Love has tried to change the course to suit America, but it won’t help
I’VE seen the Ryder Cup course at Medinah Country Club, near Chicago, and it’s clear that USA’s captain Davis Love has tried to set it up to suit them, and I believe he’s made a big error in doing that.
He’s cut away all of the rough on the course and that, to me, doesn’t suit either America or Europe, it just makes it an easier game. That’s fine if you want to be more aggressive, but the mistake is cutting away the rough around the greens. This is something we’ve done for 20 years to suit the Europeans and now he’s done it at the Medinah. The Americans are more suited to the rough because they typically play it week in, week out.
The course is fantastic from what I can see, it’s a really good test of golf for all of those players because anyone could struggle on it. Ultimately, however, you only have to beat the player you’re facing and should concentrate on that; it’s not a tournament where you have to shoot in the sixties.
Sam Torrance OBE is a multiple Ryder Cup-winning golfer and media commentator. He famously sank the putt that clinched victory for Europe in 1985. A player on the team on eight occasions, winning four times, he also captained the side to victory in 2002. Follow him on Twitter @torrancesam