The French writer Alexis de Tocqueville was the first to promote the idea of American exceptionalalism. This political theory, which has been accepted by the Ryder Cup despite many contrary evidences, is a popular one.
It is only when you go back enough that it makes sense to insist on America’s dominance in the biennial competition. In the first 57 Cup years, the original Great Britain & Ireland had only three victories. The subsequent European team reversed that trend. In the last 18 matches, Europe has won 11 games compared to six wins by the U.S. One tie saw Europe retain its trophy. Seven of the 10 last matches have been won by the Old World. Their last home loss was in 1993. Every two years, the United States is still declared to be a prohibitive favourite.
This is a statement that’s often made based on individual strength, and not the team’s collective effectiveness. This Ryder Cup was going to be different. LIV Golf, which had been tasked with removing toxic personalities like Patrick Reed and distracting distractions such as Bryson v Brooks from the team, helped them to gel seamlessly. We’ve heard fervent anticipation before of a new American dominance, but it never materialized. As in 2008, when the team won its first game after the Task Force. The “streaks”, however, ended with just one.
In the narrative that precedes the ’23 Cup, Europe is weakened not only by LIV but also the ageing of reliable veterans. But those players are all the same. LIV has taken from Europe the future captains of Europe (for now, as future deals are pending). Not current players. The LIV deal hastened the inevitable generational shift, but traditional team Europe components remain unchanged.
It’s been the case that there has always been a core of anchor stars who are asked to do a lot. In the 1980s and 1990s, it was Ballesteros. Faldo. Woosnam. Montgomerie. Langer. Later, it was Garcia Westwood Poulter Rose McIlroy. There’s also a “B” group of players who can hold their own, like the Sam Torrances or Paul Caseys. Then there are the vagabonds and rookies who qualify unexpectedly. Career-defining moments emerged from this unheralded group: Eamonn darcy’s victory over Ben Crenshaw at singles in 1987, Paul McGinley’s winning putt of ’02 in the same year Phillip Price defeated Philip Mickelson, Jamie Donaldson’s snagging the decisive shot in 2014 at Gleneagles.
The team that Luke Donald will take into the Coliseum this September is not different from those 15 or 30 year ago.
McIlroy is a strong core, as are Rahm, Fitzpatrick and Lowry. Rose, Hatton, and Fleetwood provide support. Bob MacIntyre is the youngest member of the team. Sepp Straka and Ludvig Aberg are also winners. This team is not a legacy, nor are there any picks based on previous achievements rather than current form.
It is not that the U.S. is a bad team. Even though a third of the team who performed so well at the Presidents Cup won’t make it to Italy, the U.S. team will never be underwhelming. The American team is so deep that even if 12 players are on the plane, it will still be a formidable lineup. However, the level of competition and pressure at the Ryder Cup is much higher than the Presidents Cup. The U.S. would have won a few matches away in the past 30 years. It is a fantasy to think that Europe is in a crisis or weaker.
It is not uncommon for the U.S. to field a team of exceptional players, but they do not always produce exceptional results. Captain Zach Johnson will not ignore this reality.
