Left field
The Reuters global sports blog
Presidents Cup offers great golf, but not much of a competition
If the “group hug” that is the Presidents Cup ever hopes to be taken seriously as an important sporting competition it needs to develop a sharper edge.
The Presidents Cup lost more than a little bit of respect as a legitimate athletic event on Saturday when smiling International captain Greg Norman raced on to the green to embrace not one of his own men but American Steve Stricker, who had just drained a 26-foot birdie putt to put a stake through his team’s heart (click here for our report).
Welcome to the Presidents Cup, the friendly and fun competition where the biggest bit of controversy at a chilly and subdued Harding Park was the sight of U.S. team special assistant and cigar-chomping basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan lighting it up on the no-smoking municipal golf course.
The only hint of an argument the entire week was over who could lavish more praise on the other team. “You’re the greatest. No, no, you’re the greatest and your wives are the greatest too,” was as ugly as the trash talking got around the Harding Park clubhouse.
The Presidents Cup need not turn into a blood bath but simply a hint of bad blood just might inject some badly needed spice.
This was the third straight Cup in which the Internationals have been spanked by the Americans, accepting the outcome with smiles and masochistic delight while promising to do better next time.
The event attracted sell-out crowds all four days but more tension was to be found during highly competitive practice rounds or even, so it’s said, the table tennis games in the off-limits team room.
Phil Mickelson reportedly came equipped with his own custom-made paddles.
How slow was the golf? So slow Jordan received more television time and did more interviews than U.S. captain Fred Couples.
It was never made clear what exactly Jordan’s role was with the U.S. team but he got to dress the part in team uniform, scooted around in golf court and hang out with the boys while offering his insight.
Disgraced Major League home run king Barry Bonds was not given a special assistant title or a nice uniform but he did get a pass that allowed him to tag along with the team inside the ropes at Harding Park, along with the players’ wives.
Apparently the wives also perform a role at the President Cup since they too have uniforms and dress alike — just like a real team.
But if you if took the Presidents Cup for what it is — an exhibition of exceptional golf — then there was plenty of fine shot-making and creativity to be seen at Harding Park.
If the patriotic pride seemed contrived, there was no mistaking that players on both sides wanted to show what magic they could achieve with a club in their hands.
Part of the problem with the Presidents Cup is that the Americans can wave their flag while the Internationals are a team without a home — although most have an American address.
That sense of camaraderie and purpose is lost in a mix of language and cultures.
But that has not kept the Ryder Cup between the U.S. and Europe from developing the type of riveting rivalry that places that event among the most compelling in sport.
PHOTO: International team captain Greg Norman (L) of Australia talks with U.S. team member Tiger Woods after the U.S. won the Presidents Cup golf tournament at Harding Park golf course in San Francisco, California, October 11, 2009. REUTERS/Matt Sullivan
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could someone please put up a video of the shot tiger hit with a 3 iron to around 8 feet.. it was one of the highlight shots I feel for the president cup and he did it while under great stress 2!!!!
I know it`s not the Ryder Cup but I still enjoyed the excellent golf and the competition!
I thought it was shameful that MJ was allowed to cavort around just to be the lime light leech he is, must need to be in the spot light to add to his commercial worth so wormed his way in, and took advantage of some with his gambling, cheating some out of money, it should never be allowed again, no mascots needed, just turned it into a complete circus
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I am glad to see another share similar sentiments regarding the “group hug that is the Presidents Cup.” In recent years, the event seems more like a friendly exhibition then a competitive match. The absence of “bad blood” and animosity between teams is personally disconcerting. I yearn to see patriotic and nationalistic sentiments make the Presidents Cup fiercely contested. Instead the players compete with a certain type of amiable apathy. What causes this complacency? I completely agree with your assertion that “part of the problem with the Presidents Cup is that the Americans can wave their flag while the Internationals are a team without a home — although most have an American address…That sense of camaraderie and purpose is lost in a mix of language and cultures.” Before the match commences, the United States already has a significant advantage because they can rally behind the American flag. On the other hand, the International team is comprised of a multitude of countries including Korea, Australia and Argentina. Their diversity is likely detrimental to team unity. Communication problems are surely abundant when some players struggle to speak English. For example, International team members Y.E. Yang, Ryo Ishikawa and Angel Cabrera all primarily speak another language. The inability to adequately communicate constrains the International team’s capability to formulate strategy and motivate each other. How can an event with ample potential like the Presidents Cup be remedied? I accede that the matches must first become more closely contested. It is an understatement to say that the United States has dominated the Presidents Cup. The International’s sole victory occurred in 1997 at Australia’s Royal Melbourne golf club. In order to attain some competitiveness the International team must stop “accepting the outcome with smiles and masochistic delight while promising to do better next time.”
However, we must realize that the Presidents Cup is still young and we should give it time to mature. The Ryder Cup, for instance, was initially dominated by the United States. It did not become competitive until 1979, some fifty years after its inception. Further, International players are certainly becoming more skilled and abundant. According to the Official World Golf Rankings, twelve of the top twenty-five players are non-Americans. This is clearly promising for the future of this event. Currently the “Presidents Cup is all hugs and hot chocolate,” but it certainly could grow into something much more.