erased a 4-point deficit in the 1999 Ryder Cup.  Even more significant, it was Olazabal who had to watch his opponent, Justin Leonard, sink a 45-foot putt on the 17th hole putting the Americans on the edge of victory.  Olazabal was then forced to wait through a premature celebration by the US team, refocus, and try to sink a putt to halve the hole.  As we know, he missed the putt, securing victory for the US.

Saturday night you know that the European team was reminded of the 1999 cup.  They knew it could be done.  Olazabal prepared his team to make a comeback for the ages, and come back they did.  

Now the blame game will be played and analysts will argue about what went wrong.  As captain, Davis Love III will face the brunt of the criticism targeting his poor captain's picks too his decision to sit Keegan Bradley and Phil Mickelson in the Saturday afternoon matches.  But there is one thing that should not be overlooked.  What were the American boys up against?  No, I'm not talking about Rory McIlroy, Luke Donald or Lee Westwood, all who have been ranked #1 post-Tiger.  I'm talking about the heart and soul of the European team, Ian Poulter.

My one lasting image from the 2012 Ryder Cup will not be Jim Furyk's look of disgust as he missed his putt on 18, but rather, it will be the face of Ian Poulter after sinking his putt on 18 to close Saturday's action.  Poulter lives for the Ryder Cup.  He has gone 8-3-0 in his 3 Ryder Cups and in 2012 embodied the European spirit.  He was the 'X-Factor' pulling the Euros from the jaws of defeat.  When trying to find an American equivalent nobody comes close.  Sure Keegan Bradley was fired up and played some of the best golf this weekend, but he is only a rookie.  He had no prior experience of losing the cup.  Poulter did.

Ian Poulter's passion and perseverance carried the Europeans into the winner’s circle.  He has never been ranked #1, never won a major and has only 6 top 10 finishes in majors.  But this weekend, none of that mattered.  For Poulter, the Ryder Cup is bigger than a major or a top 10 finish.  The Ryder Cup gave him an opportunity to represent his country on the highest level and he didn't disappoint.

The Sunday evening celebration was marked with chants of "Ole, ole, ole!" and the waving of European flags.  However, it could have been celebrated with chants of "USA, USA, USA" and the joyous return of the cup to America. 

The 2012 American Ryder Cup Team had its fair share of 'Bubba Golf' and 'Woods' Woes'.  

If only Team USA had one Ian Poulter...


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