Presidents Cup: NBC broadcaster affords 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 workforce apply and heat up. The U.S. gamers will play the entrance 9 earlier than half of the workforce addresses the media within the afternoon forward of the Presidents Cup. However the workforce appears to be like as relaxed as ever, not like the Ryder Cup, the place the U.S. seemingly faces an awesome quantity of strain yr in and yr out.

The distinction right here, although, is that the U.S. has dominated this competitors, having gained 9 in a row and 13 of 15 cups total. In the meantime, within the Ryder Cup, Europe has gained 10 occasions courting again to 1995, whereas the Individuals have emerged victorious solely 4 occasions. When the U.S. final gained 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 known 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 stable cause for the Internationals’ struggles over time.

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

“However, you understand, though the U.S. has gained lots, 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 seemed like that they had an opportunity to run away with it. Then, the Individuals discovered their footing, began enjoying higher golf, and gained. So, you understand, you look on paper, and sure, the U.S. has dominated when it comes to wins and losses, however there have been some shut ones as of late.”

There isn’t a doubt that the Worldwide Staff has improved over time. Ernie Els’s introduction of the Worldwide Defend in 2019 helped give this workforce an identification. 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 tug off a win.

The Internationals are nonetheless the underdogs in opposition to the closely favored Individuals, with all 12 of its gamers rating among the many prime 25 on the 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 function. And, on the finish of the day, these guys are all good, and something can occur in match play,” Wooden stated of this yr’s Worldwide Staff.

“I believe Mike might be actually stressing that to his workforce, and I believe he’s going to lean on a few of these veterans, Hideki, Adam Scott, to actually 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 might 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 an entire new ball recreation,” 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 in opposition to Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley.

Conners, in the meantime, may have Hideki Matsuyama by his aspect 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 workforce, will sit out the opening session, a shocking growth since he hails from Canada.

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

“Like several sport, when the house workforce will get off to an excellent begin and the gang will get concerned, that’s big for momentum,” Wooden stated.

“Clearly, the U.S., on paper, are large favorites, world rating sensible and the historical past of the occasion. However, you understand, in any sport, if the favourite lets the underdog cling round, cling round, cling round, swiftly, the strain fully switches. If the worldwide workforce can they hold it shut, for 2 or 2.5 days, swiftly that strain begins to shift to the Individuals, who start to assume, ‘We ought to be dominating this, we ought to be profitable this, and we’re not.’ Rapidly, the arrogance grows on one aspect and it drops on the opposite. So I believe they should keep shut, they should get the gang concerned, and the longer they will cling 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’ sort of day,” Wooden added.

“I don’t assume you essentially have to be a bomber to play nicely right here in any respect. And as everyone knows, these workforce occasions, I don’t care what occurs, They all the time come right down to placing. You possibly can say all you need a couple of horse becoming the course, however these workforce occasions all the time come right down to what workforce makes probably 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 keep 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.. Though 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 virtually each single gap. That claims lots a couple of golf course.”

Wooden then described this course as a ball-strikers golf course, that means matches will probably be gained 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 wish to up on the inexperienced. So being correct off the tee outweighs the importantce of being lengthy. It’s a must to discover the golf green, even when you layup simply so you have got an opportunity to search out the placing surfaces. When you miss these undulating greens, nonetheless, a misplaced gap looms. And when you lose sufficient holes, you lose a match. And when you lose sufficient matches, you immediately end up in hassle.

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

Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as nicely.