 President's
Cup Brings
the World to Virginia
By Jeffrey A.
Rendall, TravelGolf.com Staff Writer
I knew when I went to the President's Cup that it would be unlike
any golf event I've ever attended. I knew it would even contrast
regular PGA tour events, such as the Michelob Championship--which
I attended just two weeks ago. But it was more than the unique tournament
format that highlighted the main difference--it was the higher stakes
involved. World golf reputation and pride was on the line for both
sides--arguably more valuable than a winner's check.
For four days the world, sans Europe, turned its golfing focus
on the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Lake Manassas, Virginia.
The United States put its 12 best players against the world's
12 best. The winners took home the President's Cup, and pride.
Lake Manassas is about a half-hour from downtown Washington, D.C.,
and is part of Prince William County. Despite the event's international
presence and attention, the tournament still contained a good dose
of local Virginia flavor to it. The Prince William County folks
did an excellent job of promoting how great golf in the state already
is--and how good it can be. And although the everyday player can't
just walk on and play RTJ, there's only a lake separating you from
a great place you CAN play (Virginia
Oaks).
And another fine public track, Bull
Run Country Club, is just up the road about 10 minutes away.
The Robert Trent Jones Golf Club is the legendary architect's
only work that bears his name. The course itself is a summation
of all the golf course design elements that Jones admired--long
and difficult holes, risk/rewards, lots of water, and bunkering
to test the best in golf. Each hole is different and memorable.
The clubhouse is world-class. The grounds are impeccable. The scenery
is breathtaking.
You run out of superlatives before you run out of subjects. I
almost felt guilty walking the grounds--lest I trample on some of
the beautiful groundskeeping. I've seen greens that were cut longer
than the fairways at RTJ--and they were soft and spongy, almost
like astroturf. But it was no carpet--the pros made real divots.
I admire professional golfers for more than just their beautiful
swings--they get to play on these magnificent courses, too.
In other words, there was a lot to appreciate with the President's
Cup. You can turn to any number of golf publications to find the
details of the United States' smashing victory; alternatively, I'd
like to provide some insights into the tournament and players themselves.
Just as I did with my Michelob
Championship article, I'll lend you some of my observations
for the two days.
Caddies notice distractions
more than players
There were numerous times when the caddies would 'instruct' the crowd on
how to behave while the players remained stoic and focussed. A good
example was the eighth hole during Saturday's Four Ball Rounds. Tiger
Woods hit his drive into the right rough. The crowd (including myself)
rushed to gather around the ball, leaving just enough of a path for
the legend to hit his ball through.
Tiger's caddy immediately began eliminating potential distractions.
He lectured a woman with a camera on how they're not allowed except
for members of the media--and she wasn't even taking pictures with
it! He also sternly warned a group of kids to remain still while
Tiger sized up the shot and then proceeded to pound the ball through
a tiny opening in the tree line towards the green. Other players'
caddies performed similar 'enforcer' roles.
Tiger is Superhuman
Tiger's demeanor itself was noteworthy. For those who have been
to the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
at Arlington National cemetery, you'll know exactly what I mean.
Like the soldiers of the guard, Tiger was almost trancelike as he
examined the situation, chose a path to shoot through, and executed
the shot. Not once did he even flinch from the hundred or so people
located just an arm's length away. Even his movements seemed practiced
and controlled. It's easy to see how he's able to perform so well
under intense pressure--it's almost as if he's got full body control
as well as mind control. Impressive.
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| Tiger Woods |
Tiger's Galleries aren't there for the golf
If it wasn't clear before, it's clear now. Most of the folks who
follow Tiger on his trip around the links are there to watch him,
not how he performs. Tiger is undisputedly the best player in the
world, but even he makes some mistakes. On the 12th hole on Saturday,
Woods hit his drive into the hazard on the right side (I'm pretty
sure he had to drop, but not 100%). When he hit the shot, fans strained
their vocal chords to shout 'You Da Man' and 'Go get 'em Tiger!'
before they even saw where the shot went. In fairness, the gallery's
reaction would be typical of most players they observed. But Tiger's
galleries want to see him do something spectacular--and his mere
striking of a golf ball meets most of their standards for incredulity.
Pros actually have it easier
How many times have you hit a poor shot, followed the path of
the ball and garnered a 'pretty good idea' of where it ended up--only
to arrive at the spot and it's nowhere to be found? Pros have it
much easier. Every one of their shots is immediately located by
course officials. It leaves much more time for them to assess what
they need to do on their next try. The rest of us not only have
to frantically locate the ball (or face its loss along with a penalty),
but we must keep in mind the group behind us and pace of play. I
think tournament conditions are worth several strokes every round
for the top players. That being said, I'd still take them in a bet
over myself any day of the week!
Pros' shot routines build consistency
One aspect of professional golf that I was particularly impressed
with was the pros' pre-shot routines. Each has one, and they're
as different as their individual swings. Greg Norman would look
to find the correct line, place the club in back of the ball, then
assume his stance and check his grip. It was very methodical, yet
took little time. A small playing lesson we all should keep in mind,
rather than ripping a club from the bag, hurrying to the ball and
swiping at it with nary a thought to interrupt our hacking.
Pros execute long iron and fairway wood play
It's a general theory of mine that just about anyone can hit a
shot from 125 yards and in. Some players may only get one or two
good ones a round, but at least there's a smidgen of saving grace
in that. But to be able to execute long iron play consistently is
something that few non-pros can do.
I stood at the midpoint of the par five 14th hole Sunday, watching
the players go at the green in two--hitting over a pond front and
left, and a group of bunkers guarding the right side. Player after
player struck solid long irons or 3 woods--without coming up short--and
held the green. Vijay Singh's was particularly impressive--hitting
a three wood from a fairway bunker to within 10 feet.
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| Ernie Els |
I will note that two players found the water--Ernie Els and Steve Elkington.
Els hit his drive in the deep rough and his second was a low liner
that just caught the hazard. Elkington had no excuses--he shanked
a long iron into the pond. Clearly a mishit.
But I don't think it shoots my overall theory… I guess my
experiences at the President's Cup shows that even pros are human.
Or at least some of them are.
The President's Cup
October 19-22, 2000
Robert Trent Jones Golf Club
Lake Manassas, Virginia
Website: http://www.presidentscup.com
Final Score: United States 21.5, Internationals 10.5.
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