[jwplayer Xx43OCcU-9JtFt04J]
MELBOURNE, Australia – The eyes of Liezl Els told the result of the Presidents Cup.
The wife of Ernie wiped away fresh tears and tried to hide her disappointment behind a pair of oversized sunglasses. Only she really knows the countless hours that her husband invested as captain of Team International. The pain of a 16-14 defeat will linger because victory was there for the taking.
And it begs the question: if not this time, when will the Internationals end one of the longer losing streaks in sports – now at 21 years and counting?
The lopsided nature of the matches had some observers suggesting that it was time to scrap the biennial competition. They tried tweaking the format and having fewer points at stake to make the match close, but that made little difference in 2017, when the final score was 19-11.
What transpired this time was one of the most spirited competitions to date. Credit to Els for devising a way to neutralize the so-called American advantage. He threw himself head-long into his captaincy, and he turned over every stone in search of the slightest edge. He became convinced that the pairings mattered, and he developed a strategy using advanced analytics.
PRESIDENTS CUP: Sunday results | Photo gallery
GRADES: Captains, Royal Melbourne earn high marks
MORE: When Captain America is hurting the USA
“If you compare our team on paper with other teams in other sport, you would have laughed us out of the building,” Els said. “But we gave it a hell of a go and we came mightily close to winning and upsetting one of the greatest golf teams of all time. … It didn’t quite work out, but we came damn close.”
Els also created a new team culture that went far beyond a unifying team logo.
“Sometimes you met the guy for the first time on Tuesday afternoon of the competition,” International team assistant captain Geoff Ogilvy said. “I didn’t know K.T. Kim. By Saturday we’re great friends but it took until Saturday. We’re ahead of that curve.”
“I do believe he has created a different culture and created some continuity on this International squad,” former Ryder Cup captain Paul Azinger said.
Has Els set the wheels in motion to end the U.S. domination by nearly pulling off an improbable upset? Will another loss diminish the team’s competitive spirit or ignite an intense rivalry?
This set up as the best chance for International victory.
Royal Melbourne was a great equalizer that took several rounds for the Americans to learn to play and their players had more experience and understanding of how to play the Australian Sandbelt style of golf. There isn’t another venue where that edge will exist.
Also, the Americans had to travel 26 hours and suffered from jet lag, which surely contributed to its slow start. And let’s not forget, the U.S. was playing without World No. 1 Brooks Koepka, who was sidelined with injury, and with a rusty Dustin Johnson (coming of knee surgery) and Rickie Fowler. Els’s squad took advantage and jumped to a 6½-3½ lead.
But Els will be left thinking about what could have been if the Americans hadn’t flipped a few late matches. It could’ve owned a commanding 9-1 lead.
“That was probably the difference,” Els conceded. “You know, we had so much momentum. We had so much going for us, and you know, at the end there, they won that 18th hole twice and halved it. That’s almost 2½ points, and where we are, we are at 2½ points – well, 1½ points, … I felt it was a bit of a blow.”
Australia’s Adam Scott lost his singles match 2 and 1 to Xander Schauffele and looked like a man who was told his dog had been run over by a car. He’s still winless in nine Presidents Cups. No one has suffered more defeat at the hands of the Americans. All he could muster this time was to say, “I like what’s happening in the future. … I can’t wait for another crack at it.”
[jwplayer x5bfcXmZ-9JtFt04J]
But this was an opportunity lost.
In two years, when these foes meet again, the Americans will be back on home soil at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, a course most of the players have played at the Wells Fargo Championship or the 2017 PGA Championship. Koepka and Justin Thomas will be even more polished as players and young guns Collin Morikawa and Matthew Wolff likely will be in the mix for the team. Jordan Spieth may be back on top of the world.
Hopefully, Jason Day’s back will have healed and allow him to regain his form and the International side is starting to produce new blood, too. (Sungjae Im and Joaquin Niemann weren’t on the radar yet, and likely will be team members for the foreseeable future.) But there’s a chance Team USA may be an even bigger favorite.
Good luck to whomever takes the baton as International team captain in 2021. The job may leave you in tears.
[opinary poll=”what-was-your-favorite-part-of-the-presi” customer=”golfweek”]
[lawrence-related id=778016999,778016948,778016864]