The Official Site of Hunter Mahan

Sat, Sep 13th 2008, 15:57

Caddie's Corner: The Trip Out--Or Third Time’s the Charm

Well, here we are again, on the brink of another Ryder Cup. My third,
Hunter’s first, and sitting in our lap is a suitcase full of
questions. Can we (the U.S.) figure out the magic formula to win one
of these things again, or at least be competitive after the last two
thrashings? How much will Tiger’s absence affect that effort? How
much does a captain mean? And most important: Can we make the big putt that they always seem to. I’m sure there are thousand and one more questions to be answered, but those are the ones most immediate in my miind as I jet from Sacramento to Louisville to begin my preparations for The Ryder Cup.

It’s Saturday, and I don’t really need to be in Louisville until
Monday, but I wanted to get there early. Before the players, the
crowds, and the other caddies to get all of my homework done tomorrow (Sunday). My plan is to get out to the course early tomorrow morning and walk, chart, map out an early strategy, and most importantly, spend a lot of times on the greens. In my two previous Ryder Cups (The Belfry in 2002 for Mark Calcavecchia, which was the last remotely competitive Cup, and Oakland Hills for Chris Riley, the first of two massive blowouts for the Europeans), it has simply blown me away how the Europeans have performed on the greens. They seem to make EVERYTHING. I don’t know if it’s the comfort of having a partner, working a little more on the greens in their practice rounds, the more social aspect of the setting, or some otherworldy element that allows them to putt so freely, so without care. As Bones always says: “The Ryder Cupis ultimately a putting contest.” And barring a miracle Sunday in 1999 at Brookline, we have been beaten in every way. So, my thinking in getting here early and doing extra work on the greens to help Hunter and the team out, make sure we are prepared for every eventuality and by the time the tournament starts nextFriday have every putt read before we have it, if that makes any sense.

I must say that I really like this team. It may not be as star
studded as past Ryder Cup Teams (obviously no Tiger) but it has a few
young guns that will be the heart of the next 3-5 U.S. Ryder Cup
Teams. Guys who don’t know and don’t care what there is to be afraid of. Guys who may show up on Tuesday with a little SWAGGER and not a slumped shoulder to be found. And that is a good thing…the key I think for us this year is to get a lead on Friday of any kind. It’s been sooooo long since The Europeans have had to play with pressure after Friday that if we can get out early and win the day, then I think the game is on. What we cannot afford to do is fall behind big
and have to play catch-up. It’s just like any other sport. How often
in a Super Bowl to you see one team get a sizable lead and before you
know it it’s a complete blowout. The bigger the lead, the more
relaxed you play, the tighter your opponent plays, and any preparation or game planning you have done just blows up in your face, which is what happened at Oakland Hills in 02 and Ireland in 04. You see the Europeans up 3 1/2 to 1/2 on Friday afternoon and you start trying to make hero shots instead of playing your game. So, if we can play our game on Friday, get a few good partnerships working early, and get a lead, get some SWAGGER back, I like our chances.

The last thing I want to say in the opening of “Ryder Cup Diary 08” is
maybe the most important. I don’t get the sense of anyone involved with the U.S. Team being “Just Happy To Be Here,” one of sports most overused but relevant cliches. Enough. I received many congratulatory calls and texts and e mails from friends, family,
fellow caddies, players, etc. when Hunter was named to the team, and
while they were all appreciated and heartfelt, we haven’t done a thing
yet. I have no intention of being here to get the cool clothes and
and say “Whoopee, look at me, I’ve worked three Ryder Cups.” Couldn’t care less. Enough. I truly get the sense that Phil and Furyk,
Anthony, Hunter, Stricker, J.B. and Kenny, Ben Curtis, Justin,
Stewart, Chad and Boo are here to win. And speaking for myself,
that’s the only thing I’m here for. Yes, I’d like to get a lead on
Friday, but I’d really like to have a lead on Sunday around 6:00.

That’s all for now. I’ll try and update this little diary (I can’t
allow myself to say I’m blogging) as much as I can throughout
the week, time and energy pending, of course. Root hard, be cocky,
and for God’s sake walk around with a chip on your shoulder this
week. That’s what we’re gonna do.

John