Part 2 of gap year student and resident golf expert Dominic Thurlow-Wood's blog on the 2012 Ryder Cup in Chicago...

After examining the impressive quality of the potential European representatives, it is important not to underestimate the respective strength of the American hopefuls. With European golf in such good shape, it would be understandable for there to be a certain amount of apprehension in the American camp heading into next year’s showpiece. However, buoyed by their President’s Cup victory, nothing could be further from the truth. Olazábal’s men must be wary of the effect of the galleries as a 13th man and the experience of Westwood and McDowell amongst others will be invaluable in dealing with it. The chants of “USA,” or more recently “BOO.S.A” after Boo Weekley’s performances at Valhalla in 2008 are well known to Europeans and if the American juggernaut gets on a roll in Chicago, could, be extremely difficult to stop.

It can be argued that come 2012, the Americans will be better placed to overpower the Europeans than at any point in the past decade. In Davis Love III, they have a captain who will make calm decisions under pressure and has the respect of not only the players but the fans alike. The team is shaping up to comprise a mixture of experience and youth with talented golfers throughout, which creates an enticing prospect for the neutral! We saw a glimpse of what is to come in the breathtaking climax to the President’s Cup last Sunday. Fred Couples’ strategy was to employ his experienced men in the important games at the end of the draw as he recognised that they could be relied upon if the match went down to the wire. In the event, his forecast proved to be accurate with the perennial characters of Steve Stricker, Jim Furyk and David Toms all bringing home crucial points for the USA. With these players, along with the steady figure of Matt Kuchar, forming the backbone of the American Team, there will be a wealth of experience to guide the rookies at Medinah.

It would be impossible to refer to the American Team without mentioning the golfing “heavyweights” of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. Mickelson enjoyed a typically successful week in Australia, winning three points for the team and just missing out in the singles on Sunday. A firm favourite with supporters from across the globe, “Lefty” inspires others with his unique shot making. Undoubtedly he will be viewed as a valuable asset both on and off the course by Davis and his Vice-Captains! The mercurial figure of Tiger Woods enjoyed a week of peaks and troughs in Melbourne. He clinched the winning point after despatching Aaron Baddeley with consummate ease in the singles, all after being trounced by Adam Scott and KJ Choi in the foursomes on Day 1. After dropping out of the world’s top 50 for the first time in fifteen years in October, there have been signs in recent weeks that Woods may be returning to his best form. Baddeley described Woods’ play as “phenomenal” on the final day, and providing he avoids injury next season, it will be a safe bet that Chicago will be reverberating with the legendary “Tiger roars” in September next year.

In a similar fashion to Europe, the USA has a number of young, gifted golfers coming through the ranks who will be fighting for their places on the team. These hopefuls include Webb Simpson, currently ranked 9th in the world after starting the year outside the top 200 and Dustin Johnson who has bounced back from the disappointment of last year’s PGA Championship to rise to 6th in the world as it stands. Bill Haas showed his composure by winning the end of season FedEx Cup and the bonus pool of $11 million to go with it (not a bad result for six months’ work). When adding the proven winners of Hunter Mahan, Bubba Watson and Nick Watney to the catalogue, it is easy to see why Davis Love III will be faced with a tricky challenge to choose his Ryder Cup Captain’s Picks later in the year.

Testament to the strength of US golf is the fact that Keegan Bradley, winner of a major and two further titles this season, was left out of the President’s Cup team by Fred Couples without a second consideration, in favour of the aforementioned Bill Haas and Tiger Woods. This will not have passed by their European counterparts unnoticed. José Maria Olazábal will ensure that his men recognise that in Chicago, they will face a talented team who will do anything to avoid a repeat of Europe’s victory at Oakland Hills in 2004.

The 2012 Ryder Cup at Medinah will certainly have all the attributes to go down in the history books as one of the greatest of all time. Europe will arguably have their strongest ever side to take to Chicago, with Donald, McIlroy and co now knowing how to win consistently on US soil. With the re-emergence of Sergio García as a force to be reckoned with along with the ever-present Ian Poulter, Olazábal’s Team will certainly have a fighting spirit. This feature will be crucial in the quest to silence the cries of “USA” and to return from the United States with the trophy for the first time since 2004. The American Team, however, will be determined to prevail in the hope that it will act as a catalyst in precipitating a period of dominance similar to the recent European success. The forthcoming match is an enthralling prospect, and one that sports fans around the world will unquestionably be looking forward to!

Dominic Thurlow-Wood
Published: 25 November 2011