Presidents Cup: NBC broadcaster provides perception from caddie perspective

It’s Tuesday morning at Royal Montreal, and NBC Sports activities broadcaster John Wooden is on the vary, watching the American staff observe and heat up. The U.S. gamers will play the entrance 9 earlier than half of the staff addresses the media within the afternoon forward of the Presidents Cup. However the staff appears to be like as relaxed as ever, not like the Ryder Cup, the place the U.S. seemingly faces an awesome quantity of stress 12 months in and 12 months out.

The distinction right here, although, is that the U.S. has dominated this competitors, having received 9 in a row and 13 of 15 cups general. In the meantime, within the Ryder Cup, Europe has received 10 occasions courting again to 1995, whereas the Individuals have emerged victorious solely 4 occasions. When the U.S. final received the Ryder Cup on European soil in 1993, the Presidents Cup didn’t even exist.

Therefore, Wooden’s colleague, Dan Hicks, described this actuality as “The Story of Two Cups,” because the longtime broadcaster has referred to as golf for NBC since 2000. The Individuals dominate the Internationals, whereas the Europeans have stymied the U.S. within the Ryder Cup.

Wooden agreed with this evaluation and thus offered a strong cause for the Internationals’ struggles through the years.

“I really feel just like the Internationals at this occasion have been a bit handicapped by language limitations and guys not realizing one another as nicely. I believe that may be powerful,” Wooden stated to Enjoying By.

“However, you realize, regardless that the U.S. has received loads, there have been some shut ones. Korea [in 2015] got here proper right down to the final match. [In 2019] in Melbourne, the Internationals dominated for the primary two days and appeared like they’d an opportunity to run away with it. Then, the Individuals discovered their footing, began taking part in higher golf, and received. So, you realize, you look on paper, and sure, the U.S. has dominated by way of wins and losses, however there have been some shut ones as of late.”

There isn’t any doubt that the Worldwide Group has improved through the years. Ernie Els’s introduction of the Worldwide Defend in 2019 helped give this staff an id. Even all through this season, Worldwide Captain Mike Weir has held conferences and dinners to assist foster that camaraderie and create the all-important bond required to drag off a win.

The Internationals are nonetheless the underdogs towards the closely favored Individuals, with all 12 of its gamers rating among the many high 25 on this planet. However the Internationals have some terrific gamers, too, boasting three main champions of their very own: Hideki Matsuyama, Adam Scott, and Jason Day.

“I believe Mike Weir goes to be an ideal captain. I believe he’s embracing the underdog position. And, on the finish of the day, these guys are all good, and something can occur in match play,” Wooden stated of this 12 months’s Worldwide Group.

“I believe Mike might be actually stressing that to his staff, and I believe he’s going to lean on a few of these veterans, Hideki, Adam Scott, to essentially set the tone. However different guys, Tom Kim and Sungjae Im, performed unbelievably in North Carolina collectively [at the 2022 Presidents Cup.] They’ve some sneaky picks, sneaky pairings, and sneaky partnerships that may very well be actually good that the majority guys won’t take into consideration.”

So, who’re these under-the-radar, darkish horse gamers that the Internationals might want to depend on?

“If the Canadians can get going, and people three guys get the gang concerned, I believe it’s a complete new ball sport,” Wooden stated.

Jamie Palatini/Golf Channel

“I’m fascinated by that threesome as a result of the final time, Taylor Pendrith and Corey Conners had been the one Canadians in North Carolina. They didn’t play nicely. They didn’t even get a half-point between the 2. So if they will get going, they would be the key.”

Pendrith will play alongside Christiaan Bezuidenhout in Thursday’s fourth Fourball match towards Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley.

Conners, in the meantime, may have Hideki Matsuyama by his facet as this duo will face Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns within the ultimate match of the day. Mackenzie Hughes, a Presidents Cup rookie and the third Canadian on this staff, will sit out the opening session, a stunning improvement since he hails from Canada.

However, if the Internationals need to pull off the upset, they should be, on the very least, tied after Thursday’s opening session.

“Like every sport, when the house staff will get off to a superb begin and the gang will get concerned, that’s enormous for momentum,” Wooden stated.

“Clearly, the U.S., on paper, are huge favorites, world rating clever and the historical past of the occasion. However, you realize, in any sport, if the favourite lets the underdog grasp round, grasp round, grasp round, rapidly, the stress fully switches. If the worldwide staff can they hold it shut, for 2 or 2.5 days, rapidly that stress begins to shift to the Individuals, who start to suppose, ‘We must be dominating this, we must be profitable this, and we’re not.’ Unexpectedly, the boldness grows on one facet and it drops on the opposite. So I believe they should keep shut, they should get the gang concerned, and the longer they will grasp round, the higher their probabilities.”

As for the course itself, rain on Wednesday night into Thursday morning will soften Royal Montreal, making the tough thicker and creating mud-balls that might wreck havoc on any given gap.

“If we get that rain, I believe it’s gonna be far more of a, ‘You gotta discover these fairways’ kind of day,” Wooden added.

“I don’t suppose you essentially have to be a bomber to play nicely right here in any respect. And as everyone knows, these staff occasions, I don’t care what occurs, They all the time come right down to placing. You may say all you need a couple of horse becoming the course, however these staff occasions all the time come right down to what staff makes essentially the most putts on the essential time.”

Wooden would know as a result of he has caddied in loads of Ryder Cups and Presidents Cup earlier than. He even caddied for Hunter Mahan in 2007, the final time Royal Montreal hosted this competitors.

“I bear in mind this course very nicely. I like this place, particularly for match play. That again 9 is so enjoyable. A lot can occur,” Wooden added.

“It’s a kind of programs that it actually sticks in your mind.. Despite the fact that I haven’t been right here for 10 years, I used to be taking a look at my outdated yardage books on the flight out right here, and I remembered nearly each single gap. That claims loads a couple of golf course.”

Wooden then described this course as a ball-strikers golf course, that means matches might be received or misplaced on whether or not or not gamers can discover the greens from the fairways. Bombing it round this place will do gamers no good, as a misfire will settle within the thick, moist tough that traces these fairways. That may stop a participant from touchdown it the place they need to up on the inexperienced. So being correct off the tee outweighs the importantce of being lengthy. It’s important to discover the green, even should you layup simply so you’ve gotten an opportunity to seek out the placing surfaces. In the event you miss these undulating greens, nonetheless, a misplaced gap looms. And should you lose sufficient holes, you lose a match. And should you lose sufficient matches, you all of a sudden end up in hassle.

No one is aware of that higher than Wooden, the person who wears a number of hats as a caddie, broadcaster, and staff supervisor of the U.S. Ryder Cup staff.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Remember to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.