Americans turn Ryder weakness into Presidents Cup strength
MONTREAL -- Here's some friendly geographical and cultural information for those who haven't ventured to this particular part of the Great White North.
The course for this week's Presidents Cup matches is located on what's called Ile Bizard, or, translated from the French tongue, Bizard Island. To properly articulate the inflection, though, the "D" is silent.
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| A day after his famous dunking, Woody Austin helps the U.S. to a 5 and 4 rout. (Getty Images) |
Blowing open a lead that had been pared to two points entering Saturday's unpredictable alternate-shot matches, the United States easily swept all five morning foursomes to seize control at Royal Montreal Golf Club.
In a format that had been their weakest in Ryder Cup competitions, the Americans' performance this week in foursomes has been nothing short of brilliant. After winning 5½ of the six available points in foursomes Thursday, the U.S. won every match before reaching the 18th hole Saturday to open up a 12-5 overall edge.
In a format that's unfamiliar to almost everybody outside the private clubs in the U.K., the Americans took turns pummeling their counterparts with body blows. Landing alternate shots to the midsection, if you will. It's an odd format, but for whatever reason, the U.S. has dominated it.
"Why would I have an explanation?" U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus said. "I had no explanation for the first day, no explanation for the second day and nothing for this morning. It's just golf."
Whacky golf, to be precise, with players going to and fro and often going several holes without hitting a meaningful putt. But the U.S. somehow found a rhythm in the most syncopated of the three Presidents Cup formats.
International captain Gary Player stood and watched from beside the green as his final team lost Saturday morning, flummoxed as everybody else.
"You see Europe win the Ryder Cup the last what, five times, and I think our team on paper is better than the Europeans," Player said. "Now at this stage, we're being beaten by the U.S. so handily. Can you explain it to me, please?"
As the U.S. was finishing off its final victory, Zach Johnson's caddie, Damon Green, set down his bag and walked over to Nicklaus and said, "You're looking like a genius today."
Las Vegas could not possibly have set a betting line with such a lopsided result in a format that has been so frustrating and unpredictable to the American side in international competition. In Ryder Cup matches, the alternate-shot format has proved vexing at best.
"It's really hard to hit a shot when you are thinking about trying to hit it and play for somebody else," said Woody Austin, who has become a charismatic leader of the U.S. team. "It definitely has its quirks."
In the 2000 matches, the U.S. team finished with a 9-1 edge over the Internationals in the format, but in 2003, the American margin was cut to two points. Two years ago, the teams were dead even, 5½-5½.
"It's the magic pairings of the captain," Nicklaus cracked.
Phil Mickelson and Austin started the Saturday slaughter with a 5 and 4 thrashing of Retief Goosen and Stuart Appleby. Austin famously fell in the water Friday, but it was the Internationals who were drowning in an ocean of birdies a day later.
"I guess that little white ball doesn't know who's hitting it," Player said.
