The past few Ryder Cups have been a bit of an embarrassment for the US team and as the 2008 Cup draws near, the team is going through some special preparation to ensure that it doesn’t happen again. Although defeat has been common at the Ryder Cup for the US team, this year the coach hopes that things will turn around. This years cup, the 37th, will be played at the Valhalla Golf Club, which is located in Louisville, KY.
"We've lost five of the last six," said Paul Azinger, the current coach of the US team, "so anybody who has played in the Ryder Cup in the last 12 years, most of their experiences are bad experiences." Azinger noted that this year the team has gone through some unique challenges. Tiger Woods is still injured and will be unable to play, a factor that has many concerned. In addition, out of the twelve members on the team, half of them are rookies.
This doesn’t bode well for the Americans that are attempting to undo the damage caused by multiple wins from the European team. Despite the setbacks, Azinger is determined to ensure that this year will be different. To accomplish this, he is making some pretty radical changes.
Azinger developed a new points system, as a result of broad displeasure with the old one. In addition, he also changed how much control the team captain has by giving them four at large picks, which is up from the previous two. To cap off the changes, Azinger also instituted a new format which will feature foursomes first.
Out of the twelve players on the team, Azinger ended up with six players, Phil Mickelson, Kenny Perry, Justin Leonard, Stewart Cink, Anthony Kim and Boo Weekley that have all won at least one PGA event in 2008. Many hope that this will give the team and edge, despite the fact that the European team is very strong.
Despite these six players, there are also some deficits that may affect the overall team’s performance. Many of the players have issues with driving accuracy, especially on long shots. Azinger’s decision to order wider than normal greens and smaller roughs on the course has been hotly debated.
"I think Europe has been able to exploit an advantage, trying to neutralize powerful teams," Azinger answered. "I just didn't want anyone to feel handcuffed off the tee (at Valhalla). Well, I don't care if Europe feels handcuffed, but I don't want our guys to feel handcuffed." Numerous analysts feel that Azinger’s ability to modify the course will provide the US team with the edge that they need to beat the Europeans.
The European team this year will include four rookies to the Cup, Justin Rose, Soren Hansen, Oliver Wilson and Graeme McDowell. However, they are balanced off with the experience from team captain Nick Faldo, as well as players Colin Montgomerie and Darren Clark. All told, both teams should make for a very interesting 37th Ryder Cup challenge.
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