How the Presidents Cup Can Evolve from Friendly Exhibition to a Heated Rivalry

How can the Presidents Cup emerge from the long shadow cast by it’s older, far superior brother, the Ryder Cup?

Simple.

The International team can absolutely demolish the Americans next week at the 2011 Presidents Cup matches.

They can win by 7 points.

They can celebrate like they’ve just won the Lombardi Trophy rather than a cup created by the PGA Tour simply to grab their own little piece of the lucrative team competition pie.

Adam Scott could fist pump his way around Royal Melbourne next Sunday while defeating Tiger Woods 8 & 7 in a singles match.

Steve Williams could create his next big controversy by saying how this Presidents Cup victory was more satisfying than any of his Ryder Cup triumphs with Woods.

Ryo Ishikawa could leave Mickelson scratching his head with one hand while holding his belly putter in the other after loosing 5 & 4 to the 20-year-old Japanese phenom. 

Jason Day and Aaron Baddeley could steamroll over Dustin Johnson and Nick Watney during the four ball matches.

The Presidents Cup has never lived up to the hype the PGA Tour has attempted to create for three main reasons:

A)  The American side has dominated the competition since it’s inception in 1994.  The International side has just one victory which coincidentally occurred in 1998 at Royal Melbourne, the site of the 2011 matches. 

B)  The competition is still fairly new and lacks any real historical significance. We often hear the title “Ryder Cup hero”, but “Presidents Cup hero?” Eh, just doesn’t have the same ring to it, at least not yet. 

C)  The rivalry between the International team and the American team pales in comparison to what we see every other year at the Ryder Cup.  This Presidents Cup more closely resembles the Tavistock Cup than the Ryder Cup. 

That can all change with one dominant, rub it in your face victory by the International side next week at Royal Melbourne.

People tend to forget that not very long ago the Ryder Cup was in a position very similar to the Presidents Cup.

The American side had won 13 consecutive Ryder Cup matches between 1959 and 1983.

Heck, Tom Weiskopf decided to go on a hunting trip rather than even take part in 1977 Ryder Cup matches. That is how little these matches meant to many players at that time.

Jack Nicklaus begged the PGA of America and the PGA European Tour to open up the matches to all of Europe rather than just Great Britain and Ireland, as he knew that a more evenly balanced competition was the only way for the Ryder Cup to survive.

The PGA of American and European PGA Tour finally took action on Nicklaus’ idea in 1979 and the European side won for the first time in 26 years at the Belfry in 1985.

The initial win by Europe in 1985 caused the golf world to at least wake up and begin scratching their eyes.  But it wasn’t until 1987 when the Europeans defeated the Americans on US soil that the Ryder Cup really became THE RYDER CUP.

And not only did the European side win for the first time on U.S. soil in 1987, but they won in Jack Nicklaus’ own backyard at Muirfield Village while Nicklaus himself was the captain of the American side.

Europe won for a third consecutive time in 1989 and the American side narrowly pulled out a victory in 1991 at Kiawah Island, a match now referred to as “The War By The Shore.”

For the Presidents Cup to become more than a glorified exhibition match amongst 24 men who are friendly neighbors in Florida, Arizona, Texas, etc. a similar path must be taken.

And it would all start with the international side demolishing the Americans next week at Royal Melbourne.

If Tim Finchem really wants this thing to succeed, he’ll show up on the first tee next Thursday wearing an International Team cap.

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