Caddie Chronicles: Why Europe Dominates the Ryder Cup

It’s because it means more to them. A lot more! And I’m not talking about the players or the captains or the thousands of people that go to watch or the millions of people that watch it on TV. That’s the same for both sides. I’m taking about the European PGA Tour.

The European tour hasn’t got the advantages of the PGA tour which operates in the world’s largest economy. An economy that has hundreds, if not thousands of big corporations falling all over themselves to sponsor tournaments. The very thought of trying to compete with that must reduce the chief executive of the European Tour to tears.

The Ryder Cup was always an important event but I can tell you exactly when the bell rang. I spent my first year caddying in Europe in 1983 and going from working near million dollar tournaments in the States to the paltry Europe events has a shock to the system. But the life of a wonder lust caddie is rarely dictated solely by the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. The lack of prize funds where amply compensated for by adventure, good beer and the congenial attitude of certain Scandinavian women.

But I digress.

During the summer of ‘83 I became good friends with Nick Faldo’s caddie and roomed with him at most events. As the summer progressed I decided I would head back to the States for the week of the Ryder Cup. Europe’s team didn’t have a great deal of depth but their top players were world class and it looked like they might give the American team a run for there money for the first time in years.

One way or another it was going to be a great week, and it was. I got a job “spotting” for CBS so as to get inside the ropes and I can say I witnessed some of the most electrifying golf you could ever hope to see. The American’s won by a single point in the end, 14 ½ to 13 ½  but it was really hard to say that anyone lost.

That point was certainly borne out on my return to Europe the following summer. The prize money had rocketed up, tournaments took on a whole knew professional look to them and players like Faldo, Langer and Ballesteros where treated like gods. I can tell you that none of this escaped the notice of the European Tour.

Suddenly they where in the position to charge vast amounts of money to who ever wanted to host the next Ryder Cup and extracted promises of holding big money tour events at those venues for four or five years in advance. The European Tour had found their cash cow!

Most people don’t realize that the Ryder Cup is the third most watched sporting event in the world. Only the Olympics and World Cup football have greater TV audiences. The TV rights alone must be staggering. The European Tour can practically fund their entire tour off the back of that Cup. And none of that would be true if the Ryder Cup was something that they lost every two years.

So if you want to know the reason why the Europeans keep winning the Ryder Cup, it’s because they can’t afford not to. It’s as simple as that. Or another way of saying it is, the American team and the PGA of America are victims of America’s success as a nation. Now I don’t know what you think but that’s one hell of a consolation prize.

But if that’s not good enough for you there was one other winner last week that was never mentioned at the closing ceremonies. A winner that should have been obvious to any real golfer that watched that competition.

It’s so simple.

Sitting there watching, it was near impossible not to be overwhelming by the incredible standard of play. It was a cavalcade of magnificent shots hit by the best players in the world played under the ultimate duress. It doesn’t get better then that. It really didn’t matter if your team won or lost, the real winner at the end of the day was the great game of Golf.

Lorne Duncan has traveled the world caddying and playing golf. After his dustup with the lords of Augusta, he has made his maiden voyage to Myrtle Beach, but it won't be his last!! Our man Duncan will be caddying for reigning US Amateur Champion Matt Fitzpatrick at next week's US Open.