Ryder Cup: Butch Harmon reviews second day at Le Golf National
Sunday 30 September 2018 14:12, UK
Butch Harmon reflects on a mixed Saturday for Team USA at the Ryder Cup and discusses Tiger Woods' display at Le Golf National.
The afternoon session was like a different day for the American team, as they actually looked more engaged than previous sessions and looked more at ease with the golf course. They were out in foursomes, which they're traditionally not very good at here, but - other than Woods' pairing - played pretty good.
A lot of credit has to go Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas. They fought and have won both their matches today, which was all they could do. They more than salvaged something, as the USA have only got six points and they've got half of them.
I watched Jordan at the start of the week, when he was practising with a couple of my guys, and he has horrendous. He has got better each day, better in each session of the tournament and has found his putting stroke again this week.
Tiger hasn't played the same way that he did last week to win. For me, he looks a little burned out mentally and I think that FedExCup had a lot to do with it.
The talk beforehand was about putting Tiger and Mickelson in the last two places because they're two really good players, but they haven't lived up to that CV.
Le Golf National is set up for accuracy, not distance. The American teams are noted for distance and don't play a lot of courses like this, where they can bomb it and then hit wedges on to the green.
This course, in cold and windy conditions, has not suited them because they haven't played on them very often. I love these guys are on this team but they were not situated to play this golf course, in this condition, and it has caught them out.
Where have all the stars been? Where has Webb Simpson been? Where has Rickie Fowler been? The US team has to go out on Sunday morning and get momentum out of their first four or five guys.
They've got to win four of the first five matches and there's got to have a bunch of red on the board. That board has to bleed red to give that team the hope and to make the European team think "oh my gosh, here they come".
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