No point tip-toeing around when you can plant your big size 12s in it, as Phil Mickelson managed yesterday with a mischievous jibe directed at Rory McIlroy and Graeme McDowell.
With the build-up to this 40th edition of the Ryder Cup seemingly moving along like clockwork, if all rather polite and respectful, the American couldn't resist referencing ongoing court proceedings that, to a greater and a lesser extent, involve the two golfers.
“Well, not only are we able to play together, we also don’t litigate against each other. And that’s a real plus, I feel, heading into this week,” responded Mickelson to a question concerning unity in the USA team.
Mickelson’s comments, if not entirely correct – in that McIlroy and McDowell are not directly involved in the litigation – nevertheless injected some heat into the week and also to the USA’s quest to win for the first time on this side of the Atlantic since 1993.
Mickelson paused for effect after his remarks, smiling as he added: “I couldn’t resist. Sorry.”
Chosen words The words seemed to come off the cuff, but there was no hiding that Mickelson was aware of how they had impacted. The damage, intentional or not, was done. Paul McGinley, the European captain, subsequently refused to be drawn and declined to comment. Perhaps he can yet get to use Mickelson’s loose tongue as a motivational tool.
Indeed, up to Mickelson’s upping of the ante, the only apparent passion had come from differing motivational moves, which had seen legendary Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson give a pep talk to the Europeans while a number of wounded US army veterans motivate the American players in a meeting planned by US team captain Tom Watson.
For his part, McGinley has tried to concentrate on his own team affairs without wondering how the Americans have gone about their business since arriving here in Perthshire. His focus on his own players has been such that he said he didn’t know which American players were playing with who in practice.
So, McGinley wouldn’t have known that Watson had sent out his players yesterday in precisely the same groupings as he had done on Tuesday, with Mickelson confirming that he would be renewing his partnership from Medinah in 2012 with Keegan Bradley.
McGinley sent out his players in groups of four in a restricted practice (of 10 holes) that featured McIlroy and McDowell, Victor Dubuisson and Martin Kaymer; Lee Westwood, Stephen Gallacher, Jamie Donaldson and Thomas Bjorn; and Justin Rose, Ian Poulter, Sergio Garcia and Henrik Stenson.
Pairing up The pairings McGinley will send into tomorrow morning’s opening fourballs have formed in his head, but won’t be cemented until further discussion with his vice-captains.
“Coming in here, I had a skeletal plan in place, but there’s always movements within that. Like all good plans, it must have flexibility . . . and the other [thing] is what rotation we are going out in. That’s hugely important.”
For all the keeping of cards close to his chest, it would seem that McGinley’s pairings are evolving. McIlroy with Kaymer? McDowell with Dubuisson? Stenson with Garcia? Poulter with Rose? Perhaps Westwood with Gallacher. Maybe Bjorn with Donaldson. Time will tell.
In McIlroy’s case, it would seem highly likely that he will be one of the few golfers to play in all five sessions and likely to do so with a new version of his Nike Covert driver.
Rory’s driver Did McGinley have any concerns about his player putting a new club in the bag in the week of the Ryder Cup?
“It doesn’t concern me at all. He spoke to me first thing when he got here. I said, ‘Rory, I don’t have any problem. You make your own decisions . . . you are the best player in the world’. I’d never dream of giving a player a lesson or telling them what to do.”
And the world No 1 took encouragement from again meeting up with Ferguson.
“He’s an inspirational man and obviously, being a big Manchester United fan, having him there was a huge thrill for me,” McIlroy said. “I really got a lot out of it. G-Mac and I were sitting together and I didn’t take my eyes off Fergie the whole time. What he was talking about, the stories, how he managed certain players, what he was thinking before certain games.”
McDowell had a similar outlook. “It was very inspiring . . . he is one of my heroes and it was just great to hear the insights of a great team manager who managed to get the most out of his team most weeks.”
The dynamics of the contest may have revved up with Mickelson’s intervention – whether made innocently or by design. Still, McGinley appears to have his hands firmly on the direction he is steering his team. A few words from Mickelson are unlikely to rock the boat.
