One of the best events in sports is happening this weekend, but I'd be surprised if many of you know about it because I'm not talking about a marquee college football matchup or the Yankees-Red Sox series. Instead, I'm talking about the Ryder Cup.
The Ryder Cup is a match between the best golfers in Europe and the United States, held over three days every other September. The location alternates between Europe and the U.S., with this year's being played at Oakland Hills in Michigan.
I recognize that I'm talking about golf, which is extremely boring to watch (even for me, despite being an avid golfer). But this is different. Even I have trouble watching the majors at times, but the Ryder Cup is magical.
After seeing these stoic golfers stay emotionless for the entire year, the Ryder Cup gives way to camaraderie, emotion, passion and pride. It offers three things rarely seen in the golfing world: team play, match play and patriotism.
For those of you who don't know about the Cup (and somehow are still reading), here's a brief synopsis:
On each team, 10 players earn automatic spots based on their performance over the last two years, with two captain's choices completing the squad. On Friday and Saturday, two-man teams selected by the captain square off in match-play format, playing both best ball and alternate shot, with four matches played in each of the twice-daily sessions. Sunday, all 12 players play singles matches to decide the Cup. One point is awarded in each of the 28 matches, with a tie meaning the teams each earn half a point. A 14-14 tie for the event means the previous winner, in this case Europe, retains the Cup.
The weird thing about the Ryder Cup is that on paper, the United States should always win. Ten of the U.S.'s 12 players rank in the top 23 in the world. Only four of Europe's players rank in that same tier, while four more are not even in the world's top 50.
For some reason, however, the rankings have gone out the window. Europe has taken three of the last four and six of the last nine cups back to the Continent, with the latest U.S. victory coming in 1999 after one of the greatest comebacks in sporting history.
In that match, played at The Brookline in Massachusetts, the U.S. trailed 10-6 entering the final day but won an unbelievable 8.5 of the 12 points on Sunday. Justin Leonard rolled in a 45-foot birdie putt on the 17th green that would prove to win his match after Jose Maria Olazabal missed his birdie try.
After Leonard's putt, the Americans erupted, prancing, cheering and jumping all over the green to the ire of the prissy Europeans. They claimed the Americans (and their rowdy crowd) had destroyed the decorum and tradition of the Cup. In reality, it upped the ante, making a storied rivalry even fiercer.
This competition originally started in 1927 between the U.S. and Great Britain, with the Americans winning 20 of the first 22 cups. In an effort to level the playing field, the British started to invite players from the rest of the Europe in 1979. They have continued to do exactly that, and the teams have evenly split the Cup since. Originally played in odd-numbered years, the Cup was moved to even years after Sept. 11 postponed the 2001 match.
Looking ahead to tomorrow, the U.S. has the clear advantage on paper. The tree-lined, U.S. Open-style course benefits the American style of play, and the rankings tip heavily in their favor. No European has won a major championship, nor do they play for massive pots under bright lights every week.
But the unheralded Europeans have the passion and will to always compete. And they treasure the Cup. I had always thought the Cup was meaningless to the U.S. players, almost like the Olympics to NBA players. The events in 1999 proved me wrong, but it still means more across the pond.
All of the pressure remains on the Americans to win because of their superior talent -- shouldn't Tiger Woods always beat some guy named Paul McGinley? Yet the U.S. struggles traditionally in the team matches, and this year should be no different.
Only Tiger can recover from the woods, bushes and other non-golf hole areas where his errant drives end up, leaving open the possibility that he could be benched by captain Hal Sutton. The Europeans have simply over time found a way to hit fairways and make clutch putts down the stretch, regardless of where the Cup is being held.
Starting tomorrow, take some time to tune in, either for the day or even just during NFL commercial breaks. You'll find that there's something magical in seeing Tiger and Phil Mickelson buddy up, put on their rally caps and cheer each other on. You'll see how refreshing it is for players not to be walking billboards, as they wear flags on their hats and a team shirt every day. And, most importantly, you'll be supporting your country while watching one of the greatest events in sports.
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