America are unquestionably underdogs but beware a mirror-image of recent Ryder Cups when they lock horns with Europe at Gleneagles this week, believes Butch Harmon.
The master coach will be on Sky Sports’ commentary team for their coverage this week but sees a swapping of the usual personas of the teams, with Europe cast in the USA’s traditional favourite role while Rory McIlroy could be for Europe what the missing Tiger Woods has been for the USA.
And he believes that the USA, without a world top-five player in their line-up for the first time since the rankings were established, might actually be better without the absent Woods.
“Well, the last time they won in 2008 Tiger wasn’t on the team,” pointed out Harmon, Wood’s coach in perhaps his greatest spell. “They’re certainly stronger without Tiger the way he’s playing, because he hasn’t played well.
“Obviously physically he couldn’t play anyway, but I don’t think they lose anything by not having him, because at this point in time he’s not the Tiger Woods that we remember.”
The role of the totemic man to be shot at by the opposing team, continued Harmon, was now filled by McIlroy.
“We’re all impressed with what Rory’s done, he’s far and away the best player in the world, he is Tiger-esque, risen his game to a different level.
“I think the players on our side respect Rory, they like Rory, he’s good in the locker room and with the guys he’s fun to be around. But then again this is the Ryder Cup, you put all that aside.
“I wouldn’t say this was a weak American team but I think it is one of the most inexperienced. We have Phil (Mickelson) who has played in nine and Jim Furyk who has played in eight, and then you’re all the way down to Zach Johnson who has only played in three.
“But I think it’s good for the US side because, quite frankly, they aren’t used to getting their brains beat out by the European team, like a lot of our veterans. And I think it brings a lot of energy to our team.”
Harmon thought that the young American team would be loose, having encouraged several of his players to “go back home, relax and get your body and your mind straight”.
“I talked to Rickie (Fowler), I talked to Jimmy Walker who’s never played, and said just go home and relax, have fun. If you want to hit some balls when the weekend gets here, that’s fine.
“But just put your clubs up, watch some football, enjoy yourself, enjoy your family, enjoy your downtime.
“I said to Jimmy, don’t be calling me sending me pictures of your swing. You were playing just fine, and I’ll be there all week next week, if there’s a problem we can fix it.”
Harmon believes that the youthful nature of this American team might make up for the difference in team spirit between the sides.
“I’ve said before I think this is a personality of the two tours,” he explained.
“If you watch the European tour you see the guys all having dinner together at night, you see them having a drink in the bar, and you see them all travelling together.
“You go to the US tour you see the guys just eating by themselves, with their families, they travel by themselves and most of them in their own private jets.
“They don’t spend a lot of time together and I think in the past that has been a problem with the US team. But all the young guys are really jacked up to be on this year’s team, so I think you might see the US might be the most unified team we’ve had in who knows when.
“These kids are not that far from having played in college, they understand the team atmosphere, and that’s why they’re looking forward to it. They’re all talking about ‘Man, I get to put on the red, white and blue. This is the coolest thing’.
“They all played Walker Cup together. They’ve all been on US teams and they understand it.”
This will be Harmon’s ninth Ryder Cup, and he can’t wait for it to start.
“I’m American and in my heart I’m red, white and blue but I also love the Ryder Cup and Medinah was the most exciting thing I’ve ever been involved in,” he said. “I don’t know how you top that, it was the greatest thing I’ve ever seen.
“I really hope and think we’re going to see that again this year, except I don’t think you’re going to see one team run out to a big lead, I think it’s going to be competitive and close every day. At least I hope so, because that’s what the Ryder Cup is all about.”