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SAINT-QUENTIN-EN-YVELINES, France – Following the 2016 Ryder Cup, some European tourists complained that they were forced to hang out for three days in a local munie.
"The layout of the course was ridiculous. You can hit him anywhere, "said Thomas Pieters, who was 4-1-0 as a rookie in 16 games. "To be honest, I did not think it was a great Ryder Cup setup."
Justin Rose went so far as to call the setting at Hazeltine's "pro-am" and explained, "We want to show our skills. We want to be tested. "
Now, advance two years in the Ryder Cup last week, on a course that would be better described as TPC Paris. Although the Americans were gracious in their defeat, not respecting the brilliant game of the European team when asked to explain the 17 1/2 – 10 1/2, do not expect the silence lasts a long time.
For the American team, Le Golf National was an acquired taste. Just like then-US. Captain Davis Love III in 16th Hazeltine, the European skipper Thomas Bjorn has created a course perfectly designed for the majority of his team.
At Hazeltine Love, set up a golf course with virtually no rough holes in the most accessible positions. Bjorn went the other way in France, narrowing the fairways and letting the rough become thick and lush.
During last week's test session, a member of the US contingent remarked that not only was the situation long, but that it was also mown against departure boxes, making recovery shots almost impossible.
For a team composed largely of bomb and gouge specialists, the installation at the National Golf Course was kryptonite. Only four of the twelve Americans ranked in the top 100 in terms of driving precision this season on the PGA Tour. The most striking example of this incessant game was Phil Mickelson, ranked 192nd out of 193 this year.
Ryder Cup: articles, photos and videos
In comparison, the majority of Bjorn's team plays a game that promotes fairways and the results were predictable. Seven of the 12 Europeans ranked in the top 100 in terms of driving precision, including Henrik Stenson who led the Tour off the start this year.
In fact, the Europeans, like Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm, who play a game more in line with the Americans, also had difficulties at the National Golf. Rahm had a 1-2-0 record as a rookie and McIlroy went 2-3-0, dropping his singles match against Justin Thomas after a crazy last-minute run. But it was a calculated risk with which Bjorn was comfortable.
If the Americans managed to reach the fairways, they were then faced with green speeds that were noticeably slower than those of the Tour, a subtle change that seemed to have a particular impact on Tiger Woods, who failed to win at least half a mile. point for the first time in his career at the Ryder Cup.
In all respects, Le Golf National was a "friendly" advantage for Europeans, from the setup to the familiarity of the team on a layout that regularly hosts an event of the European circuit.
"It's hard to say that when you have players like Alex [Noren] and Tommy [Fleetwood]who won here; that they feel good about themselves. You feel like I can play on this golf course, "conceded Bjorn.
Bjorn compared The National Golf to TPC Sawgrass, which hosts The Players every year, but it's an oversimplification. Although the two fixtures have a similar appearance and many water hazards are framed by wooden partitions, the similarities stop there.
If it was a stadium clone like Mickelson, Woods and Rickie Fowler, all of whom won the flagship tour event at TPC Sawgrass, they probably could have produced more than one point between them.
"If you had to digest statistics, the barometer would look at how the golf course was laid out," said Zach Johnson, one of Furyk's vice captains. "But you still have to shoot the shots."
It can not be denied that the Europeans have been more effective than the Americans, but it is equally clear that they have done so on a path favorable to their skills.
On Sunday, Furyk was asked about the relative lack of knowledge of his team about The National Golf and the fact that it had an impact on the results.
"I have the impression that we played our practice rounds and that we understood the golf course. We were overwhelmed, "said the American captain.
Perhaps the Americans could have used a few extra rounds of testing around the venue, but that would not change the fact that the team's long ball style was never going to fit the National Golf.
Like Love, 16, Bjorn largely dismissed the obvious home advantage that his team had enjoyed last week.
"I've always said, when we take 24 of the best players in the world and put them on a golf course, they will find a way around the problem. We have probably found a better way around the problem, "acknowledged Bjorn.
The advantage of the field is not new in the sport. A right-handed shooter has always been able to do damage to Fenway Park, and there is a reason why Rafael Nadal is known as "the king of clay". it is clear that golf has propelled the field to a higher level.
In two years, when the games are held in the Whistling Straits of Wisconsin, one can already imagine open fields of fairways and go pins on each green. Just like Americans like it.
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