Gamesmanship common in Ryder Cup play

Seve Ballesteros was a past master at it but former European Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance regards it as a form of cheating.

Briton Ian Poulter, a European rookie at Oakland Hills this week, is keen to employ it in its most subtle form but his captain Bernhard Langer, like Torrance, is no fan.

Like it or not, gamesmanship exists and often come to the fore in the cut-and-thrust of match-play golf at the Ryder Cup.

At times, it can be understated. Sometimes, though, it is blatant and runs directly against the spirit of the royal and ancient game.

Langer, a veteran of 10 Ryder Cups as a player, has a very clear of idea of how the game should be contested.

"You should play in a competitive way but in the spirit of the game too," the German wrote in his autobiography.

"It has been wonderful to see the Ryder Cup grow and develop into one of the biggest sports event in the world. That makes it even more important to uphold the strict etiquette and sportsmanship of the game of golf.

"We need to continue to respect the game of golf, respect each other and to enjoy the competition."

Torrance, who led the Europeans to victory over the United States by 15-1/2 points to 12-1/2 at The Belfry in 2002, agreed.

"I don't believe in it at all," he said. "I think it's part of the sport that is certainly not necessary and I don't see any need for it. Gamesmanship to me is cheating.

"Golf is such a fair, honest sport. The gamesmanship cannot come into it at all."

Ballesteros, who played on three victorious European Ryder Cup teams, lifted gamesmanship into an art form, although most would agree he did so according to the rules.

However, the Spaniard has occasionally been accused of coughing on an opponent's backswing while others have said that he shuffled his feet just as they were about to putt.

On the other hand, if Ballesteros ever felt his opponents were behaving out of line, he was very quick to set them straight.

He and American Paul Azinger had an ongoing verbal battle during the opening foursomes matches in the 1991 Ryder Cup at Kiawah Island.

Ballesteros and his compatriot Josie Maria Olazabal had been drawn to play against Azinger and Chip Beck and, as the match progressed, the Europeans realised their opponents were changing the compression of their golf balls on certain holes.

Although the Spaniards fell short of accusing them of cheating, the American pair were unhappy the matter had been raised at all.

The running spat between Ballesteros and Azinger overshadowed the match, but the Spaniard had the last laugh as he and Olazabal won 2 & 1 to collect Europe's only point of the morning.

Englishman Poulter, one of five rookies on the European team at Oakland Hills, believes gamesmanship is an integral part of match-play golf, providing it is used within the rules.

"I'm into more subtle things, I wouldn't want to step over the line," said the 28-year-old.

"But I definitely plan to get under their skin," he added of his American opponents at Oakland Hills.

Poulter got his first taste of the intricacies of gamesmanship from Ballesteros during last year's Seve Trophy in Valencia, Spain.

"If you went to weigh up a putt, he would be standing on your line beyond the flag," Poulter recalled. "He was always in your face, trying to distract you.

"Along with being able to get up and down from pretty much everywhere, that's what made him the great player he was."