Ryder Cup Size

Last weekend, the European Golf professionals assembled in Ireland gave the United States a total thrashing. It was their third consecutive victory.

In 1979, the Ryder Cup was a huge deal because it was the first time the US was facing "Europe" instead of just the United Kingdom. Since that change, the Europeans have won 8 of 14 events.

More importantly, however, was what happened in 1994. The President's Cup was created by then bored George H.W. Bush. The event was scheduled on opposite years of the Ryder Cup, and featured the "Rest of the world" versus the U.S. The International team has won it once, and it has been a tie once, the US has won every other event.

Just so we are clear, the Yanks play a series of matches every September. They alternate between Europe and the Rest of the World in any given year. Sounds like their foreign policy.

America, however, is bored with it, and so am I. Back in the day, I used to get excited about the Ryder Cup because it was every second year, I suspect that they got excited about it too because it was a chance to represent their country.

Similarly, there have been players gripe about how busy they are and how they will not participate in the President's Cup as a result.

I have a solution. Every year, the four best clubs in Ottawa play a series of "Intersectional matches" against one another. They top ten players from all four clubs play matches against each other simultaneously. So we are clear, if we all make fours on the first hole, everyone is even, on the next whole, I make a ten, and I am one down to everyone. I am sure you get the idea.

To make the Ryder Cup more interesting, and to presumably save the President's Cup, I would propose blending the two events into one. Have the US, Europe and the ROW play matches against each other at the same time.

For starters, it would re-energize an event that is lagging in popularity everywhere except Europe. More importantly, it would make it really interesting as professionals, who aren't used to playing matches against two groups, change their strategies from shot to shot- advance on the Americans while defending against the Europeans, for example.

The rest of the rules can stay the same. The best part about my plan is that there are few people who can use "tradition" as an excuse.