PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — The late British golf writer Peter Dobereiner never liked the idea of continental Europe being invited to take part in the Ryder Cup, regardless of the Americans winning all but one time over the previous 30 years.
He no doubt would feel the same if that were to happen .
“So the Ryder Cup is dead. It was quietly put down to prevent further suffering and the body was interred in an unmarked grave,” Dobereiner wrote for The Observer after the June 1978 decision that Great Britain & Ireland needed help.
That much was true, and Dobereiner conceded as much. “I only wish they could provide a new trophy and a new name for this new competition,” he wrote.
Golf has never been terribly keen on change.
So the Ryder Cup as Dobereiner knew it died that day, and so did American dominance.
Dating to the 1979 matches — the birth of the modern Ryder Cup — Europe has gone home with the gold trophy 13 of the last 22 times. The next chance is in two weeks at Bethpage Black, where Europe returns 11 of the 12 players that in 2023.
But that 1978 decision to add Europe might not have happened without one player. This wasn’t just about adding numbers to battle the mighty Americans.
This was about Seve Ballesteros.
Whether the European players wear the image of the late Spanish great on their sleeves or keep him in their hearts, Ballesteros remains the emblem of European success. He made it personal. He made winning the Ryder Cup feel more important than anything else they did.
It’s what led former U.S. captain Paul Azinger to say about the Ryder Cup: “In America, it’s in our head. We desperately want to win. But over there, it’s in their blood. It’s part of the fabric of their soul. It’s what they deem as the most relevant thing in their life.”
Is there a Seve Ballesteros who can do the same for the Walker Cup?
The latest American victory Sunday at Cypress Point was a reminder that two century-old golf matches between teams on either side of the Atlantic Ocean only look similar in the format, the ceremonies and the occasional gamesmanship.
The obvious difference is the wealth of the players. The Walker Cup, which began in 1922, is for amateurs. The rosters are slightly smaller and the competition is two days instead of three. The only team matches are foursomes.
And it’s worth noting the venue. The Walker Cup goes to the most celebrated courses it can find, not just those that offer the most money. Future sites include Lahinch in Ireland and Prince’s in England, Chicago Golf, Oakmont and Pine Valley in America.
But it’s still about the flag — two of them for GB&I, the Union Jack and Ireland. It’s still about competing for little more than pride and a cup.
Even so, the Walker Cup is becoming as predictable as the Ryder Cup in the Before Seve era. The 17-9 victory on Sunday was the fifth in a row for the Americans. They have outscore GB&I 80-50 in those last five wins.
“We came here with a focus to raise our standard, to emulate what’s only been done twice in 100 years,” GB&I captain Dean Robertson said. He was referring to the two times — two! — GB&I managed to win on U.S. soil.
On paper and on grass, in sunshine and fog on the Monterey Peninsula, it was a mismatch.
The Americans had eight players from the top 13 in the world amateur ranking. The lone taxpayer on the team, 34-year-old Stewart Hagestad, was at No. 44. The 10th player was Mason Howell, the 18-year-old U.S. Amateur champion who might just be getting started.
GB&I countered with three players in the top 30, with Tyler Weaver leading the way at No. 10.
The Americans went 14-4 in the singles matches over both days. The depth was too much. The result became inevitable.
Would adding continental Europe help? Not at the moment.
Filip Jakubcik of Czechia (No. 7), Árni Sveinsson of Iceland (No. 14) and Michael Mjaaseth of Norway (No. 20) are the only Europeans currently among the top 20 in the world amateur ranking. Jakubcik (Arizona) and Mjaaseth (Arizona State) are seniors.
Besides, there is no amateur version of Seve, and there is no need to make any changes now.
The Walker Cup is moving to even-numbered years to avoid competing with the World Amateur Team matches, so GB&I has to wait until only next year at Lahinch to try again.
“They’ll grow from this,” Robertson said. “As much as losing sucks, if it didn’t, then winning wouldn’t matter.”
Even if more continental Europeans fill the pipeline, they won’t stay amateurs for long. Perhaps that’s one reason the two amateur versions of the trans-Atlantic cups — the Walker Cup and Curtis Cup — are between America and the British Isles, as it always has been.
The Curtis Cup for female amateurs dates to 1932, while the professional version (Solheim Cup) dates to 1990 and always included Europe.
The Seve factor doesn’t apply to amateur golf, and that’s not a bad thing. At the moment, the Walker Cup is one competition the Americans can still win with regularity.
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