U.S. needs to adopt European template for Ryder Cup success | Golf Today | Golf Channel

U.S. needs to adopt European template for Ryder Cup success | Golf Today | Golf Channel

COVERAGE LAST WEEK FROM THE RYDER CUP, RICH WITH ANOTHER FRONT ROW SEAT TO THE ACTION AT BETHPAGE. RICH JOINS US NOW. RICH, YOU HAVE SEEN QUITE A FEW OF THESE OVER THE YEARS. WHERE DOES THIS ONE RANK FOR THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE UGLY? >> IT HAD A LITTLE BIT OF ALL OF IT, DIDN’T IT? I DON’T THINK IT IS QUITE THERE WITH WHAT WE SAW IN MEDINA IN 2012 BUT IT WAS CLOSE. WE WENT TO BED WITH THE UNITED STATES IN A DEEP HOLE, BUT TO THEIR CREDIT, THEY DID NOT LAY DOWN ON SUNDAY. I DID NOT THINK THAT IT IS 5:00 ON THAT AFTERNOON, WE WOULD HAVE ZERO INTEREST IN CHECKING FOOTBALL SCORES. I DON’T THINK ANYBODY WAS WATCHING FOOTBALL. YOU KNOW, ABOUT 4:00 I WAS LOOKING UP GREATEST SPORTS COME BACKS, NOT JUST GOLF, BUT SPORTS COME BACKS IN HISTORY. GEORGE, I THINK COULD GO CHAPTER AND VERSE ON THAT. AS GOOD AS HE IS AT ALL SPORTS. IF SHANE LOWRY DOESN’T MAKE THAT PUTT, YOU TRY FOR A SECOND TO IMAGINE HOW THE PRESSURE ESCALATES EVEN MORE THAN ALREADY RATCHETED UP. SO IT WAS A GREAT SUNDAY. THE ESSAY YOU RAN WAS AN EMERGENCY ESSAY, NOT THE ONE THAT HAD BEEN WRITTEN, WHICH WAS GOING TO BE EXTREMELY CRITICAL OF THE UNITED STATES AND HOW THEY GO AT ALL OF THIS. MAYBE UPON, YOU KNOW, CONSIDERING THIS FURTHER FOR, THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE UGLY, FOR ALL OF IT WRAPPED INTO ONE, IT IS RIGHT UP THERE. I SUPPOSE FOR RAW EXCITEMENT I STILL THINK 2012 AND EVEN 1999, THOSE FRANTIC, CURIOUS COME BACKS ARE UP THERE. THIS WAS ABOUT AS UGLY AS I HAVE SEEN. FOR THE LIFE OF ME, I DON’T GET IT. I DON’T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO TOLERATE IT. WE SORT OF NOW, OUR DEFAULT POSITION IS THIS IS THE WAY IT IS. WHY? I THINK BRANDEL SAID YESTERDAY THEY DON’T TOLERATE IT AT AUGUSTA NATIONAL. I DON’T KNOW WHY WE HAVE TO TOLERATE IT IN THIS SETTING. WHILE WE ARE ON THE SUBJECT OF ENVIRONMENT, AND, YOU KNOW, THE EUROPEANS CREATE THE CONDITIONS THAT MAKE IT MORE LIKE THEY ARE GOING TO SUCCEED. WHY CAN’T THE PGA OF AMERICA CREATE THE ENVIRONMENT THAT ALLOWS THIS TO COME OFF WHERE IT IS NOT CROSSING THE LINE? I THINK TO USE PAUL MCGINLEY’S PHRASE, THEY NEED A ROOT AND RANCH REVIEW HERE. IF YOU ARE GOING BACK, I DON’T WANT TO GO TOO DEEP IN IT, THAT WAS A BLACK MARK, LETS NOT SUGAR COAT IT, WHAT HAPPENED IN 2024, AND WHAT HAPPENED HERE IN 2025. IT IS A WONDERFUL ORGANIZATION IN SO MANY WAYS. THEY SERVE THE GAME, ALL OF US WHO LOVE THE GAME, BUT THEY HAVE A LOT TO CONSIDER HERE WITH WHAT WENT WRONG. WHY DO WE NEED THE BLARING MUSIC? YOU KNOW, SOMEBODY SAID TO ME THAT ON THE FIRST TEE, THEY COULDN’T HEAR THE CHANTS, AND THAT, TO THEM, THE RYDER CUP, ONE OF THE GREAT ELEMENTS, ARE THOSE CHANTS, THE SONGS FROM THE EUROPEANS, THE SONGS FROM THE UNITED STATES, THEY COULDN’T HEAR THEM BECAUSE THE MUSIC WAS SO LOUD. I DON’T NEED ROCK CONCERT MUSIC TO GET ME HYPED, I JUST DON’T. IN FACT, IT TAKES AWAY. IT IS UNORIGINAL, IT IS UNINSPIRING, AND WE DON’T NEED IT. GET RID OF IT. THE COMEDIAN ON THE FIRST TEE, UTTER EMBARRASSMENT, BORDERING ON A DISGRACE. WHAT ARE WE DOING? I THINK THAT IS A QUESTION, QUESTIONS THAT THE PGA OF AMERICA NEEDS TO BE THINKING ABOUT IN THE DAYS AHEAD. SO, GOOD, THE GOOD WAS OBVIOUSLY THE EUROPEANS, WHAT THE AMERICANS DID ON SUNDAY, ALL CREDIT TO THEM FOR GETTING UP, THE BAD WOULD BE SOME OF THE KEEGAN BRADLEY PAIRINGS, SET UP TO THE GOLF COURSE, THE GREAT WOULD BE THE EUROPEAN SPIRIT. YOU HAD A FEN OMIAL CONVERSATION ON RORY MCILROY, I DON’T THINK THIS IS ANY DOUBT THIS IS MOST MEMORABLE, MEANINGFUL YEAR. THERE A BIGNESS, NOT JUST TO RORY’S GAME, THERE IS A BIGNESS TO HIS SPIRIT, THERE IS A BIGNESS TO HIS DREAMS, THERE IS A BIGNESS TO HIS CAPACITY FOR INSPIRING OTHER PEOPLE, AND ALL OF THAT, I THINK,WAS ON DISPLAY. HE IS A, YOU KNOW, LEGEND OF THE GAME. WHILE WHAT THEY DO INDIVIDUALLY REALLY HAS NO, SORRY, WHAT THEY DO COLLECTIVELY IN THE TEAM ENVIRONMENT REALLY DOESN’T HAVE MUCH OF AN IMPACT ON HOW THEY ARE VIEWED HISTORICALLY, IT DOESN’T DETERMINE WHETHER OR NOT THEY GO TO THE HALL OF FAME. I DO THINK IT CAN BURNISH SOMEONE’S LEGACY, AND RORY UNDERSTANDS THAT. SO NOW THAT YOU GOT ME TALKING AND THINKING, EAMON, FOR ALL THAT WE HAVE TO TALK ABOUT IN THE AFTERMATH, THERE IS PROBABLY NEVER BEEN ONE QUITE LIKE THIS. YOU GOT ME THERE. THANK YOU. >> I WOULD SAY WITH RORY IT HAS BEEN AMAZING TO SEE, REMEMBER HE WAS RUNNING ON FUMES AT 2021 RYDER CUP, LOSING RECORD, DID NOT PLAY WELL, APOLOGETIC IN THE AFTERMATH, NOT ONE, TWO CONSECUTIVE VICTORIES, HAS BEEN AMAZING. FOR HIM TO SAY, THE TIM TEBOW AFTER LOSING THEOLE MESS-TYPE DECLARATION, WE ARE GOING TO WIN THE RYDER CUP AT THE WINNER’S PRESS CONFERENCE IN 2023, I THOUGHT WAS AMAZING DECLARATIVE STATEMENT TO MAKE, AND TO FOLLOW THROUGH. THE FLIP SIDE, RICH, I WANT TO GET TO THE U.S. SIDE, BECAUSE THE FINAL MARGIN IN MY OPINION WAS DECEIVING. FUN SUNDAY, DATA GOLF, I THINK THE PEAK U.S. 12% OF WINNING, LIKE BEING DOWN TWO TOUCHDOWNS, LOSE BY A TOUCHDOWN, YOU ARE NEVER FULLY IN IT, AND IT IS NOW DATING BACK TO 1993, THE LAST TIME THE AMERICANS HAVE WON ON THE ROAD. THEY ARE GOING TO IRELAND IN 2027. I WAS EIGHT YEARS OLD THE LAST TIME THEY WON OON THE ROAD. THIS HAS BEEN A ONE-SIDED AFFAIR. THE PRESIDENT’S CUP WAS LAUNCHED IN 1994, U.S. SIDE PLAYS TEAM COMPETITION EVERY YEAR, EUROPEANS GEAR UP AND SPEND TWO YEARS FOCUSING ON THE RYDER CUP. THIS IS THE PRESIDENT’S CUP HAD ANY IMPACT ON THE U.S. RYDER CUP PERFORMANCE? >> MAYBE. I UNDERSTAND THE ARGUMENT, I THINK IT HAS TO DO MORE WITH THE APPROACH HERE. I SAID THIS EARLIER IN THE WEEK, THE EUROPEANS HAVE A SOPHISTICATED OPERATION. IT IS AN OPERATION WITH A FULL-TIME, FRANKLY, RUTHLESS CEO IN LUKE DONALD. LEAVES NO STONE UNTURNED. THE UNITED STATES DOESN’T HAVE THAT. THEY ARE WAYWARD. I DON’T THINK THEY KNOW WHERE THEY WANT TO GO. I THINK KEEGAN BRADLEY IS SORT OF EVIDENT OF THAT. TRY TO SAY THIS RESPECTFULLY, BECAUSE I DO THINK KEEGAN TRIED HIS BEST, HE DID DO GOOD THINGS BUT 39-YEAR-OLD CAPTAIN, 13th RANKED PLAYER IN THE WORLD, A FULL-TIME BASIS COMPETING, AND ASK HIM TO HANDLE THE RYDER CUP AS WELL, I THINK THAT SETS YOU UP FOR A MISMATCH. I THINK PHILOSOPHICALLY IT HAS MORE TO DO WITH THE PHILOSOPHICAL APPROACH, THAT THIS DOES, SEEM TO MEAN MORE TO THE EUROPEANS, AND, AGAIN, I GO BACK TO, I DID THAT WITH PAUL AND BRANDEL LAST NIGHT. PAUL SAID THAT THE ESSENCE OF THEIR APPROACH IN EUROPE IS VERY SIMPLE, HE SAYS WE TRY TO MAKE THIS FUN FOR THE PLAYERS. THAT SOUNDS SIMPLE, AFTER THAT IT IS ALL ABOUT CREATING THE CONDITIONS FOR THIS TO BE FUN. CHEMISTRY MATTERS, IT IS WHY THE EUROPEANS ARE SIGNIFICANTLY BETTER IN FOURSOMES PLAY OVER THE LAST 30 YEARS. IF WE CREATE THE CONDITIONS FOR THIS TO BE FUN, TAKE THEM, DO THE NEW YORK GANGSTER SHOOT, HANG OUT, DRINKING WINE DEEP INTO THE NIGHT THE WEEK BEFORE, YOU ARE MORE LIKELY TO BE UNIFIED WHEN IT MATTERS, YOU ARE MORE LIKE TO BE COMFORTABLE MORE LIKELY TO BE LOOSE, MORE LIKELY TO MAKE THE CUT WHEN THE PRESSURE IS RATCHETED UP. THE UNINEEDS TO LOOK AT THE EUROPEAN TEMPLATE AND TRY TO CREATE THAT. I ALSO, BRANDEL AND I WERE PUSHING THIS JUSTIN LEONARD FOR SOME TIME. I THINK LEONARD IS A CLOSE MATCH FOR A LUKE DONALD IN TERMS OF HOW ORGANIZED, HOW THOUGHTFUL, HOW DISCIPLINED HE IS, AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK JUSTIN IS SNEAKY, WE SAW THIS WHEN HE HOSTED LIVE FROM A COUPLE OF YEARS, HAS A GOOD SENSE OF HUMOR. SO WHAT IT ALL ADDS UP TO IS EUROPE IS BETTER TOGETHER, THEY ARE MUCH BETTER AT MESSAGING, BETTER AT PREPARING, THEY ARE BETTER IN THE MEDIA, AND THEY ARE BETTER ON THE SCOREBOARD. I CAN’T– LOOK, I THINK SOME OF THIS IS CULTURAL, EAMON COULD PROBABLY SPEAK TO THIS, EUROPEANS JUST ARE MORE INCLINED TO SIT AT A CAFE AND DRINK WINE DEEP INTO THE NIGHT, AND, YOU KNOW, I CAN’T TELL YOU HOW MANY PEOPLE SAID TO ME AMERICAN FRIENDS OF MINE, THEIR FAVORITE PLAYERS WERE ON THE EUROPEAN SIDE. FAVORITE WEEK TO WEEK, RORY, SHANE LOWRY, ROSY, LUDVIG, VICTOR HOVLAND, FAVORITE PLAYERS, GUYS YOU WOULD WANT TO POP OPEN A BOTTLE OF WINE WITH. IT IS NOT AS SIMPLE AS THE PRESIDENT’S CUP. IT IS MUCH DEEPER THAN JUST THAT. >> WE ARE ALREADY SEEING SOME CHATTER, RICH, ABOUT THE IDEA THAT, OR THE EXPECTATION, EVEN, TIGER MIGHT LEAD THE U.S. TEAM TWO YEARS FROM NOW, SEEMS TO FALL UNDER THE SAME TRAP, ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SOME STRONG MAN CAPTAIN BUT NEVER ACTUALLY DEVELOPING A PLAN, NEVER DEVELOPING A PLAY BOOTH THAT IS AFFORDABLE TEAM TO TEAM. THE GLEN EAGLE WAS EXAMPLE, MCGINLEY AGAINST WATSON, PROOF A TEAM RALLIES AROUND A PLAYER AND LEADER, NOT A RESUME. DO YOU THINK AMERICA REALLY NEEDS TO BREAK AWAY FROM THIS IDEA OF CHOOSING A CAPTAIN BASED ON HIS INDIVIDUAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS AND MORE SO SOMEBODY WHO ACTUALLY HAS A PLAN OR VISION WHOEVER THAT MIGHT BE? >> YES. EMPHATICALLY, YES. >> WILL THEY DO THAT, THOUGH? >> PROBABLY NOT. PROBABLY NOT. I THINK, I DON’T HAVE MUCH MORE TO SAY, I DOUBT THEY WILL DO IT. I THINK YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. OUR GREAT FRIEND, PAUL MCGINLEY, IS THE BEST EXAMPLE OF THAT, PAUL WAS– YOU KNOW WHAT? GEORGE, YOU FOLLOW BASEBALL. SOME OF THE GREAT MANAGERS THROUGH THE YEARS WERE SORT OF LIKE UTILITY PLAYERS, MIGHT HAVE BEEN 240 HITTERS, THINKING OF DAVEY JOHNSON OR DAVEY LOPES, GUYS LIKE THAT. THEY WEREN’T SUPERSTAR SLUGGERS, THEY HAD TO BE CEREBRAL ABOUT THE GAME, TACTICALLY ON TOP OF THINGS. PAUL MCGINLEY WILL TELL YOU THAT. I WOULD SAY THAT IS THE REASON I CONSIDER PAUL TO BE ONE OF THE GREATEST SUCCESS STORIES IN THE HISTORY OF THIS SPORT, LIKE WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT OF A GUY WHO WON FOUR TIMES? ON EUROPEAN TOUR? BECAUSE WHEN HE WAS 19 HE WAS FIVE HANDICAP PLAYING FOOTBALL AND 25 YEARS LATER HE BEAT TOM WATSON AT THE RYDER CUP. WHEN I SPENT THE DAY WITH PAUL IN CALIFORNIA, THE RUN UP TO THE GLEN EAGLES RYDER CUP SEVEN MONTHS OUT, YOU GET A SENSE OF WHO HE WAS, RELATIVELY UNKNOWN FIGURE, AT LEAST IN THE UNITED STATES, I CAME AWAY SO IMPRESSED I WROTE A LINE FOR THE PIECE, WITH RESPECT TO LEGENDARY TOM WATSON WHO I GREATLY ADMIRE. I WROTE THE UNITED STATES HAS THE LEGEND, EUROPE HAS THE LEADER. THIS ISN’T ABOUT WHAT YOU DID AS A PLAYER. IT IS NICE. IT IS ARE YOU UP TO THIS PARTICULAR JOB? BOY, LUKE DONALD, YOU TALK ABOUT SHREWD, YOU KNOW, AND ALL OF IT MATTERS, EAMON AND GEORGE, HOW YOU ADDRESS THE WORLD IN YOUR OPENING SPEECH. I REMEMBER SEEING LUKE DONALD IN THE OPENING CEREMONY IN ROME AND HE OPENED, WHAT WAS IT? FIRST 30 SECONDS OR SO IN ITALIAN. WE TURNED TO EACH EACH OTHER AND SAID THE U.S. IS TWO DOWN. IT IS ALL IN THE PIECE, ALL OF IT. SO WELL THOUGHT OUT AND CONSIDERATE. IT IS ABOUT WINNING THE CROWD, WINNING THE MEDIA, BEFORE YOU STEP ON THE FIELD OF PLAY TO TRY TO WIN YOUR MATCH. AGAIN, EVEN LAST NIGHT, PAULEY SHARED WITH US AT THE PARTY SUNDAY NIGHT, PAUL SAT FOR A REVIEW BECAUSE IT WAS FRESH IN THEIR MINDS, WHAT DID THEY DO WRONG? SHOULD WE HAVE CHANGED THE SUNDAY LINE UP? MAYBE WE SHOULDN’T HAVE PLAYED RORY AND JOHN AND AND TOMMY FIVE MATCHES BECAUSE THEY WERE EXHAUSTED, EMOTIONALLY AND PHYSICALLY EXHAUSTED. THEY ARE ALREADY LOOKING AT IRELAND AND, AGAIN, THAT GOES TO HOW SOPHISTICATED THE OPERATION IS, HOW IT IS– IT NEVER– THEY ARE NEVER OUT OF BUSINESS. IT ISN’T LIKE WE LOST THIS RYDER CUP, LETS GET A WHOLE NEW TEAM IN HERE, WHICH IS WHAT THE UNITED STATES WILL DO. NO, THE BUSINESS, THIS OPERATION THAT I TALKED ABOUT, SOPHISTICATED, HOLISTIC, IT KEEPS GOING. IT DOESN’T STOP. IT IS FULL TIME. AND IT IS EVERYTHING TO THEM. THEY CONSIDER PAST PLAYERS, PART OF THE REASON THEY DIDN’T TAKE THE MONEY, THE DISRESPECTFUL, IN THEIR VIEW, TO THE PLAYERS THAT CAME BEFORE THEM, TO THEEAMON DARCI’S AND PAUL WAVES, THERE IS NO ASPECT OF THIS THAT THE EUROPEANS DO NOT THOUGHTFULLY CONSIDER IN WAYS THAT WE DON’T. WE ARE REALLY GOOD AT THE RAW-RAW, COME ON, FANS, LETS GO. THEY ARE GOOD AT THE RYDER CUP. BIG DIFFERENCE. >> ALL THE SMALL DECISIONS THEY MAKE TO LEAD UP IN THE TWO-YEAR CYCLES, AND WHY THEY ARE ON THIS STAGE AND ALWAYS ABLE TO PERFORM. RICH, THE PLAYOFF MLB ANALOGY, TWO NBA HEAD COACHES, PAT RILEY, PHIL JACKSON, BENCH GUYS, TWO OF THE BEST COACHES OF ALL TIME. >> PERFECT . THAT IS IT, GEORGE. >> REALLY GOOD NOTE THERE WITH PAUL. WE WISH WE COULD SPEND ALL SHOW WITH WITH YOU. PRODUCER SAYING WE GOT TO WRAP IT UP. >> SAY HI TO KHLOE.

Rich Lerner joins Golf Today for final thoughts around the 2025 Ryder Cup, explaining why the PGA of America has “a lot to consider” after Bethpage, the “bigness” of Rory McIlroy, and where the U.S. goes from here. #Golf #RyderCup #TeamEurope
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U.S. needs to adopt European template for Ryder Cup success | Golf Today | Golf Channel
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