The outcome will be decided by the players on the course, but it will be influenced – significantly, if you believe the words of the last two victorious captains – by the data wars being waged behind the scenes.
One of the big questions/problems facing US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker this week is what to do with Bryson DeChambeau. That pertains to every single facet, but specifically, for our purposes, we’re referring to partnerships.
By Sunday evening at Ryder Cups, as champagne is being sprayed all over the place, no one remembers what happened on the Friday morning. That’s the beauty of the Ryder Cup. The team is what matters.
In naming Sergio Garcia, Shane Lowry and Ian Poulter, the European Ryder Cup captain has added a total of 15 past appearances in the biennial contest, even with Lowry, a rookie, in that mix.
Steve Stricker, who helms this year’s US team, said the entire American team will meet for practice rounds at Whistling Straits prior to Ryder Cup week, something he believes will be a first for the red, white and blue.
Stricker acknowledged that the uncertainty over Reed’s health and the resulting lack of tournament play became too much of a liability to pick him for the American team.
Depending on who you talk to, the course is either a disaster waiting to happen or just another in a long line of so-so Old World venues for the biennial contest between Europe and the United States.
Australian Golf Digest
