Harrington: “Familiarity With Their USA Rivals Will Mean Less Of A Ryder Cup Difference”.

9 months ago by Comments Off on Harrington: “Familiarity With Their USA Rivals Will Mean Less Of A Ryder Cup Difference”.

Former Ryder Cup captain Padraig Harrington reckons opposition player familiarity will lead to less of a challenge when Europe seek to retain the Ryder Cup later this year at Bethpage Park Black in Wilmington, New York.

New York sports fans are traditionally known worldwide as some of the meanest and toughest on the planet, and this being so obvious when a rival NFL, NHL or NBA sides travel to the Big Apple.

We’ve also seen in past US Opens held at Bethpage Park Black the ‘take no prisoners’ demeanour of New York fans and this is one of the fears as Luke Donald looks to regain the Ryder Cup on US soil for only a fifth occasion since the inaugural Ryder Cup in 1927.

Harrington was asked his thoughts first on the likely Bethpage Park Black course set-up and also his own experience in being a rookie in the 1999 European Team and when he had to be introduced this to the rival team members, and also the big difference now where most of the USA team competing later this year will be good friends with many of the Europeans.

“There is definitely a home advantage as to how the home side can set-up the golf course”, said Harrington speaking on SKY Sports Golf.

“The Europeans always tend to set-up courses that are a little more difficult where par is very important whereas a US side will set it up as a birdie feast, on very fast greens as they really like fast, soft greens.

“Of course, the home ground advantage makes a huge difference”.

Harrington made his own Ryder Cup debut in the 1999 ‘Battle at Brookline’ in Massachusetts and with the Mark James led European Team going down by a point to a Ben Crenshaw captained side.

Harrington recalled the atmosphere of that inaugural ‘away’ Ryder Cup experience.

“I thought I had holed the winning putt there in my Singles match there against Mark O’Meara but I didn’t”, he recalled.

“Everybody swelled around our game from about the 14th hole onwards, and they kept shouting at Mark O’Meara: ‘C’mon Mark.  We need this match! This is the one!

“So, there was such a buzz but it was in Boston and I had so many Irish people on me, so I got none of the negatives because other Europeans in the team were saying how difficult it was as the crowds were just so noisy”.

The Irishman went on to play in the next five Ryder Cups, winning four times in 2002, 2004, 2006 and 2010 before taking on the 2021 captaincy at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin but losing out by 10 points to a Steve Stricker led Stars-and-Stripes side.

Harrington also has competed in two US Open’s at Bethpage Park Black finishing T8th behind Tiger Woods in the 2002 US Open but missing the cut in 2009 when Lucas Glover captured the title.

“In the two US Open’s I played at Bethpage Park Black, the USGA set-up the golf course with heavy rough and narrow fairways but I’m not sure what the PGA of America will do in setting-up the course for the Ryder Cup”, he said.

“The US players will want a Hazeltine, like in 2016 and where eight, nine birdies are being made a match.  So, they may just open-up Bethpage Park a little bit and not have heavy rough and get the greens fast, and not particularly firm and turn the course into a birdie feast.

“As well, most of the leading European players are now playing regularly in the US.  So, there is going to be less of a difference, I suppose among the players on both sides going forward.  Everyone is getting very familiar with each other as we can see.

“When I played the Ryder Cup in ’99 I had to be introduced to three or four of the Americans”.

As well, Harrington is hoping and much akin to Rome when there were four European Team rookies that Donald will head to the States in September with a few rookies among his dozen players.

“It will be good to have a few rookies that are on the fringe to really show their form, as you always want one or two rookies”, added Harrington.

“It just amazing how much they can bring to a team if you have that enthusiasm in there”



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