US Ryder Cup Training Camp seems to be a victory. But is there a disadvantage?

Napa, California – Patrick Cantlay did not hit balls next to players. He struck them.

Don’t worry. He is a professional. But there he and his personal team were late Monday afternoon, posted in the last place on the left side of the range, on just a few fence of a fence – and about 25 meters behind a few benefits on his right side. A member of his team said he was trying to create a perspective for his driver.

Cantlay was in the full grinding mode. According to all the stories, he was all in it. The next morning, Cantlay and nine of his US Ryder Cup teammates played a nine-hole practice round for the PGA Tour’s Procore Championship. Wednesday they played a nine-hole pro-AM. Thursday and Friday they played the opening rounds and they hope to win. It is all planned to prepare the Americans in Bethpage Black in two weeks for the Ryder Cup – or at least to prepare better than two years ago. Subsequently, only three of the 12 Americans played in the two-week run-up, compared to all the dozen of their European counterparts, and the euros rolled, 16.5-11.5.

Did the week work here? For a man the answer was an unambiguous, deep derhelhel yes. On the other hand, nobody will know completely until Sunday evening in Bethpage.

And that raises this question:

Is there a disadvantage to play this week?

This is not meant to dampen your American pride, or to be a doubt (Justin) Thomas, to say. But Golf is played in the North Course of the Silverado Resort. There will be good photos. There will be Duds. They can stink, you know.

But the line from about the end of the last Ryder Cup to this week’s Procore is that representatives make up the most. Or, in other words, they are better than inactivity. Two years ago, nine of the Americans played in the Tour tour championship of the PGA Tour that ended on 27 August and then did not play competitive until the start of the Ryder Cup on September 29.

This year’s team members, NAPA spoke early. Captain Keegan Bradley made a priority of it. And here they are.

Scottie Scheffler said: “Two years ago for Rome we did that trip there to get ready for the golf course. In short, the conclusion that we came was that it would be nice to have some competition in the Ryder Cup. And it would be unusual for me to be four or five weeks off for the Masters or the US, I would always be in the rider, I would always have to do something that I would have to do. Preparation;

Collin Morikawa said: “Yes, I think while you look back a few years ago, many of us took four weeks off and at the end of the day we looked back and said how we get better, anyway? How do we give ourselves a better chance to go there and compete?

“I know that I was not feeling that I was just as prepared a few years ago, although I put a lot of work in those four weeks. Tournament -Golf is just different and you have to show up. So it is great to have almost everyone here this week. Many great vibes during the meetings and the dinners we have. That is what you ask.”

But don’t sleep at rest.

Four years ago, the event was played here in Napa two weeks before the Ryder Cup, held in Whistling Straits in Wisconsin, and played zero Americans. But one European did – Jon Rahm. And apart from three euros, two weeks before the Ryder Cup (the BMW PGA Championship) played in the event of the DP World Tour.

The result? The Americans dominated the Ryder Cup, 19-9.

Two years ago it was more of the same then. The season is long. The Ryder Cup is an animal. Players opted for a break.

Said Brian Harman in the days before the Ryder Cup 2023: “Yes, a lot of rest. Not enough is made – our body takes a bit of a beating all year round. So done at the Tour Championship, almost just a week of nothing, came out a bit, came here, and then two weeks of normal grounds at my game, when I can be done when I can.

“I feel that I am owing it – it’s a different kind of feeling to be in a team. As if you don’t want to overburdening. You don’t want to make yourself psyched about it, but at the same time you really feel like that team – like, man, I want to play great for this team. I am really focused on that.

“I just tried to lie a bit low and not much to do. It doesn’t ensure a good clickbait for the media, my apologies, but yes, I just smothered. Resting and sharpening.”

Said the then Captain Zach Johnson in the press conference after the defeat: “There is also something to say about rest and recover and getting your game in a position where you can compete. I mean, these guys have won many golf tournaments with weeks off. A reasonably suitable plan again.

“But I am not going to belittle the preparation of these boys. Whether it was at home or here or anywhere, I know they were eliminating their tail to keep and bring the cup home.”

Then there are the scores. Not all are sublime.

To this end, professionals are proud of compartmentalization. This week is the ProCore. The Ryder Cup is in two weeks. They are related. And they are not. Scheffler said his process works that way. He is focused on the next tournament. But the Majors are also in his head.

“Like when I’m thinking about shots,” he said, “thinking about things in competition, I think the Majors are always in mind just because they are the biggest challenges.

“I think the Ryder Cup is also a great challenge, only because of the pressure you not only feel to play for yourself, but also to play for your country, to play for your partner. It’s a very cool event and it’s one of the best experiences in Golf. I am there, I am ready to play this week. I have not come to talk about the ryder Cup.”

At least that is what you say in a press conference.

Thursday afternoon we have scores. The bottom line. Four groups of Ryder -Cuppers all followed each other on the first tee. A volunteer on the Fairway said that the crowd was Sunday and there was a miracle which would be on Sunday.

First Scheffer, JJ Spaun and Russell Henley and Scheffler shot a semi-detached, Spaun shot a 67 and Henley shot a 65. Next were Morikawa, Harris English and Vice Captain Webb Simpson and English Burns and Burns Shoot A 74. 72.) Cameron Young, Ben Griffin and Justin Thomas, and Griffin shot a 64 and Young and Thomas each shot a 72.

All travel leader Mackenzie Hughes, who fired a 63. The best of the party, Griffin, was bound in second place. When Thursday unfolded, there was something good. The three lowest scores under the Ryder cuppers? All rookies. But there was a club SLAM. Some confusion about missed putts. Duds. Stinkers.

Back to the original question then:

Is there a disadvantage to play this week?

With usually everything, there is of course. When it was immediately asked, Scheffler went back to the thought of rest – but for someone else; He said he would rather not have the free time. Spaun wondered if he called for a bad week. But you can also rationalize it.

“You have to be on a kind of a warm -up week and let the competitive juices flow,” he said. “Maybe guys they wanted to work before Bethpage have worked that they might test this week to see how it feels under competition. I think it is more of that versus trying to win and to prove something, I think.”

Then there is Griffin.

“I think it’s much more good than damage,” he said.

He then corrected himself.

“Actually, I don’t even see it doing damage, because if we don’t play here this week, it is almost four or five weeks off without playing in a tournament. I know for me, I play a lot of tournaments on tours, so I like to stay on a pretty disciplined schedule to play a set of competitive wave.

They are all back on Friday.

However, the results of the week will only be known for two weeks from Sunday.

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