By Dave Shedloski
HAVEN, Wis. — While allowing for the obvious fact that every hole at Whistling Straits will be pivotal for this week’s 43rd Ryder Cup—an observation repeatedly expressed on both side of the aisle—we’d be remiss if we didn’t appropriate a thought, of sorts, from George Orwell’s Animal Farm.

It goes something like this: All the holes on the Straits Course are equal, but some holes are more equal than others. And of course, even that could change, given the situation of the moment, the golfer involved, the wind direction and, as is always the case in this biennial competition, the “sphincter factor,” as Hale Irwin said in reference to the pressure.

“You’ve got to play for the conditions of the day, how your match is going at that moment,” said European captain Padraig Harrington. “Yeah, I can’t say a particular key hole. … in match play, you’ve just got to play each hole as it comes.”

U.S. captain Steve Stricker offered a similar observation, saying that the game plan for going around the Straits Course, “is situational for each player.”

But there are a handful of holes where scoring swings are likely to occur over the course of three days and 28 matches. This does not include the dramatic par-4 18th hole, which—duh—always will be pivotal, not only for the score but also for the emotional impact it can have. The par-3 17th has the potential for similar walk-off drama. And given its intimidating disposition—located hard by Lake Michigan and covering 223 wind-swept yards—the 17th will have an impact on the outcome.

“The key is to not let your match get that far,” said Dustin Johnson, the elder statesman on the American side playing in his sixth Ryder Cup, who in two previous trips to Whistling Straits in 2010 and 2015 for the PGA Championship finished T-5 and T-7, respectively.

Johnson, by the way, is firmly in the “every hole is pivotal” camp. That didn’t mean he didn’t have some idea of which might provide more drama. We’ll get to that.

“This should be a really exciting match-play course, because you can get into trouble, but you can also birdie just about every single hole with the right shot,” Jordan Spieth added.

Emphasis on “with the right shot.”

Here are five holes that might prove to have an outsized impact on the proceedings with the right shot … or the wrong one:

David Cannon
The opening hole at Whistling Straits.

Hole No. 1, Outward Bound
Far from the most difficult opening hole in Ryder Cup history, it nevertheless presents problems simply because it is the first hole, when the nerves are jangled. Making an early mistake that gives the opposition as easy win could set the tone for a match or even a whole session. The par-4 opener, which bends gently to the left, is just 364 yards, but missing the fairway carries a penalty, especially on the left side, where bunkers and dunes are going to conspire with the pressure to make life miserable for some. Welcome to the Ryder Cup.

Hole No. 6, Gremlin’s Ear
This is on the list just because it has the coolest name. (OK, not entirely true.) A short dogleg right of just 355 yards (pictured above), it can be a momentum changer. Whether going for the green with driver or playing out to the left for position, the key here is avoiding the deep pot bunker fronting the right portion of the green—not that the series of other sand-filled areas on the right are any bargain. This hole has a chance to be demoralizing for some poor souls.

Hole No. 8, On The Rocks
During Tuesday’s practice round, Rory McIlroy reportedly needed to reach the green with a 3-wood approach. The par 4 plays 508 yards into the wind, with Lake Michigan looming on the right and bunkers lining both sides of the landing area. It represents a chance to deliver a statement for any team that plays it well, especially in foursomes.

PGA of America
The par-4 13th hole at Whistling Straits.

Hole No. 13, Cliff Hanger
Like the drivable 10th hole at The Belfry, this par 4 can be set up as reachable from the tee, and could force the hand of the opposition strategically. Meandering along the escarpment, the hole plays up to 404 yards, but might be set up in the 350 range, making it easily reachable given that the last 100 yards trundle downhill towards a narrow green clinging to a cliff above the water.

Hole No. 16, Endless Bite
Johnson said this hole could be crucial because, at 552 yards, the shortest par 5 on the course, the possibility for eagle will lead to aggressive play, especially if one team is desperate. Depending on the fortunes of such a bid, a match is either going to head to the dreaded 17th or ended with handshakes are being exchanged.

BE AT 1 SERIES:
Tame ‘Sea View’, stroke index 1 at Saadiyat Beach Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at The Els Club Dubai
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Tower Links Golf Club
Tame the 15th, stroke index 1, at Yas Links Abu Dhabi
Tame the 7th, stroke index 1, at Dubai Hills Golf Club
Tame the 12th, stroke index 1, at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club
Tame the 13th, stroke index 1, at Al Zorah Golf Club
Tame the 10th, stroke index 1, at Al Ain Equestrian, Shooting & Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Abu Dhabi Golf Club
Tame the 5th, stroke index 1, at Arabian Ranches Golf Club

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By Daniel Rapaport
HAVEN, Wis. — Rumours of the wreckage have been greatly exaggerated.

That was Bryson DeChambeau’s message at his pre-Ryder Cup press conference on Tuesday, when he addressed a Golf.com story that quoted him as saying his hands were “wrecked” from two-a-day preparations for the Professional Long Drivers Association World Championships, which begin Monday in Mesquite, Nev.

“So when I had some blisters on my hands and wrecked my hands,” he said, using air quotes around “wrecked” to suggest perhaps a slight exaggeration, “that was before the FedEx Cup Playoffs. That was that Friday before is when it happened. The story came out later—I was talking about it and how badly my hands hurt after that because of how much effort I was putting into it. I played pretty well during the FedEx Cup Playoffs.”

Indeed, he did. DeChambeau finished T-31 at The Northern Trust before losing an epic playoff duel to Patrick Cantlay at the BMW Championship. He entered the Tour Championship third in the points race—meaning he started the staggered scoring week at seven under, three off the lead—and finished in solo seventh.

DeChambeau enters his third professional team event—one Ryder Cup, one Presidents Cup under his belt—in solid form. But that was also the case in each of his past two Team USA appearances, and neither of those went particularly well for the 27-year-old. DeChambeau finished 0-3 at the 2018 Ryder Cup at Le Golf National and 0-1-1 at Royal Melbourne in the 2019 Presidents Cup.

Mind you, he’s a different man and a different player this time around, 30 pounds heavier on the physical scale and weighed down on the emotional one by being at the center of umpteen controversies.

“I’ve taken a lot of heat. But I’m OK with it, and I understand I’m in the place where I’m at, and it’s going to be that way moving forward,” he said. “I recognize it and all I’m going to do is my absolute best to show people who I truly am, and whatever people think about me is not important. It’s about the team this week. It’s about riling us all up and getting that Ryder Cup back here on U.S. home soil.”

Despite the detractors, DeChambeau has a unique ability to fire up crowds by absolutely wrecking a golf ball. He’s been hesitant to swing at 100 percent in PGA Tour events for fear of a foul ball that, in stroke-play competitions, can prove fatal. But in match play, where a bad hole counts as simply one hole lost, and with a partner, and on a course that rewards length off the tee—the double-century mark is in play.

“It’s a little colder here, but hopefully I can get over 200 miles an hour [swing speed]. That would be pretty sweet to see if they have the stats out there this week.”

DeChambeau declined to speak with print media throughout his strong play late in the summer, refusing to field questions even after shooting 60 at the BMW and participating in one of the great playoffs in recent memory. The last straw, ostensibly, was the reaction to his comments at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational about not being vaccinated against COVID-19. When asked Tuesday if he’d had a change of heart, his answer brought to mind Marshawn Lynch’s I’m just here so I won’t get fined comments during the Super Bowl in 2015.

“I think this is a team event,” DeChambeau said. “I’m focused on helping Team USA to a victory, and that’s honestly the reason why I’m here.”

While DeChambeau himself has been mostly silent in recent months, he’s reminded of his feud with Brooks Koepka every time he steps out in public. The latest development came at the Tour Championship, when PGA Tour commissioner Jay Monahan said that fans’ calling him “Brooksy” equates to harassment and could result in expulsion from tournaments. This week, the two men who have dominated golf headlines in recent months are teammates—an intriguing dynamic on the surface but one that, according to DeChambeau, is being handled professionally.

“A lot of this social media stuff has definitely been driven by a lot of external factors, not necessarily us two. We had a great … we had some great conversations Tour Championship week when we had dinner, and then this week, as well. I sat down and had dinner with him last night, and it was fine.

Then, a tease.

“I think there may be something fun coming up here moving forward, but won’t speak too much more on that.”

That quote will tickle the fancy of those clamouring on social media for a Brooks-Bryson made-for-TV match down the road, or more immediately a pairing of the two once this competition begins on Friday—a possibility that U.S. captain Steve Stricker threw cold water on but did not deny completely.

“Will we pair them together? I don’t think so at this point,” Stricker said Monday, “but things could change. Could always happen. But probably not.”

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By Shane Ryan
HAVEN, Wis. — There’s an interesting dichotomy between Team Europe and Team USA in terms of veteran experience this week at Whistling Straits. On the European side, there are four players older than 40, with 29 Ryder Cups between them. On the American side, there are just three players who have played more than a single Ryder Cup, and the second-most experienced player is 28-year-old Jordan Spieth. If you want a player’s perspective on Ryder Cups past, he’s where you turn for the American side of the story. And according to him, Steve Stricker has done a thorough job of preparing his team for the challenge facing them this week in Wisconsin.

“For every meeting that we’ve had and everything we’ve talked about,” Speith said on Tuesday during his pre-tournament press conference, “it seems, wow, these guys, we didn’t even need to have a practice round and they’ve got a lot of it figured out.”

Spieth has played for three other captains: Tom Watson in 2014 at Gleneagles, Davis Love III in 2016 at Hazeltine National and Jim Furyk in 2018 at Le Golf National. He’s got a win under his belt, along with two blowout losses in Europe, but he’s been singularly impressed with Stricker’s approach so far in 2021. He’s also played for Stricker at the 2017 Presidents Cup, not to mention played with him at the 2013 Presidents Cup, going 2-1 in three matches as a two-man team.

“There’s no ego with Strick,” Spieth said. “He’ll listen to anybody about anything. If you’re comfortable in a setting, if you’re not. I think he’s made the rest of the team feel that way ahead of time. Certainly, I think things can adjust, but as far as how prepared you can be on Tuesday for a Friday start, I would say it’s probably the most that I’ve seen in the four cups.”

That’s a ringing endorsement, and it aligns with Stricker’s own stated approach. In his past few interviews with the press, the American captain has emphasized preparation, and he returned to that theme on Monday.

“I think my message from Day 1 is to try to out-prepare,” Stricker said, sitting beside European captain Padraig Harrington. He had mentioned his plan to inform his players early about when they would play, and with whom. “Give them enough lead time, give them some notice when we are going to play so they can prepare and prepare well to go out and play.”

Andy Lyons
Spieth and Stricker went 2-1 when paired together at the 2013 Presidents Cup at Muirfield Village.

As a potential contrast, on Tuesday Viktor Hovland said that pairings for Team Europe were still pending.

“It’s still to be determined,” he said. “As we all do, we say who we want to play with, and then we just kind of use these days to figure out, ‘OK, is this a good fit or not, do we work together?’ And then we kind of go from there. Other than that, I don’t really know.”

Ryder Cup week is full of small stories and bits of incomplete information, and they are inevitably analyzed to death, but it’s still interesting to note the difference between the two approaches, and the difference between the approach Harrington is taking compared with how Paul McGinley established pairings well in advance at Gleneagles. It may prove irrelevant in the long run, but it may also be the first sign of the developing preparation gap between the two teams.

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By Joel Beall
HAVEN, Wis—He stood in the 18th fairway with his arms crossed and a slight smile on his face, like a parent watching children fumble on a swing set, both amused and indignant at what stood before him. The photographers in charge of corralling the Europeans were having a hell of a time getting the club in line for the team photo, and while the players awkwardly swayed and stopped at offsetting directions, McIlroy stood back and surveyed the mess.

McIlroy is not one associated with stoicism, not with a strut that serves as the worst poker face in golf. This is his sixth Ryder Cup, so perhaps his stance was one of experience with these promotional photos. Or maybe his nature is a signal of what’s to come. For this is Ryder Cup week, which is a week of paradox for Rory McIlroy.

He is the most popular player in the United States save for a certain 15-time major winner, yet for three days every two years he becomes the bane of American golf fans’ existence. He lives in this country and heads the PGA Tour’s player advisory council, yet he’s here representing another continent and a tour he’s often at odds with. His legacy is not judged through this, for generational talents are defined by four tournaments and four tournaments only … yet his story is reinforced and more enriched with every Ryder Cup passing.

Most importantly, McIlroy’s come to realize this event, the one he once said doesn’t matter to him, means so much to so many, including, now, him.

“I think as the Ryder Cup has evolved it’s become bigger,” McIlroy said at Whistling Straits Tuesday morning. “Ryder Cup is one of the best events that we have in golf, if not the best event we have in golf, and just excited to be a part of another one.”

It’s no coincidence that the Ryder Cup has become bigger as McIlroy’s relationship with it—and appreciation for it—has deepened.

Once dismissing the biennial match as nothing more than exhibition and spectacle (and it’s worth noting he’s far from the first superstar to do so), McIlroy offered a mea culpa on his previous position to become fully invested in the proceedings. Should one think that reverse was a matter of public relations, his play (11-9-4 record) and efforts suggest otherwise. McIlroy was an advocate in postponing the event amid the COVID-19 pandemic, arguing that a Ryder Cup without fans was a proposition not warranting consideration. “It probably would have been to the European team’s benefit to not have [the crowds],” McIlroy said, “but it’s not a Ryder Cup then.” He now resides on the opposite end of the spectrum, stating some of his Ryder Cup turns, particularly the Europeans’ comeback at the 2012 competition, are among the seminal moments of his career.

“Yeah, I mean, I think that the Ryder Cup epitomizes everything that’s great in the game of golf,” McIlroy said. “It’s competitive but there’s also a lot of sportsmanship shown.”

McIlroy is not the team’s spirit animal; that is Ian Poulter, who transforms from mere mortal to superhero at this event. McIlroy is no longer Europe’s best player; that honor belongs to reigning U.S. Open champ and World No. 1 Jon Rahm. But McIlroy is the club’s heartbeat; as he goes, so goes Europe. Once viewed as a lone ranger and mercenary, he is their alpha.

“Yeah, I think I’ve already tried to evolve into that role,” McIlroy said. “This being my sixth Ryder Cup, 2014 I felt like was the year that I embraced the role of being a leader, and then going on from then.”

Sean M. Haffey
Of course, it’s sadistically fitting that McIlroy assumes this role as his career faces a crossroads of sorts.

He won in May at Quail Hollow, his first win in nearly two years. He finished first in birdie average on the PGA Tour, seventh in strokes gained and 14th in the FedEx Cup. He contended in the U.S. Open. McIlroy is not lost in the wilderness. In that same breath, his major drought has extended to seven years, with a Sunday stumble at Torrey Pines amplifying the whispers that surround and engulf the Ulsterman at the sport’s premier championships. He fell from the world’s top 15 rankings for the first time since 2009. That birdie average continues to be undone by his struggle to keep the big numbers at bay (T-123 in bogey avoidance).

McIlroy is 32 years old. Historically that is an age where golfers are in the midst of the prime. But “historically” is the operative word. The profession has seen a paradigm shift in when success is achieved, and while he’s turned in flashes of brilliance, the farther he gets from sustained success makes recapturing his former heights that more unlikely.

Which is why, perhaps for the first time in his career, McIlroy needs this Ryder Cup as much as it needs him. To be a reminder of what he once was. What he still is. What he can be again.

“We play for each other. I think that’s the best thing that you can do,” McIlroy said. “You play for the guys that are beside you. You play for everyone that’s helping our team try to win this week. You’re obviously playing for your country and your continent and I guess your tour in some way, as well. But most of all, we play for each other.”

As for his play, expect a cooler McIlroy than we’ve seen in past Ryder Cups. McIlroy’s “I CAN’T HEAR YOU!!!!” primal screams to the Hazeltine crowd in a 2016 battle with Patrick Reed instantly ingrained themselves in Ryder Cup lore. What history has conveniently forgotten about his match with Reed is for all the fireworks on the first nine, the second nine was sort of a dud, both men physically and emotionally drained. It’s a memory McIlroy is keeping in mind as he prepares for what he will face in Wisconsin.

“Yeah, I certainly will try to not be as animated and I’ll try to conserve some energy,” McIlroy said. “It’s a long week. Whether I play all five again, we’ll see, but it’s a lot of golf. It’s a lot of energy just playing, then trying to beat who you’re playing against. If you try to beat the crowd, as well, it seems like a bit of an impossible task. I will try my best for this team and I’ll try to play the best golf I possibly can, but I sort of learned quite a few things from 2016 about conserving energy.”

Eventually McIlroy left his position and joined his team on the 18th fairway, the Europeans finally settling into their positions Tuesday morning. Captain Padraig Harrington and four players sitting in the front, the other eight in the back.

McIlroy? Sitting, first to the right, ready to lead the charge.

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By Joel Beall
HAVEN, Wis.—The signage at Whistling Straits says “Ryder Cup 2020” which can give the occasional fan pause, considering it is, well, 2021. The outdated logo is a ubiquitous reminder that this event was postponed, and its date—a year that will live in infamy—a reminder why. But as the world wishes, and inches, towards a post-pandemic world, that is a finish line not crossed, and Tuesday’s media sessions with European captain Padraig Harrington indicated that COVID-19 still hovers over this competition.

Speaking to the media Tuesday afternoon in Haven, Wisc., Harrington was asked what would happen in the event a player tests positive for the virus and if he and American captain Steve Stricker have an agreement in place for such a scenario.

“Yes, there is—there’s lots of protocols,” Harrington said. “I assume the captains’ agreement is public, is it? So just like an injury name in the envelope, there’s a COVID name in the envelope.”

That would be the “Envelope Rule,” where each captain places a player’s name in an envelope, and in the event a player from the other side can’t play due to injury, said name in the envelope would sit out in singles with each side getting half a point. It has been a matter of controversy in the past, most notably in 1991 when Steve Pate was unable to play his Sunday match from injuries suffered in an accident earlier in the week, although Pate had played on Saturday and lost. With the half point secured, the U.S. edged out the Europeans 14 ½ to 13 ½.

Here is how a COVID situation will be handled, according to the Captain’s Agreement:

“When the captains lodge their team selection for singles play, they must provide a second sealed envelope containing the name of three players (in order of substitution) who are regarded as having been paired with the player’s who, due to COVID-19, have to withdraw from the other side. Such pairings are regarded as tied matches. If this requires the re-pairing of a match, this will be done down the order of the play.

“If one or two players from each team withdraw due to COVID-19, then they are treated as having been paired together (regardless of hidden selections) and the one or two other players from the particular matches will play each other.”

However, Harrington said he was unsure of what would happen in the scenario of a COVID-19 outbreak, as the agreement does not make mention of this possibility either.

“While we’ve asked, it’s still not completely clear what happens when we have—if, God forbid, we had a COVID outbreak of a number of players, but for one player it’s pretty straightforward,” Harrington said. “Obviously the first two days it’s four players sit out. I’m sure … so there’s no issues on those two days, but obviously on Sunday you start losing a few players to COVID, it does affect the match in some way.”

Of course, this is once the Ryder Cup has started. Should a player be injured or test positive prior to the opening ceremonies, each team can put an alternate on the roster. The Americans would be able to choose any player they want, per the agreement. The Europeans do not have that luxury, and their process is a bit more complex.

If the withdrawal is one of the five players who qualified from the World Points list, he will be replaced by the next player not already on the team from the list. That would be Victor Perez. There is some complicated language should the player come from the European list, but ultimately that player, along with any player who is a captain’s pick, can be replaced by anyone of Harrington’s choosing.

The 43rd Ryder Cup begins on Friday, Sept. 24, with the opening ceremonies slated for Sept. 23.

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