Tears to ‘killers’: Inside wild U-turn that saved golf’s greatest grudge match from LIV demise
Slaughtered by the Wisconsin water two years ago, some of Europe’s biggest stars were left in tears.
Hard to believe following that passionate aftermath, but just one year later, the biennial grudge match was said to be on the verge of ruin.Source: Getty Images “I don’t see the Ryder Cup ever being the same again,” two-time winning European captain Tony Jacklin wrote in The Telegraph at the time, saying that this year’s event in Rome would “be a nonsense”.
It’s a remarkable U-turn in the fortunes of one of golf’s most celebrated events, giving cause for widespread optimism in a sport that’s been shrouded in doubt and controversy for nearly two years.The Ryder Cup panic in mid-2022 felt well-placed at the time. Even so, tensions between LIV Golf and the PGA and DP World Tours has somewhat dissipated given all players could be unified from next year.
Before that win, you have to go back to Ricky Fowler claiming the Rocket Mortgage Classic in the last week of June. Justin Thomas also claimed 2.5 points from four matches, but enters this year’s Ryder Cup woefully out of form, and under immense pressure having been selected as a captain’s pick. America has lost by seven and five points in its past two trips across the Atlantic, while Europe lost by 10 in 2021, and six in 2016.Rome’s Marco Simone Golf Course was specifically redeveloped with this year’s Ryder Cup in mind, while European captain Luke Donald has the biggest say on how the course will be set-up this week.
Adding to his big-tournament resume was a close call at this year’s PGA Championship, where he came second, while he also finished inside the top-10 at the Masters, and top-10 at the US Open and Open Championship. McIlroy, Poulter, Westwood and Tommy Fleetwood were the only other Europeans to not lose in their singles matches that year.
The tears from 2021 will no doubt act as an extra source of motivation for the Northern Irishman who, for all his near-misses at the majors, remains one of the most consistently strong performers in men’s golf over a decade. Hovland was the only other player last season on the PGA Tour to claim more than two wins, while Matt Fitzpatrick, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose were also victorious.
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