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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