The Key Qualities of Leadership - Ryder Cup Captaincy

IAN WOOSNAM
K CLUB, DUBLIN, 2006,WON

Best decision where everything went right?
I never had any doubts about picking Darren Clarke (just six weeks after Clarke’s wife, Heather, died of cancer). He is a born fighter and once he told me he was ready, that was good enough for me. And once I had picked Darren, Lee [Westwood] was a definite to partner him. Lee is his mate and was the perfect person to be around Darren under the circumstances. They have a hell of a record as a partnership. The way it turned out for Darren was the ultimate tribute for Heather. I was also able to leave out Luke Donald, David Howell and Henrik Stenson on the first day. Wow. That just shows what a strong team we had.

Worst part of the job?
I have never been a good public speaker. Standing in front of a microphone at the Ryder Cup withmillions listening and watching around the world was not great. It was very stressful. If I get a chance to be captain again, I now know not to try tomake formal speeches but to keep thingsmore off the cuff instead. I was muchmore comfortable once the tournament started. I was back in the environment I know best – on the golf course.

On celebrating another record victory...
I haven’t got a clue how many pints I drank at the Ryder Cup party. But I do know that Luke Donald and Paul Casey were singing Copacabana on the karaoke machine and the Americans were enjoying themselves, too. But they were playing ping-pong (laughs). I went to bed nice and merry at about 3 am. Which was a lot earlier than some of the other lads.

BERNHARD LANGER
OAKLAND HILLS, MICHIGAN, 2004,WON

Tactics that worked?
I decided I wanted to let everyone play before Sunday. I didn’t want to send the rookies out for the first time in the pressure of the singles. I would rather have lost a point in the fourballs. I wanted them to experience the atmosphere. That’s why I put David Howell and Paul Casey together. I told them to believe in themselves, have fun and not to worry about the result. Their point was a bonus. I also decided to stand behind the par-threes and talk to the players and caddies about club selection.

Decisions that backfired?
I thought Thomas Levet and Miguel Angel Jiménez were fantastic in the foursomes and I just didn’t want to break up what I regarded as a very strong partnership. But, funnily enough, they didn’t win.

What makes a great captain?
To be a leader and a servant to the team. To understand who you are dealing with, put yourself in their shoes and find out what makes them tick. Make sure they are happy and informed. Find out what they like and don’t like.

Who were your major influences?
Tony Jacklin, Bernard Gallacher, Seve Ballesteros and Sam Torrance. They all said that we don’t need to stoop below the Americans. In the majors and world ranking and on paper they have often been better. But we don’t play on paper; we play on grass.

What did you learn about yourself?
I might be quiet but I’m also assertive. You don’t have to yell and scream to get your point across. There are two ways to be a leader. You can lead with love or fear. And it’s the same for all sports teams and big companies, too. I would much rather lead with love.

SAM TORRANCE
THE BELFRY,WEST MIDLANDS, 2002,WON

Tactics that worked?
We lengthened the rough around the greens midway through the week. We also changed a couple of the tee positions to bring bunkers into play for real big-hitters such as Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson. The speed of the greens is also vital. The Americans are used to playing on faster greens, while in Europe they tend to be a bit slower. Making home advantage work is important.

What makes a great Ryder Cup captain?
Winning! There is a thin line between winning and losing. Mark James got a lot of criticism in 1999. But he was a fantastic captain. The job was almost done by Saturday night. But the singles just went wrong.

What did you learn about yourself?
Like life, you get more out of being captain the more you put in to the job. I suppose I am a worrier but there is no point in worrying. My wife says: ‘Worrying is the interest you pay on the inevitable.’ If it’s going to happen, it’s going to happen.

Toughest part of the job?
The speeches were the only things I feared. Because I have always been a heckler rather than a speaker. Everything else I relished. I had the very podium we were going to use at the ceremony delivered to my house three weeks before the Ryder Cup. I stood on it and practised my speech for hours in the garage – with the door locked [laughs]. You just can’t muck up – not with millions watching on television.

Who inspired your style of leadership?
All of my past captains. Friendship is the strength. I learned from Tony Jacklin to put your best players out in the top order in the singles, to seize the momentum, get blue on the scoreboards, then hopefully keep it going.

MARK JAMES
BROOKLINE,MASSACHUSETTS, 1999, LOST

Toughest part of the job?
I heard that Ian Woosnam had to take sleeping tablets because he was so stressed. I can sympathise because I felt much the same in 1999. For Woosie the problem was public speaking. Mine was picking the wild cards – and the speeches. I had to choose between Robert Karlsson and Andrew Coltart. I went for Coltart but only after days of torment. I didn’t realise it at the time but the stress of having to make that decision took a toll on my health and days later I had to go to hospital with blisters on my arms. It was diagnosed with shingles, which can be brought on by stress.

What makes a great Ryder Cup captain?
You have to be inspirational as well as quiet, depending on the circumstances. The Ryder Cup can be utter chaos. People don’t know what they are doing. The most important thing any captain can have is a strong bond with the players. Woosie had that in abundance. Picking vice-captains who are liked and trusted by the players is also important.

Tactics that worked (at least for a while)?
I told the players to smile, sign autographs, give balls to kids, that kind of thing, win over the fans. Not that it made a blind bit of difference once it started as the crowd got very nasty and it was terrible. I had an idea about the pairings but I was flexible. I didn’t have a game plan. I had the order for the first morning but then wanted to see how everyone played on the first day.

Tactics that backfired?
In hindsight it was a big risk not to play three rookies [Jarmo Sandelin, Jean Van de Velde and Andrew Coltart] before the Sunday singles. But people forget there were seven rookies in the side. The crowd was turning hostile and those who had already experienced the unpleasant atmosphere were better equipped to cope with it. We had a four-point lead going into Sunday and no one questioned my tactic on Saturday night. But the draw looked difficult. The three untried rookies were paired against three of the strongest US players [Phil Mickelson, Davis Love and Tiger Woods]. That is the one decision I still think about. But on balance I think that if I had my time again I probably would still do the same thing. It was just unlucky. Captains know if they lose they will be the villain and if they win they will be the hero.

SEVE BALLESTEROS
VALDERRAMA, SPAIN, 1997,WON

Dealing with the media?
A big part of the media was probably hoping that the King was going to lose because it was difficult for the British people to accept that they took the Ryder Cup away from their island to Spain. The British are very traditional people and do not accept very easily to change things. That is probably why they choose not to use the euro!

Dealing with players’ egos?
Valderrama was great but there were a lot of problems with the team. I did feel at times that I was the babysitter for some of players instead of the captain. Somebody always has to be left out. The guys that are playing are very happy and the guys that are not in team are not going to be happy. Ian Woosnam has always been a great champion and one of the best players I have seen over the years. But in that particular week he wasn’t in his best form. And that was the only reason I thought it was not a good idea to put him in some of the matches. I understand that he was not comfortable with my decisions but as captain I had to put the best players out for the matches. I did what I thought was best for the team. And we happened to win.

BERNARD GALLACHER
OAK HILL,NEWYORK, 1995,WON
THE BELFRY,WEST MIDLANDS, 1993, LOST
KIAWAH ISLAND, SOUTH CAROLINA, 1991, LOST

Team talks?
Having lost two Ryder Cups I was really angry. There was nothing I could do in 1993. Seve’s game was falling apart and Torrance and Langer were injured. I couldn’t get a fit team out. When I saw the draw for the singles at Oak Hill in 1995, I liked our chances. I placed our strength in the middle and my faith in the team got through to them. I said we can win every match and I think the players believed it, too. Seve inspired everyone by going out No.1 even though he wasn’t up to it.

What makes a great captain?
Ian Woosnam and Sam Torrance were great. The players liked their easy manner. They listened to the players and were not autocratic. The players would have loved Woosie in the locker room. He understands the pressure and is the sort of guy to put his arms around a player and sit down and have beer and talk it through. He is such a straighttalking honest guy. Tom Lehman was terrific. He did and said everything right and prepared well and his two wild cards played well. Defeat was not down to him. Knowing the course at the K Club certainly helped the Europeans. That can be the difference between winning and losing.

On getting the pairings right
I had ideas of partnerships but it all went out of the window when the Ryder Cup started. If you have 12 playing well, any two should be able to play together. I put out rookies Colin Montgomerie and David Gilford in 1991, a weird combination, because they played brilliantly in practice. Seve Ballesteros came to me and said we can’t split them up. But they lost. Then I put Gilford with Nick Faldo and they lost, too. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up.

Toughest part of the job?
Dealing with the media. The golf writers were fine but the Ryder Cup is so big it brings out all the news journalists and the editors want front-page stories. I had to be careful what I said. Picking the wild cards was tough, too. Leaving Eamonn Darcy out in 1991 was hard.

Who inspired you?
The enthusiasm and optimism of Tony Jacklin shone through in 1987. His positive energy rubbed off on everyone. I have learned over the years that captains should be players who have sampled a lot of captains. But it is the players who hold the power today. You can’t tell them what to do. They know what’s best for them so you have to let them do it.

TONY JACKLIN
THE BELFRY,WEST MIDLANDS, 1989,TIED
MUIRFIELD VILLAGE,OHIO, 1987,WON
THE BELFRY,WEST MIDLANDS, 1985,WON
PGA NATIONAL, FLORIDA, 1983, LOST

On crowds and gamesmanship
It was never a war for me. I just wanted to win fair and square. With huge galleries, somebody always claps at the wrong thing at the wrong time. It is a fine line for the players, too. Those stupid bloody Desert Storm hats at Kiawah [in 1991] were provocative. And I think I would have drawn the line before wearing a cowboy hat like Hal Sutton [Oakland Hills, 2004]. But I do not believe there was any malice intended when the Americans ran on to the green at Brookline in 1999. It was just sheer exuberance. Sheer passion and the spirit of the Ryder Cup. They were so into it.

What were your tactics?
Do the simple, obvious things. It is all about who is playing well, finding the right pairings and showing no favouritism. Find the right buttons to push to get the best out of everyone. I did consult Seve a few times but my view was captains captain and players play.

Lessons learned?
Always be prepared to fly by the seat of your pants and trust your gut instincts. Stuff happens in the Ryder Cup. You are always thinking: what the hell is going to happen next? And timing is everything. European golfers were about to have a fantastic era with Seve Ballesteros, Nick Faldo, Bernhard Langer, Sandy Lyle and Ian Woosnam. And then they asked me to be captain in 1983 [smiles].

Making the team feel special.
I took the captain’s job in 1983 on conditions: I wanted to fly on Concorde because the American team always flew first-class and we sat at the back of the bus in bloody economy. We weren’t allowed to take caddies, we had no team room nor a team uniform. One year they even gave us plastic shoes. The Americans had everything. All that had to change. In 1985 I said the players would only do one cocktail party and one formal dinner. I was there to win the bloody Ryder Cup, not make friends.

On getting the pairings right.
Lee Trevino said it doesn’t matter who you pair with whom. What nonsense. I said in 1985 that you had to match up guys who would feed off each other. If the personalities don’t gel, then they won’t work as a team. I had to find a partner for Seve Ballesteros in 1983 that wouldn’t be intimidated by him. Rookie Paul Way was just 21-years-old but was not afraid of Seve. They won two and a half points. I inspired Seve by telling him he was to be a father figure for Way.

Order for the singles?
The best players were always put out last. But by 1985, I remember thinking, ‘What bloody use is Seve to me in the anchor spot if we’ve already lost?’ I decided to stack the strength of the team right in the middle of the order. I’m not a genius but, hey, it worked [laughs].