From one international team competition to another with this week’s Ryder Cup having its work cut out to match the show put on at the Solheim Cup in Spain last week.
The golf world will be watching intently as Luke Donald’s European men take on Zach Johnson’s team USA at the Marco Simone Golf & Country Club near Rome.
Meanwhile, the LPGA heads to Arkansas for the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship while the Asian Tour stays in Taiwan for the Taiwan Masters. Ewan Porter joins Jimmy Emanuel and Rod Morri to preview all the action.
Music by www.Audionautix.com (http://www.Audionautix.com)
boo I’ve never seen anything like it before to attempt to hit the ball out of there is pure Madness the winner of the gold medal and the champion gol for of the year is Cameron Smith this is the one that I’ve always wanted to win since I was a little kid so it just feels pretty amazing to be able to get it done today uh it’s amazing that it’s my destiny to be the first ay to win just incredible hello and welcome to episode 33 of playing from the tips podcast our special writer cup preview episode presented by golf Australia magazine Jimmy Emanuel here in the renamed captain’s chair ahead of a huge week as all the eyes of world golf turn on Italy and Marco Simone golf and country club for the 44th Rider cup we’ll also turn some minor attention towards the lpj and Asian tours this week and joining me to do so are two assistant captains in the studio the first is the Manuel Panero to my Bernard Gallagher as a man assisting from the start of the assistant Captain co-host concept rod muray rod welcome manell Panero might be the nicest thing anybody’s ever called me professionally we follow that up with a little bit of information there’s also the final comparison where panero’s Wikipedia includes since turning 50 in 2002 Panero has played on the European Senior Tour but he’s had little success at that level that’s where I felt the comparison really came it’s all dovetailing beautifully I mean who wrote Manuel’s Wikipedia page just quietly that’s very unkind Manuel’s ex-wife perhaps or something that’s true actually maybe Manuel just he doesn’t like himself as a player anymore uh next is a more modern example of the assistant Captain concept like Nicholas karts this year Yan Porter is a generational ball striking Talent who mixes his time between television commentary and playing golf and whose Antics were sometimes un considered unconventional in the US during his playing days you and welcome yeah I think that’s a a fair assumption I like I actually like that in there’s a story there what is this unconventional I think that’s my life in general yeah so there wasn’t a specific incident you joke that I’m missing but yeah I think that’s fair on Y is of course replacing Adrien log who kind of like Tiger Woods is an assistant captain in 2018 has ditched this kind of environment to jet in and play or be at the rider cup so that’s exactly right thanks log for thanks L yeah we had to buy our own coffees this morning it’s a disgrace uh as we always do before we move forward some highlights from last week which I think everyone solheim Cup final day action particularly clearly solheim cup but to move away from that because that’s the obvious answer everybody that that was the the right world event to have all the attention but thong chai g d winning on the champions tour how good and what a venue yeah if you’re a golf fan that was just I didn’t read anything I didn’t see much I just saw that one I was like that’s good stuff that’s good karma in the world long time good it’s it’s terrific and I mean he’s uh he’s obviously had so many wins over the last 20 25 years but also the a couple of guys that finished in the top four there Justin Leonard who J beat in a playoff and Paul stanowski who’s had a fantastic year both Leonard and stanowski the last few years have been broadcasting yeah and uh it’s not easy to turn your attention back to full-time playing and um obviously it’s working it’s a great event that with the kids involved and everything Rod pampling played Pebble on his birthday because of it Richard green played well the first day speaking of Richard green Australians also actually had an amazing week last year I think there was five Runners up across different tours including Mark lechman MJ Lee Curtis luck Travis SMI and there’s one more I’m forgetting about I think and Hannah green played in the sine C according to the TV Comm it Scotland Hanah hugg been saying for that long solheim cup kind of a perfect not a warmup that discredits it to this week after Stacy Lewis early in the week sort of said we missed a chance here I agree with that too didn’t like that the PJ did not like that no pressure’s on the rider Cup in some ways that was such a remarkable solheim cup it’s going to actually be a bit of a tough act to follow that final day that had everything in terms of a tie which has never happened in the solheim cup retaining the cup for Europe so the big celebration saganda was brilliant on that last day couldn’t have scripted A better ending could you with Sanda Local Hero hitting that shot on 17 and then actually the other I’d say the other player that sort of flew under the radar was um Caroline birs in the last kick three down and finishes Rod was giving Carolyn headwall all the ups last week as a great pick and then Huggy tried to shut it down on uh the good good golf podcast as a good Pi so John hugin eat your heart out but some players are like that aren’t they she is the right person for that tournament she clearly struggles and has ups and downs but every time she’s been to the sine Cup this other player comes out and it’s quite remark yeah and gets motivated too by the by the moment some people flounder in that situation and she doesn’t yeah absolutely and all done in front of the king of Spain on some yeah absolutely didn’t know Spain Still The King if I’m honest but when you retain in Spain lots of people complain yeah they they had to get that out I thought of that last night and I thought your column yesterday was very good about the controversy around a tie it’s actually a good thing cuz people are talking about it post the result and into next year there’ll still be a bit of stuff peopley think the people that complain about a a tie being a retaining for the the country that the team that won it it’s silly it’s how it’s always been yeah absolutely it’s how team golf correct me if I’m wrong 20 years ago 2003 President’s Cup South Africa tie between us and Internationals Ernie and tiger were sent and then they kept tying until it got dark correct and they pulled off so President’s Cup they play slightly different but they don’t do that in the president cup anymore no it’s it’s the same same way I believe rabbit Hall when I interviewed Mary Thompson late last year the year before she told me that the envelope that Peter had for the 98 President’s Cup with the players name in it who would be sent out in case of a tie is still in the house still sealed nobody knows who it is oh wow the Temptation every day must be off the could be Peter Thompson I’d love to see the captains go out was Nicholas who was the captain that week the US nichas Thompson Nicholas Royal melbour how good would that be just send him down one West to play each other to decide it that would be great uh on last week and we had a fair bit of success as tipsters uh two wins of sorts with the solheim cup with Logan I picking Europe and Rod begrudgingly kind of picking the US well let’s be let’s be frank you didn’t win did you and I didn’t lose we got the just going to have to wait till next year to sort it out let’s well let’s give ourselves another win uh and we had five top 10 as well notably my pick of Mark lechman which was mocked by my fellow experts in this room uh who ran second at Liv Chicago so that takes us to 23 wins and 162 top 10 for this year now onto this week and the resumption of hostilities between American and European men in Rome with a new look us side looking to retain the trop try won in dominant fashion 199 at Whistling Streets you bral a to watch I don’t even care if you’re a US Spector you can’t enjoy watching that the key to these things they have to be close it’s the problem the president cups had every time it’s been close there was that career I think 2015 raw melbour last time was that’s what made it interesting you have these blowouts and it’s like nobody wants to watch that what happened at uh was it Liberty National was almost over Saturday I think was it Lei finally h a putt to save it to make sure they had to play on Sunday yeah that’s that’s no fun for anyone I think a few months ago I think this was sort of being spoken about as a blowout um to the US side in favor of the US side but I I don’t think so oh this this R this R yeah no I don’t think so at all couldn’t agree uh first point of reference is the course and given his Italian Heritage Rodney muray is going to jump on all the relevant details of Marco Simone or Marco Simone Simone that’s right well with given my is going to be more embarrassing when I start butchering these names so the venue itself is really really interesting the golf course we’ll talk about shortly and it’ll it’ll produce a good result as we saw last week thinker cter was not a great golf course but we had a great tournament uh home to an 11th century Castle might have actually been there’s really strong ties to women here it’s owned by a fashion designer called Lavinia be giotti siga beautifully done whose mother Laura bagot siga was one of ‘s most famous fashion designers in the 80s her mother olan’s grandmother designed the uniforms for the cabin crew of the national airline Alitalia in the 1960s started off as a dress maker they built this Empire this fashion design which is now under the third generation they’ve got this amazing Castle anyway they she and her husband bought the castle in the 1970s I think built the golf course in the late 80s early 90s um the core superintendent here is a woman Lara Aras whose fiance possibly now husband was the core super at the golf National in 2018 look TI that’s right Wikipedia is all over little details I thought you might have just rattled that off might have just been calling Marco Sone going can I get some details about the super so uh look and I really that is all very very interesting stuff none of it have anything to do with the golf when it comes around but I did find that really interesting so you’ll be able to see the castle on the coverage obviously that people aren’t allowed to go in there we’re only 10 miles from the center of Rome which I find stunning I can’t imagine there’s a golf course within 10 Mi of the center there’s not a tree within 10 mil of the center of Rome enough space for course so that is really quite unique it’s as anybody who knows anything about the course will know it’s steep it’s going to be a tough walk for the CES I think Huggy might have told me they may have the option to carry carry bags they do hugg did tell us last second rounds they’ve got carry bags as an option um apparently it was an option at Whistling Straits maybe he he suggested it’ be an option before that hadn’t been taken but it was not an option last week cuz they hadn’t got organized and had carry bag ready for the teams with all the logos but it’s an option in that that one that they actually might take up this week you telling how big would the difference speed you between a tour bag and a carry bag well significant in terms of waterproofs and stuff like that leaving everything out of the bags the bags themselves totally double the weight I mean you’re looking at you’re looking at roughly 50 just over 20 kilos for a staff bag yeah I’d say 12ish for a carry bag that you can then tell the who the good guys are the players are who let their their caddy carry a carry bag rather than a star bag you can see where the tensions are if we lose in the morning you’re lugging that this afternoon if we note for any one thing about that photos of me catting for Aaron Pike it’s always a star pack I’m always fascinated by um just how good a job and how fit you have to be to be a caddy and especially when you’re going 36 holes I know when I do the pga2 live stuff in America I’m walking 27 holes a day and when you do that in 35° heat you’re looking at upwards of 20,000 steps at an extra nine holes to that and a Helia Golf Course here in Italy and they got to run to keep up half time if they’ve done the divots and the bunker ring you got to run to catch up with the player to give them the clubs and it’s will always have the the bunker man with each grp tough gig it is a tough gig there’s no shortage of pressure on the caddies either I mean oh no it’s a big deal they don’t get the accolades they don’t get the the the roasting either but they feel it they’re part of it I mean that’s a seriously hardcore thing to do anyway so they’ll be they will be earning well will they be earning their money this I guess they get paid by the PGA assume te they have to get some sort of start anyway they’re going to work for their money the original course here opening 91 designed by Jim fio and David mesan there’s nothing left of it no they completely decimated I think they’ve only used one I think the sixth hole is on the only hole is on the plane Corridor that used to be taken up uh that was all done in 2018 there been four Italian opens hosted there between then and now to get ready for this week and I think they’ve done a good job they’ve tweaked the golf course every year and it’s actually gotten better and better every year it seems I actually think the coures I think of the great things for the last for this this week and the golf course is that it’s been there every week for the Italian Open so you’ve got a chance to have a look at it and two a players playing it exactly and you’re having a good look and I was very um I was very surprised this year that no Americans went over and played the Italian open because I know on the European side of things you’ve got Nikolai hoard who’s won there Tommy Fleetwood had a chance to win that same week McIntyre’s won there Rory’s played there played almost one play there this year but has played there um it’s a great experience for the players number one but it’s so good for a fan to be experienced the golf National showed that um because you they go there every year you know the holes you know what’s coming and the match might hinge on this whereas you you got that a little bit with plays like Whistling Straits that’s had Majors but we don’t see it as a regular stop which is I think really exciting for a player they you and at that level they are so good these players on every time the the president cups come to Royal we’ve always thought ah they won’t be able to figure out Royal mman and they figure it out in a practice round it’s pretty amazing how much do you reckon that really plays into it having the course before I think it does play a huge role and I think we saw that at the golf National when I think Justin Thomas was the only American to go over and play the the French Open prior and it was set up very much to the Europeans liking and unlike what the Americans are used to and the Americans struggled and and I it would not surprise me if we see a similar theme here and I I know the Americans went over on a private jet and had an 18 hole practice round that’s not the same as playing it in a tournament environment um obviously The Americans on paper are the strongest side but I think the core set up in the knowledge will favor the Europeans yeah yeah and it’s a different format too you can have all the paper you like but once you get two BL standing on a te facing each other as we discussed last week about solheim cup the course plays less of a role than it ever does in tournament golf it it dictates the type of golf that they play probably but it doesn’t dictate the result so much takes players out of their comfort zone doesn’t it this format it makes them think about all hit shots they would never considering stroke plan cuz you kind of have to on once the person you’re playing against has done something you got no choice you’ve now got to try and answer whether you’re comfortable with that shot or not and as you know you being out of your comfort zone is no fun for a player I mean how often do you see in match play at no matter what level you hear oh I lost two and one I lost four and three but he was seven under I was four under I was F and to your point it makes it it makes you think more positively this match play format obviously more aggressively but it makes you just focus on what you need to do and not think about repercussions that’s why we see a lot of bires a lot of good scoring not a defensive format is it nothing defensive about M always if you can’t remember who her partner was but Lyn Grant and one STK no one I don’t think it was Stark one of her Partners on the Saturday of the Sim cup was something like 10 under through yeah that’s right 11 or 12 well you mentioned him before karts when he played alongside um Lee West at Madina in 20 they were playing tiger and Stricker psart shot 10 under our Madina yeah yeah crazy good yeah one of one of Westwood’s great passenger RS I think he’s described it as he was just there having said that though karts himself I interviewed him about that a few years ago at the Australian Masters and he said that it was Westwood who told him everything he needed to know to prod without him he’d have been a bundle of nerves would have been able to play but Westwood just guided him he said it was just amazing he said do this do this do this he just did as he was told anyway um as I’ve said really hilly which means lots and lots of slope in the greens and around the greens the yardage is not particularly long but doesn’t mean much with of course it’s this steep a 350 yard uphill Par Four is very different to a 350 yard flat par 4 so you can’t read too much into the numbers though it is not an overly long course there’ll be lots of fair few short ons what might be really interesting they got multiple T’s on a lot of the holes which can really change the difference so the thir the seventh hle can play anywhere from 160 to 220 yards wow at two completely different golf holes yeah abely absolutely and you wonder whether they’ll have the courage to do that whether that might favor one side or the other I don’t know you remember this it was at Olympic Club 2012 Jim furck spat it because they moved the tea up on the par five the 16th like a 100 yards and he was caught out we had the same complaints at Chambers Bay the US Open players were couldn’t deal with the course changing so there was that path through where they had one two was 60 yards that way and completely different angles and the players didn’t like it at all so you wonder whether they they do give you a heads up they they the officials will tell you it could they won’t say it will or it won’t they it could play this length on a the players don’t like if there’s no forewarning about we might use this tea over there and the one at Olympic was just she they wouldn’t like Gad days would they he Chang your mind halfway through no you just got to find some flat grass at some of these and even then that’s quite difficult we found out if it’s flat that’s a bonus you go it will be an entertaining finish though won’t it very 16 is probably the key hle statistically where most matches will finish it’s a drivew power four we’ll have a huge crowd on the Le hand side not an easy driveable power for yes that is going to be the hole like the first hole was at fer C that’s what everyone’s going to remember about that so C 16th hole is what everyone’s going to know about this one there’s no question about it uh there’s a two driveable power fors on the back nine and a bunch of reachable I think there’s two reachable power FS on the back n so you can see the maoy described it as like a book where the front nine is kind of sets the same the back nine the plot picks up the pace and it gets excited very much it’s kind of been built for purpose so you know architecturally is probably not the most amazing golf course but I think it’s going to produce a really exciting sort of thing one thing I do think will be interesting um lag putting really quite slopy gr depending how fast they get them it could get silly but lag putting is going to be really really key in this which in forcs is always awkward everyone loves to be left with a three and a half foter downhill left to right they to to harb a hole there is one hole part 1th if they go with a back pin it’s got a huge tier in it front section back so huge tier in it if the pin’s up the back it’s hard to get to but there’s OB just over the back as well so you’re going to see probably a lot of golf balls on the front of that green and potentially lots of three and maybe even four parts is really not going to be easy so look the golf is going to be entertaining and the course will play its part in that absolutely I’m looking forward to it more than I thought I would when I started researching the course so bring it on hopefully everyone else gets as excited about it as you uh let’s look at the sides and first up are the Europeans who are at home of of course and trying to win back the Cup captain by Luke Donald they are Rory mroy John Ram Robert McIntyre Victor holand tyell Hatton Matt Fitzpatrick Tommy Fleetwood sep Striker Justin Rose Shane Larry Nikolai hoard and ludvig or pronunciation nailed by myself Jive you and you spent about second half of the year in Europe or majority of it commentating on many of these guys who do you see as the standout sort of key players on that list well I mean there’s so much hype around ludvig isn’t there or bear or bear that’s very impressive good or bad for him oh it’s been a real baptism of fire as a professional hasn’t it he it certainly has and he had a poor final round obviously at BMW I think um I was a little bit surprised by that I’ve actually been amazed at how well he’s um he’s dealt with all the hype around him and you know I did a couple of walk and talk interviews with him out on the golf course and he just he just seems to take it all any stride and uh I think there’s no question that college golf prepares you for that um he was obviously number one in the pj2 University that’s how he got his PGA Tour card when you’re number one in college golf there’s so much hype around you anyway there’s cameras they’re basically dealing with what a top professional player would so the transition hasn’t been as difficult but in saying that when he went and won in um in Europe I mean that in in Switzerland wasn’t it I mean that was uh that was an incredible performance but all these rookies on this on the team Hy guard stri is probably the one that flies under the radar a little bit because he essentially is almost American he there since he was 14 he’s got a Southern accent yes he’s Austrian but um great guy great ball Striker had obviously an incredible couple of weeks won the John Deere runner up at the Open Championship I I expect hoard Nikolai hoard will be the standout player I think out of the um out of the rookies I guess you could call it on the on the European side he won at that venue he’s got a real um he’s he’s got that type of aggressive nature he’s won around that venue he’s a long hitter um great attitude and you know I think that I just I think with the the experience in the side holand didn’t have a great rookie Rider cup he lost quite a few matches in Whistling Straits I think that’ll turn around this time I just I see them jelling they just to me as we always seeing the rer cup I just see such a wonderful comraderie around this side and you see it week to week on the tour where the guys are guys are best mates are hanging out all the time it’s almost like the Americans kind of force that issue a little they kind of have to go looking for it don’t they that we that this European team that’s obviously quite disrupted given the players who aren’t playing that would normally be around or even ‘t Vice captains or captains that have all been involved really lost some experience but you look at this group and there’s a natural cohesion exactly as you say it’s it kind of all fits together I think ludvig is interesting that there’s so much pressure and there’s so much attention it’s kind of a great strategy by Donald and these guys that they’ve probably assessed he can handle it but it takes so much away from everyone else everyone is focused on this guy so Nikolai hoard gets pretty much Scot free and he’s had a lot of pressure on him as well but sep Striker as well he sort of gets to coast in Bob McIntyre is a is a rookie who’s had this hanging around him for a while of Willie play rder cup he gets through and then yoryis and John R and stuff get asked a little bit less questions it’s kind of a sacrificial lamb by accident with or so I think that’s um the cohesion and everything is very strong for them but the missing element of the list is quite long of pter and garer and Stenson and Westwood and all these guys let’s be honest they’re not playing well and out of all those players you just mentioned and then when it comes to having them as assistant captains or what have you you’ve got the Molinari guys you’ve got Thomas bjor there it’s to me it’s it’s irrelevant it’s just media trying to drum up a little bit of the we used to as well which I suppose is it’s a force changing the guard which maybe needed to happen to anyway it’s a pretty diverse group aren’t they as the players hland and S of Hatton you couldn’t get much further apart in personality and styles of play could you but I feel like it does work um hland especially he’s a different player now this year he’s been a different absolutely and and a lot of that’s due to his short game he’s always been a wonderful ball Striker but also on that point 20 years ago you would never have seen a Norwegian an Austrian a Dane in the S it goes to show you the strength of European Gulf now and how much it is picking up in certain countries around Europe and the rder Cup’s played its role in that and this is the this is what the um the Asia Pacific Amer is doing in this region as well on the Latin America that Augusta National these things take a long time yeah but that’s what they’re creating absolutely the day will come when a golfer from you know North Korea yeah 11 11 he’s going to get into the Masters and that’ll be you know and that’ll have started that really started way way way back when they launched and that’s you see that with we saw it with the Jack Newton junior golf Foundation same thing happened we started to really produce players consistently people go you know when they first started it’s just it’s this or but it takes time and we’ve seen that generational interviewed the team from Lebanon at the Asia paic C last year absolutely great day yeah anyway uh as mentioned earlier the United States lineup is very different to the side from 2021 that look to be setting a new era they are Sam Burns Patrick Klay Windham Clark Ricky Fowler Brian Harmon Max Homer Brooks kepka Colin morow Xander chaffle Scotty Sheffer Jordan spe and Justin Thomas probably the ones that are going to get the most attention this week whether or not it’s about their play or not is Brooks kepka uh only live player involved in the whole thing only player to play last week obviously contractually obliged not the leading that probably anyone wants missed the team planes had to fly uh via Liv organizing him a private plane from Chicago over there tough gig yes tough deal that’s not what you want going yeah it’s it’s kind of not what you want though grading on a curve perhaps but let’s no but the the whole team thing and that’s so important to ingratiate everyone together and to have someone coming in as a separate let alone the fact that his golf wasn’t that good last week either which adds to that sort of pressure um so it’ll be interesting to see how he goes cuz he’s been very very good this year it’s the part the Americans struggle with isn’t it is the team thing and that’s historically been the case as you said they kind of got to force it when they get there Europe have this common enemy this Band of Brothers kind of thing not that it’s all beer and Skittles in the European there’s plenty of people in the European camp that don’t like each other yeah but there feels like a common PP where the the Americans have to try and create it as a more defensive thing they’re the ones who are always sort of under attack so to speak and so what you’re saying is true but I don’t know that that affects the Americans as much because I think they’re used to that it’s what they they do each time I think what I observe working in both the US and and Europe and having played over the years in both is I think there are just in general there are more alphas and more egos in America involved than what I see in Europe and then that’s individually so then trying to put that together as a team is more difficult the more roosters you put in the hen house the more the more trouble you have and the Americans are very much all quite I mean what would Windam Clark say that he thinks he’s better than Rory during the week or and a little bit of that is you know niggle Pride of the match and you love that you like to see that but not many people in the world would have the kahunas to stand up and say that public maybe yeah that’s exactly the other the one that sort of shows maybe a positive move in the direction of team unity and all that sort of stuff is actually picking Justin Thomas in my opinion a guy whose form has been pretty terrible this year uh and it’s coming good at the right time yeah and playing good at the right time but he’s a guy who’s been involved in so much of it you might not like him and might not have a lot of you know the the Antics but he’s been a crucial part of this developing American team in presidents and writer cups and they’ve gone ignore most of the form get him in because he’s important to how we want to play and whatever um and Zach Johnson as a captain strikes is one who will probably quietly put together a team he’s not a chest beater he’s not an alpha he’s an alpha with playing ability but he’s not stand FR CL interestingly and Brooks kep very close play a lot of practice rounds when they playing on PJ together um lot of time Brooks kep’s got a lot of time for Windham Clark so a potential kind of pairing there I think that would be an interesting one but Brooks did say I’ll play with anyone I don’t care um and he and Sam Burns have of course got terrible haircuts to Kickstart the week the talent level in that us team is off the chart you just go through every single player go can’t be beaten can’t be beaten can’t be beaten can’t be beat beat the advantage apart from winning last time in such big uh fashion the advantage the US team probably has is very obvious pairings in for the early parts of forams and four balls you’ve got your Thomas and SP your CHL and Klay there’s there’s these really shefer Burns there’s these really clear pairings the Europeans are a bit more up in the air there’s friendships but not necessarily playing combinations um you know Rory and Shane lar have been friends forever but I don’t know that they make the best best combination for example so terrible force and pairing you would think wouldn’t you just you can’t see that working is you what’s the problem with the US traveling 30 years since they won in Europe if you look at all the players that have been in all of those us teams over those 30 years you can’t imagine that they wouldn’t have won at least one on the road is there anything in that or I think applebe said it best years ago didn’t he they travel like prawns on a hot day um I I think there’s an element of Truth to that as silly as that sounds um you look at when they’ve come out here generally to play Australian opens or Australian PGA or they’ve gone to Europe to play the Dutch opens or the French you rarely see them win you rarely see them content and uh you know they’re so used to the Comforts of home that I think they find it a little bit difficult on the road yeah and I I just rather than trying to um you know over complicate it I think simplifying it I think that is there’s a big element of truth to it as Ru the success of America in all elements has been this uniformity hasn’t it McDonald’s is the same in Texas as it is in Ohio as is in Ohio this what sebie didn’t like about America you know he liked to go out for dinner at 10:00 at night and sleep in the you on the US tour you don’t you go and eat at the whatever the chain restaurant is at 700 p.m. and you go to bed at night it just didn’t seem I think it’s a reverse of that the Americans travel golf’s different the culture is very different in Europe it does take some getting used to you’ve got to want it don’t you was K was the same that was the thing that he hated about playing the PJ tour that he liked to go out to dinner late at night and sit around and chat and over a drink and whatever and he couldn’t find anyone to do it he said waking up in another holiday in and sitting there and going what do I do now I spoke to Nikolai about that same thing this year he played quite a bit of golf in the states he finished runner up to Matt Wallace in the Dominican Republic but apart from that he didn’t really enjoy it over there at all no it’s it’s and same goes for Europe and I think I spoke to Maverick ancliffe the other day who’s played in Europe for a number of years after PJ tour China advancing all the China tour and he sort of said look I don’t I don’t love it he said I’m I’ve went to college in the states that’s what I’ve become used to and that’s my sort of that’s where I want to get to so that’s going to be my focus and culturally America exactly as you said Rod is there’s things that are home Comforts that are more obvious once you actually leave there it’s difficult to find your feet I think for someone from that country to it going to Europe is so vastly different um they obviously try and deal with that during r a cup weeks they bring them inh house they’ve got all their own stuff but the chefs I’ve read it behind the scenes story this morning ice bars that had to be imported somewhere and there Chef can do this and somebody’s gluten intolerant and there’s a vegan this it’s unbelievable they spend on that sort of stuff you know just going back to the the players this week on the US side the one the Intriguing player I think this week is going to be Scotty Sheffer he’s been by far in way the standout ball striker in the world of goal for the last 12 to 18 months his putting statistics this year he was 140th in Strokes gain putting on the PGA tour he was in the back half of the the players on tour which really goes to show how incredible his ball striking was to be number one or two in the world for the bulk of the year but under pressure in a rider Cup in match play on tricky greens as you alluded to if that putter becomes a little bit bulky I I he could be a littleit suspect especially when everybody’s talking about it remember VJ sing talked about this age ago he said you know everyone was talking about same thing great ball Striker putting suspect and he said he just stopped reading those stories one week told himself he was a great Putter and he just puted better pet suffered from the same thing you just keep being told constantly that you’re a poor putter well what’s going to happen it has to seep in doesn’t it he’s going to get that every day I’ve heard Adam Scott talk about the same thing about you convince yourself you are because that’s what everyone else says every week you front up and you answer a question in a press conference about how bad a part of you are and you go back and look at the statistics and go I’m actually not that bad but Sheffer is not going to be getting many concessions that aren’t absolute kick-ins this week or he might get a few early in the week to give a little bit of the pressure on him isn’t it too as the particularly in for if you’re putting first you know and you you start leaving puts 4 feet instead of three and you that’s that critical range is it I think 4T is the number is it not 4T to 5T the worst putter at 4T holds more than the best putter from 5T that’s the the PJ to range so yeah you’re right and then you start feeling like you’re leaving your partner these horrible putts and that’s where those pairings become important they uh the Americans did a poor job of that last week first puts were a bit poor when they had their struggles where they didn’t knock it into a really confirmed spot and made it had no idea for the whole week she was her Pace was shocking the pace the pace was difficult yeah with all that said we need to pick winning teams Yan your thoughts um 1513 Europe nice margin I like it Rodney well I’m an old newspaper hack so I always cheer for the story and wouldn’t it be great to see another tie this week oh us retains I’m going for the tie long odds but that’s what I’m going for wow that is that is bold uh I’m going to go with Europe as well um no no score I’m not a score guy I’m not an exactor I think we’re all agreeing I think it’s going to be close I think I do think it’s going to be close this one it’s I think if there’s if there’s going to be a blowout it’ll be in the favor of America but I don’t think there will be a blowout I I don’t think I don’t see golf course and stuff like that delivering a blowout no and form um but it’ll be uh I think a close on thing not a tie though that’s to follow though who says that uh like last week there is some other golf around the world so let’s take a very quick look at who what where and when uh the lpj tour plays a three-day event after the solheim Cup starting Friday this week uh a mouthful of a tournament name the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by PNG suie you know who Liv you know who lives here Scotty Garder does he in Arkansas yep Scot 10 minutes from the golf course good on you Scott gner one of my absolute favorites Australian golf absolutely this of course is a favorite Tournament of rods Yuan due to when they get to the 17th and the hog call of woo pig suoi to do with the University of Arkansas Rod is a big hog calling guy it’s up there it’s got to be one of the greatest things that happens in golf every year doesn’t it the what is it w w 91 PGA a Crooked Stick they were singing out to John D the course every hole and he was responding Jim Beam Jim Beam um yeah it’s fantastic and you you see well Lydia Co I seem to recall a few years ago they done the Hat the pig hat to walk down the a h it’s not a pig it’s a hog come anyway uh Pinnacle Country Club is the host uh once was called Champions club uh and built in 19990 as a upscale housing development of course uh and it’s also the home course to many of the Walmart executives so a little bit sponsor watch for you there Rod I know you’re a big fan it’s the whole town in Arkansas pretty much it’s I think it’s called Walmart I think is it’s the biggest corporation in the world or something like thatg PNG of course is Proctor and Gamble for those playing at home in sponsor watch uh pretty typical tournament golf course you got an island green it’s mostly set up for the people who play it week in week out so you get some pretty good scoring in terms of players watch there’s actually quite a few solheim cuppers on their way back here so Lexi Thompson Leona Maguire Daniel Kang Georgia Hall cheyen Knight and US Captain Stacy Lewis of course who’s a two-time winner I think yeah good feeli yeah I think Stacy yeah she wanted short uh few Aussies as well Hannah green Steph kiraku Grace Kim Sarah Kemp Caris Davidson Sue o and Sarah Jane Smith uh some thoughts from everyone on a winner Rod ldia Co great track record here previous winner obviously finished six times in the top 10 out of 10 starts and looks fabulous with the hog going down the 17th giving it the woo Pig Su call yeah it’s I mean it’s hard to get that’s an important part of it you know you’ve got to look good in the green jacket if you’re going to win The Masters You’ got to be able to carry off the The Hog helmet on the 78th if you’re going to win here just looking at the player entries for this event last night it’s a really really good field the field is fantastic casasso winner of the US Women’s Open uh last year she was runner up at the women’s PGA Championship this year 12th I think race to CME Globe at the moment hits it a mile she’s winning this week for sure okay there you go uh I’m going to go with a tire she won last year she’s going to win again yeah so that’s yeah pretty simple uh finally consecutive weeks in Chinese Taipei or Taiwan depending on who you are and who you want to get angry what international incident you want to start I don’t want to go into it but it’s so confused uh Rod you’re going to tell us about the Mercury’s Taiwan Masters I’m going to tell you very little about it because I’ll be honest with you I completely forgot to do most of the research and then I thought to myself you’s played in Asia he’ll know all about this so playing from the tips difference that’s right million dollar purse so it’s one of the big ones on T it’s got a pretty decent field lots and lots of locals as you’d imagine big Australian contingent I know nothing about the golf course uh don’t know anything about the sponsor disappointing that’s I’ll be honest yeah I won’t explain it but I got up in the middle of the night and fell back asleep before I finished my research uh strangers in the field hen SM Zack Murray todson at Kevin Yan Andrew do is he just come out of back out of no plays almost one um few weeks ago didn’t he in Scotland and Jack Thompson number one in the rerank on the Asian tour he’s in the field Marcus Fraser Terry padar Josh younger need some Walkers out there these guys are really AR they Marcus Fraser must be a thousand by now but another one who went to teaching for a bit and then um decided he missed the playing of it and Tom power horn I got no idea who might win this but golfing age is very different isn’t it you to what certainly what most of those played in Asia a lot it’s still different to any windy place and we spoke about this before we came on air I mean the grainy Greens in Asia it takes so much getting used to just think about putting on a on a on a decent temporary green here in Australia that’s kind of what you’re looking at for 18 holes in Asia and a lot of players are just their Putters out a little bit more Loft but either way it does take quite a bit of getting used to but Travis SMI someone who has really gotten used to it he’s runner up last week and seems to play well week after week Kevin Yuan from the Australian Golf Club he’s another consistent performer Doty you mentioned Jack Thompson’s been playing well this year hen’s coming off a win in the European Legends T definitely an Aussie winning this week but if an Aussie doesn’t win I see the big dolphin giving it a giving it a red H we were on on the big dolphin last week and another one of my favorite people in uh professional golf winning in P sax Hansen oh yeah a big pum guy right here yeah so 24 under last week so good with his fiance on the bag too he felt gutted he lost the all Thailand Tour event a couple of weeks before in a play off when she was catting for him and she got really upset and he felt really bad for her and so he felt the pressure to win this week which is just like the some of the tie players when you get to interview him after round it is the most exciting wonderful thing of all time uh just on tra quickly PHS he’s been a huge Live cheerleader right from the get-go he is motivated to get back there to play his way back there I think and yes you to see that in his play absolutely you can see what playing and having that stint for a few events on Liv did for his his confidence as well being around the best players in the world and love or loath live golf just for someone like Trav The Experience whatever happens to live and golf in the future for him personally that’s going to be the best thing for him he knows that he feels he belongs out there just needs to be given the the shot made a pile of cash too just both individually and teams I think he’s made a couple of million the last two years yeah very ni so who are we going with I’m going to pick Trev parley for that reason he did play really well last week and he’s a bit of a conf confidence player dver I wouldn’t be surprised to see him get up this week yep you and you Jack Thompson good choice good yeah can act as well and play the harmonica uh I am going to pick Scott hen uh I think that Legends to a win in Europe is going to do heaps for Scott and we spoke about grain no one knows grain better than handy grew up moving around all around Australia with a military family and so played some grainy golf courses Queensland lives in yeah like he that’s that’s as good as it gets and 10 time winner on the Asian tour he’s going to add another one before he’s done question and he almost won in Indonesia yeah exactly H out of bounds and yeah and on the Australians my again I’m giving myself some props here I tipped Doug Klein last week he finished in a share of knife so prompted you to TI he’s a great player and a good fell but why did you pick him last week what was it about to delve into my process just to appreciate the results that’s going to do it for episode 33 I think I said of playing from the tips uh Yan it’s been an absolute pleasure to have a real expert on and the much and the much better half of bullet GC not last week no not week log’s still celebrating he was very smug after that last smug log is my least favorite log I think he went straight from backers into the airport didn’t he to go just so he was there in case uh Rod it’s been a pleasure and you seem very up and about this week I can’t imagine what’s different about this week to make you so happy well Lo’s not here ex exactly it’s just it’s you got to be on your game when you get the big guns you actually you do some yeah that’s right uh you can follow all the rder cup action and more on the golf Australia magazine website Golf australia.com and given it is wrer cup week go and listen to the thing about golf podcast episode John huggan recently did with Bernard Gallagher it is absolutely fantastic and heads up tomorrow Sam torren there you go you heard it here first or you heard it here about 30th depending on when you’re listend on when you’re listening that’s right it was 2024 already you’ve missed all that youve missed all that but we’ probably got a good guest this week as well uh thank you for listening and we will be back next week on playing from the tips [Music] [Applause]
