Tuesday 23 September 2014 16:35, UK
The word is Epic: ep-ic (noun). 1. Long narrative poem; 2. Large-scale production; 3. Long series of events. And there is no more apt expression to sum up the way the US is looking forward to this week’s events from Gleneagles.
Just to start with, American viewers will be expecting an epic competition, in the between-the-fingers, watching-from-behind-the-couch kind of way. As a general rule, its fair to say the legions of Uncle Sam are hoping for the best but fearing the worst.
After all, they are well aware of the fact the USA’s last win on foreign soil was in 1993, when Rickie Fowler was four, Keegan Bradley was seven and Webb Simpson eight. And Jordan Spieth was two MONTHS old. Oh, and Tom Watson was the captain back then.
So there is definitely an air of expectation over this year’s Cup, in the long-narrative-poem sense. People over here are anticipating a true clash of the giants, even without Tiger Woods involved and even though they feel distinctly more David than Goliath these days.
Then there’s the grand nature of Ryder Cup 2014, with a genuine large-scale feel around a Gleneagles course that dates back to 1921, when the Cup was founded, and at the luxurious Gleneagles Hotel, which has played host to prime ministers, presidents and now 24 of the world’s top 44 golfers.
And, if you’re looking forward to a long series of events, how about this – the NBC sports group will screen an unprecedented 85½ live HOURS of coverage from Scotland in the course of this week.
Considering much of that coverage will begin at 2.30am here in the Eastern time zone (11.30pm on the Pacific coast and 8.30pm in Hawaii!), that is a tall order of golf-watching complexity. But it underlines the truly epic character the contest has taken on this year, fuelled by Europe’s dominance at the top of the world rankings, with four of the top six and only one American, Jim Furyk, in amongst that group.
With all that epic rivalry rattling around, it made sense to consult my pals at the Golf Channel to take the pulse of American golf ahead of the big tee-off. New Zealander Frank Nobilo possesses one of the sharpest minds in the commentary booth and offers a truly neutral point of view, while Gary Williams is the dialed-in presenter of the daily Morning Drive programme and a walking encyclopedia of all things Ryder Cup-like.
Nobilo relishes the prospect, especially as Europe are the bookies’ favourites and he sees it as a unique situation. He told me: “There has never really been this imbalance that so heavily favours Europe in the rankings but it is a sign of the times. Gone are the days when you had eight strong players and four others. Now Europe is strong 1-12 and, while there is no such thing as a weak US side, the Americans are very aware of that strength and that Europe currently has the best player in the world.
“Among American golf fans I think there is a bit of panic, to be honest. When you look at the way the country plays its sports, with the Super Bowl and the World Series, etc, they aren’t exposed to the same natural nationalism as there is in Europe and other parts of the world, and that can put a bit of pressure on a team.
“Fortunately for the US, they have Tom Watson. He is the ideal man for this job and is an extremely good captain. He is not going to panic and he is very much a team-first man. But he’s going to need to be as I think the odds are definitely in Europe’s favour. It will be closer than some people think, though.”
Nobilo believes that most American players now see enough of European courses not to be phased by slow greens, tighter fairways and punitive rough, and US success in the Open Championship, where five different Americans not called Woods have all won in the past 13 years, has levelled the playing field in terms of head-to-head competition, be it Gleneagles, The Belfry or Celtic Manor.
The heavy European wins of 2004 and 2006 stick out as outliers of a general trend for close calls – and underdog tactics.
Nobilo insists: “I’m sure the Europeans will still go in as underdogs in their own minds as that is the attitude that has so frustrated the US in the past. But that will be hard to pull off with Rory McIlroy as the world No.1. He’s the guy now with the target on his back and Watson will be well aware of that and have his team primed accordingly.
“Golf is a fickle sport and momentum can generate some crazy stuff. If you can get a bit of momentum, you get a Poulter-like performance but equally, if you are struggling for form, you aren’t going to find it in the Ryder Cup. That’s why both sides look so well balanced.”
Wall-to-wall
Epic is also most definitely the case when it comes to how this Cup will be screened on both sides of the Atlantic. Sky’s wall-to-wall coverage will be matched by a unique line-up of programming over here that will be split between the main NBC channel and its Golf Channel subsidiary. For much of the live action, BOTH channels will be screening it, but from two totally different perspectives.
Williams will be the anchor for the Golf Channel’s innovative coverage, and he explained: “We are aiming to give viewers the chance to live through the cauldron that is the Ryder Cup in a unique fashion. We will have a group of five guys, four of whom have played in it or even captained a team, who can provide true all-round perspective of every aspect of the Cup, from the pairings to each individual shot.”
Here’s how it will work. While NBC will screen their own shot-by-shot view, Williams will be at the centre of a group including David Feherty, Lanny Wadkins (who is tied for most appearances and second only to Arnold Palmer for most matches won, while also being captain in 1995) and American veterans David Duval and Justin Leonard.
This group will be watching the international feed of the coverage and commenting on it accordingly, with the benefit of a range of high-tech gadgets so they can demonstrate particular shots and even play them themselves on simulators as the live action plays out in front of them.
It promises to be an absolute TV-fest for those who can rouse themselves at the appropriate time each morning, as well as being a four-day challenge of, yes, epic proportions. In fact, it could well be the most concentrated period of sport-watching in television history.
That’s because US viewers will also be regaled with a live NFL game on Thursday night (screened live on Sky Sports 2 HD at 1.25am on Friday) that will segue almost seamlessly into the first day of the Ryder Cup, making for an almost unbroken 16½ hours of viewing on Thursday/Friday.
That will then be followed by another Cup marathon from 3am on Saturday (US time), finishing just in time for the day’s college (American) football programme, which remains a seriously Big Deal for sports fans on this side of the pond. Considering that the last game usually finishes around 1.30am on Sunday, that makes for a 22½-hour session.
We then get a generous 5½ hours of sleep before the Cup singles kick off, which, in turn, leads straight into the day’s full NFL programme (with two more games live on Sky Sports 2 HD) that will finish, if we’re lucky at around 11.30pm. So, just the 16½ hours on Sunday, then.
Main course
Williams laughs at the thought of being the main course in an American football sandwich. “I think we are going to have our own problems staying on top of things and keeping the conversation going. (Football commentator) John Madden always used to say you never empty the bucket in terms of the amount of things you prepare for on a live broadcast but I think our guys are going to come pretty close!
“It is an immense challenge to go out live with that much broadcasting, especially in this innovative format, but I think it’s something that should have great viewer appeal and we’re really looking forward to it.”
So there you have it. A whole country is primed and prepared for perhaps the most intense TV sport spectacle of all time, and it will all be served up by some of the most imaginative programming we have ever seen.
In the middle of it all will be 24 golfers, two captains and their support staff, battling it out for the 40th Ryder Cup in Perth and Kinross. For most Americans, it will be hold-your-breath time, hoping that Phil Mickelson, Bubba Watson and Co can upset the odds.
But, as Nobilo says, “If there’s one thing that the Cup has taught us in recent years, it is to expect the unexpected.”
There’s one thing I DO expect, though, and that is I will be very, very tired by Monday morning. And just a little square-eyed. Did anyone say Epic?
Sky Sports will offer more Ryder Cup coverage than ever before, including a dedicated channel called ‘Sky Sports Ryder Cup’ that will broadcast over 300 hours of programming.
