I was interested to hear an interview with Graeme McDowell recently and in particular, two things he said. Firstly, when asked what his main goal for the year was, his reply was “to make Monty’s team for Wales.” I have to admit, I hear that a lot from players in interviews and, from a Captain’s perspective, it’s music to my ears. Every player wants to be part of this European ‘family’ I am trying to create and which will come to fruition at Celtic Manor. From the players to the caddies to all the staff at the Tour, everyone wants to be part of this European Ryder Cup experience. They all believe it will be a successful experience and I believe that too.
Secondly I heard GMac say that, from his current position of World Number 46, in the past, that would have made him a certainty for a European Ryder Cup Team but not any more – and he’s right. I remember, in the past, going down much further than that in teams I played in, but now with European players occupying half the world’s top 20, it just goes to show the huge wealth of exciting talent I now have at my disposal.
Flying High……
Ever since I was appointed Captain, I have overseen many developments off the course relating to The Ryder Cup and I was delighted to be part of yet another special occasion in Dubai a couple of weeks ago when Emirates Airlines were announced as the Official Airline of The 2010 Ryder Cup as well as Official Partner to The European Team in 2012.
Emirates Airlines have supported our Tour since the Desert Classic tournament began in Dubai in the late 1980s and the standards involved in the airline have always been first class. As one of the great Blue Chip companies of the world, I think it is a fabulous association we now have with them in an official Ryder Cup sense and one that can only be beneficial to us.
Personally speaking, of course, Dubai will always have a special place in my heart in terms of The Ryder Cup because it was there over a year ago now that my announcement as Captain was made official.
Take it to the Bridge……
Another off-course development was unveiled recently when the new bridge over the River Usk – which will help transport players and spectators to and from the new practice ground at Celtic Manor – was officially opened.
The £2 million twin-suspension bridge completes a £16 million investment by Sir Terry Matthews and The Celtic Manor Resort in building a new course clubhouse and internal infrastructure, all geared to making this Ryder Cup the best ever.
Right from the word go, Sir Terry and his staff got one hundred percent behind everything to do with The Ryder Cup and I think the opening of the bridge – in the company of the new First Minister of Wales, Carwyn Jones, and our own Ryder Cup Director Richard Hills – showed that once again.
They built an entirely new practice ground and when it became apparent that the existing transport layout wasn’t quite right to get players from the practice ground to the course and the clubhouse, they immediately said, “Well, let’s get two million together and build a bridge!” In these difficult economic times we have a lot to thank Sir Terry, Celtic Manor and the Welsh Assembly for in terms of their continued backing and support. We now must have the most expensive walkway from the practice ground to the first tee ever assembled on any golf course in the world and we all look forward to making big strides over it come October.
A Match for Anyone…..
With the Gulf Swing now behind us, it is time to look forward to the next part of the season and one which contains the first two World Golf Championship events of the year; the WGC – Accenture Match Play in Arizona and the WGC – CA Championship in Florida.
It is great as both events will see European players contend at the very top level of the game but, for obvious reasons, I am intrigued to see how the match play unfolds.
We had a finalist last year in Paul Casey while Ross Fisher made the semi-finals and Rory McIlroy the quarters, so let’s hope this year we can again have a good representation into the latter stages. This is a great opportunity for all European players to show me, in a match play format, just exactly what they can do and I will be watching every shot hit. I’ll be looking out for the results of all of the European players but also, and perhaps even more importantly, how they achieve those results.
I want to see guys who show guts and determination, guys who are maybe two or three down with four or five holes to play but who battle back to win. It doesn’t matter if that’s in the first round or the final, trust me, I’ll be taking note of it. Don’t get me wrong, the 8 and 7, 7 and 6 wins are great and show a player is playing well, but it is the matches which are tight and where a player comes out the other side that are crucial, and the ones which could be key in shaping my Team.
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