Internationals take momentum forward despite Presidents Cup loss
6 Min Read
MELBOURNE, Australia – Clearly this one hurts. All losses do. But this was a different sting.
This Presidents Cup loss hurts the Internationals because it was there to be won. And because everything they had worked to change had proven successful. It wasn’t supposed to end like this.
Two years ago the International team was never in the hunt for the Cup at Liberty National in New Jersey, almost surrendering the contest before Sunday to the U.S. team.
This time around things were different. A new culture had been born under captain Ernie Els. One that may have started with more questions than answers but one that clearly has the building blocks of success in the future. The key is belief.
This team really bought in to what Els was trying to help them achieve. Even when it didn’t seem normal in their gut. Even when they thought they had a better solution. They all sucked it up and listened to their leader. He was steadfast. He was unwavering. He was a colossus.
The International side has always had trouble coming together as one … that is until the end of the week. It has long been said that while the U.S. team might win the Cup, the Internationals always win the party. Els ensured that would be different this time … although they once again can lay claim to winning the fun stakes also.
This side started meeting 18 months before the contest. Dinners, practice rounds, other occasions … all set up to float ideas with plenty of players who may end up on the team. But more to gauge their hunger.
You need to want to be on this team. You need to want to be invested in the team. You need to put the ego at the door and come ready to give it your all. It is why the most diverse team in history is also arguably the closest they’ve had. (1998’s winning team is also one to savor).
Els instituted a new logo from the start. Something to unite under. Sound trivial? It’s not. Read how much effort was put into the new shield here.
Then he decided to take a leaf out of the European Ryder Cup success and delved into analytics and data to help decide his captains picks and his pairings in the team play. This was also the first team in a long time that played to a very specific game plan dedicated to the course – Royal Melbourne. Els had a history there that could not be denied.
Players were told the plan and how to execute it. And while the 16-14 loss on the scoreboard might suggest otherwise, you can certainly make an argument that the data driven game plan Els coordinated was a success. They were a unit from the start, not just by the end. They led heading to Sunday singles for the first time since 2003 (10-8). They took the contest down to the wire despite 10 of the U.S. team being higher ranked in the world than their best player.
“The players were just incredible. They were open for a new formula, so to speak, and embraced what I said to them,” Els said during the postmortem.
“We lost 16-14, and we've got to swallow that. But great strides were made, especially in our team play. I really felt that our team play was the core of our team, and that never was. We never felt like we could play Foursomes or Four-Ball together as a team. We did that well (this time).
“The U.S. Team, the media, and the people around the world will look at these guys in a different way now. I think you guys have seen what can happen. If you compare our team on paper with other teams in other sport, you would have laughed us out of the building. 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.”
While clearly gutted with the result Els knows the fact his team had seven rookies is a plus going forward. They only know this way, and they see how close it came to victory. The South African did not commit to leading the side again in 2021 when the Cup heads back to the USA at Quail Hollow. The train of thought is perhaps more turnover, like the Ryder Cup, where you train up assistants to take over, might be a better fit. But chances are if he doesn’t captain … he might return as an assistant.
“If you look at their record and where these guys are at the moment, they are going places; I can tell you that,” Els added.
“I love all of these guys. We do have major championship winners up here. We do have former No. 1s, but we also have had guys playing for the first time, and I can only see their future going in a very great manner.”
Veteran Adam Scott, who has now played nine Cups without winning, was forlorn after 2017. One wondered if he might have the motivation to keep fronting up. But after this effort the 39-year-old wants nothing more than to continue being part of the squad.
“I’m incredibly impressed with this group of guys and the way they played as a team,” Scott said.
“The guys that have bought into this team will be wanting to buy in again in two years. I am excited about what’s to happen for the Internationals. I hope the guys just generally lift their games over the next couple of years and we can field an even more formidable team next time.
“As for Ernie … I could sing his praises for hours. I am so impressed. He gave us insight this week that was invaluable to me and to everyone on this team. The way he got some guys to lift their game together, to get guys to adapt to this golf course … he spoke so well to us and I think it was absorbed very well. We just didn’t get over the line today.
“His changes. .. It’s set in stone for our team. There are things that are going to carry on into the future and there is a great chance to growing a very very strong culture in amongst our group of guys.”
Planning for Quail Hollow has already begun.