The Ryder Cup: Future Scottish Participants?
Over the last five Ryder Cups (or ten years), Scottish participation has been at a minimum. In 2010 the only presence we had was in a non-playing capacity, with Colin Montgomerie taking the helm as captain, spearheading us to a dramatic victory. Prior to that, representation had been sparse anyway, other than Montgomerie in a playing role (2002, 2004, 2006), and 2008 was just as 2010 – a complete drought. In the same decade, England had eight individual players accounting for nineteen caps, and Ireland (Northern and Republic) had five players and a total of fourteen appearances.
So what’s next for Scotland? Should we be resigned to the fact that our relative famine will continue? I really don’t believe so. Let’s take a look at our potential contenders, their likelihood of participation, and what needs to happen if they are to turn capability into reality.
1) Martin Laird
Martin has a real shout between now and 2014. He has a good enough game today, and if he can pick-up his play and win again on the 2012 PGA Tour (he was victorious in the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill back in March) I believe he has more than a puncher’s chance of representing the European squad in the 2012 matches.
Sitting at 26th in the world rankings says it all. As it stands right now there are only ten players ahead of him in those ratings who are eligible for the European team. I think he will make the 2012 squad and be our first playing participant since 2006. I like his chances again with regard to 2014, and with the event being played on Scottish soil at Gleneagles it could possibly help swing a captain’s pick his way should he not make one of the automatic selections.
2) Russell Knox
Up there with Laird in terms of ability, although still relatively unknown. He’ll graduate from the Nationwide to PGA Tour this year, so you’ll be seeing a lot more of him on your TV screen in 2012. Next year’s Ryder Cup will likely be a little premature for his first cap unless he can pick-up a win or two on U.S. soil. He has all the tools, with precision being his strong suit (Nationwide Tour: 3rd in driving accuracy – hitting 76.7% of fairways, and 1st in greens in regulation with a superb rate of 77.3%). He’s an extremely levelheaded individual and not easily fazed. Prediction: makes his Ryder Cup debut in 2014. Again, perhaps a great chance of a captain’s selection with the event being played on home ground, but have a feeling he’ll make it on his own merit.
3) Scott Jamieson
2011 European Tour rookie and has already shown flashes of brilliance as well as guts. This guy has some real promise. He’s 38th in the Race to Dubai standings with earnings of almost half a million euros. He has five top-10 finishes already in his debut season (four of which are top-5s).
He shot a phenomenal 64 in the final round of the BMW International Open in Munich, moving from T-23 to T3 position. Not only was it the best round of the day, but couple that with partnering Martin Kaymer and bettering him by five shots on the day illustrates the belief Scott has in his game as well as not being easily intimidated (the crowds were out in force viewing the group as Kaymer was playing on home turf). Add to that the mettle he has shown already; holing a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole of the Scottish Open at Castle Stuart Golf Links that not only got him into a tie for third place, but also enabled him to capture the final qualifying position for the Open Championship at Royal St. George’s. He could still win rookie of the year honors this season, joining the likes of Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, and Paul Casey (not exactly shabby company). Not sure he can do enough next season to earn a start on the European team, but 2014 at Gleneagles is a distinct chance.
4) Richie Ramsay
Has so much potential. Anyone with enough game to capture the United States Amateur Championship – as Richie accomplished back in 1996 – has the ability to play Ryder Cup golf (past winners of that title and Ryder Cup players include: Eduardo Molinari, Matt Kuchar, Justin Leonard, Phil Mickelson, and of course, Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus).
Like Russell Knox, Ramsay has pinpoint precision, sitting at 2nd spot on European Tour statistics for driving accuracy (74.6% fairways hit) and 3rd in greens in regulation (76.9%). Impressive numbers until you glance at putts per greens in regulation and average putts per round (rated 182nd and 196th on tour respectively). It’s pretty clear what Richie needs to work on.
Unless he can work his way up to at least tour average in putting I don’t fancy his chances of making the team, but there’s still time and no questioning his ball striking ability.
5) Steven O’Hara
Rumor has it that Mark Calcavecchia once described O’Hara as “one of the best ball strikers he’s ever played with.” If true, that’s quite an accolade from a former Open Championship winner.
O’Hara, a Walker Cup player back in 2001 (playing alongside Luke Donald and Graeme McDowell) is a lot like Richie Ramsay in terms of not fulfilling potential, yet. Also like Ramsay, the putting game is his Achilles’ heel. He’s currently ranked 202nd on tour for putts per greens in regulation (2nd last) and 197th in average putts per round. This was exemplified two weeks ago at the Czech Open when O’Hara was tied with Oliver Fisher (the eventual winner) for the lead entering the final round. On the par-5 15th hole, O’Hara crunched two impressive shots onto the heart of the green, leaving himself an eagle attempt and a fairly safe birdie. Fisher was just off the green in three, but holed from off the surface for an unlikely birdie. O’Hara then proceeded to take 4-putts for a devastating bogey and his chances of victory were gone.
Steven needs to make an appointment with putting guru Dave Stockton, immediately. It has to be worth the investment. Steven’s woes seem to be as much mentally as mechanically. Without radical improvement in this area he’ll never grace the Ryder Cup stage.
6) Stephen Gallacher
Solid for sure but running out of time (no spring chicken at thirty-six). A former Scottish and European Amateur champion and winner of the Dunhill Links Championship back in 2004 over the three courses: St. Andrews, Carnoustie, and Kingsbarns (beating Graeme McDowell in a play-off for the title). The Dunhill is his only European Tour win to date and in order to follow in his uncle Bernard’s footsteps of Ryder Cup play, needs to raise his game further and close out tournaments if he is to have any hope of fulfilling that feat.
Two weeks back he missed a ten-footer on the eighteenth green in the final round of the Johnnie Walker Championship at Gleneagles that would’ve put him into a play-off for the title (would’ve been a good one to win considering it’s the site of the 2014 Ryder Cup – horses for courses and all that). Even last week he was in contention entering the final round of the Omega European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre, but a closing round of 72 took him out of contention, ending up in a disappointing tie for 18th (he was tied for 6th after three rounds).
Just like O’Hara and Ramsay, putting seems to the one area where improvement is critical, being outside the top-100 on tour for both putts per greens in regulation and average putts per round.
Stephen has the game to be in contention at least every other week. He’s in the top-20 in statistics in both driving distance and greens in regulation (never a bad combination). A swift improvement with the flat stick is needed if he has any possibility of ever representing the European team.
The future of Scottish golf and possibility of Ryder Cup representation in the near future is definitely optimistic. I see Laird and Knox as virtual locks for debuts. Scott Jamieson has a chance for 2014, but how he follows up his rookie season next year will be a great indicator. O’Hara, Ramsay, and Gallacher all need to take a trip together to California for a two week intense session with the Stockton family, as their putting is what’s holding them back; they already have all the other necessary tools, and if they can turn this shortcoming around they all have a genuine chance of representing. The future of Scottish Ryder Cup play is bright, but it has the potential to be dazzling.