US lose Ryder Cup PR battle

Team US: Hal Sutton and Tiger Woods

David Smith|Evening Standard|At Oakland Hills|Michigan

14 April 2012

Ryder Cup captain Hal Sutton was today forced to defend his team against the growing perception that America's challenge has become beset by infighting and a lack of discipline.

Cup-holders Europe have successfully fostered an image of being a happy, united squad of 12 players since arriving in the US two days ago. But their American rivals went into the final practice round looking like a team in disarray.

Masters champion Phil Mickelson sprang a surprise when he pulled out of yesterday's practice rounds, claiming it has become his habit not to venture on to the course on the Wednesday before a major.

He did spend over seven hours on Monday practising approach shots and putts to where he believed the pin placements will be when the Ryder Cup begins tomorrow.

But Mickelson was the only one of the 24 competing players who didn't complete at least half a round on an Oakland Hills course famously labelled "this monster" by golf legend Ben Hogan. Bernhard Langer, the Europe captain, admitted: "I don't think I know any of my guys who would take a whole day off just before a big competition."

Mickelson had already caused concern among American supporters when, just a fortnight ago, the world No4 switched from using Titleist equipment to Callaway. It usually takes some time for a player to adjust and Mickelson could only finish tied for 57th place in last week's Canadian Open.

Butch Harmon, the acclaimed coach who helped Tiger Woods achieve so much success, said: "I was surprised on the timing. Guys switch equipment all the time but two weeks before a Ryder Cup?"

Sutton also conceded he was "surprised" by Mickelson's decision to leave Titleist.

He said: "Any time a great player like that makes a shift in equipment I think everybody is surprised by it. It does take a while to get used to new equipment."

Yet Sutton insisted: "I see no reason why he can't play well with that new equipment."

He also backed Mickelson's decision to sit out the penultimate day of practice.

Sutton said: "Phil told me in the morning that he didn't play on Wednesdays of majors and he thought this was a major and he wasn't going to change his routine. I said 'absolutely, don't change your routine, you do what you have to do'."

With Woods wanting to practice early and going out with only Chris DiMarco for company the American team was unable to organise the informal fourball and foursomes matches that their European rivals played. Indeed, the final group of Americans went out in a highly unusual 'fivesome'.

Sutton's problems didn't end there. During the first two days of formal practice America clearly lost the battle to win the hearts and minds of the galleries, even though the team wearing the insignia of the Stars and Stripes was playing in front of it's home crowd. In a tactical masterstroke Langer encouraged his players to interact with spectators, and they spent a lot of time signing autographs and posing for photographs. Frenchman Thomas Levet even hoisted a delighted six-year-old boy onto his shoulders and carried him down one fairway.

A main headline in the local Detroit Free Press newspaper confirmed "Euros Win Over The Crowd" and again Sutton was forced to defend his aloof stars.

"I signed all sorts of autographs out there," he said. "But we are here to try to win this thing.

"I can't make these guys stay concerned about everybody. We can't do everything in our life to please everybody."

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