Sergio. Jesper.
Jarmo. If not in points, the Europeans led the 33rd Ryder Cup in personality.
Setting the tone was captain Mark James, whose wisecracks and deadpan humour proved
the perfect contrast to U.S. captain Ben Crenshaw's serious, sentimental, and
always reverent tone.
Following are some of some of James's verbal gems over the course of the matches:
When asked about
the rivalry between the teams: "We're both out here to win the matches and it's
serious golf. But at the end of the week, I'll be able to shake Ben warmly by
the throat and we'll sit down and have a beer."
After a reporter called Sandelin "a bit eccentric" and asked James his opinion
of the Swede: "I wouldn't say Jarmo is a bit eccentric. I think he's very eccentric.
But we have a lot of eccentric people in Europe. We're very used to them, and
Jarmo fits in great."
When asked how he thought Frenchman Jean Van de Velde would play under the pressure
of the Ryder Cup, the Englishman said: "I have no qualms about Jean's ability
to cope with the pressure at all. After 71 holes in the (British) Open he was
absolutely fantastic. He didn't put a foot wrong. He played magnificently under
pressure. The last hole when . . . well, when the French go down, they go down
in flames and that was a classic example."
When asked how he notified Padraig Harrington that he would be paired with Miguel
Angel Jimenez for the foursomes matches Friday, after Jose Maria Olazabal asked
to sit out the morning: "I said, 'Padraig, you're playing tomorrow with Miguel.'
"
To the question,
"What do you figure was the best decision that you made (as captain on Friday)?":
"I had a hamburger for lunch instead of a turkey sandwich and I did really enjoy
it. Also, I took a lot of chocolate out (on the course) and the boys liked that
as well because they do seem to snack well."
When asked how he decided the pairings: "Really the players play well with anyone.
It's an easy team to pair. They all get on very well. They're all laid-back guys,
good, fun people. And none of their countries are at war with each other, which
is a big help."
About captaining the Cup versus playing in the Cup: "It's a lot easier, no question.
I can get to the toilet whenever I want and not bother about missing shots."
When asked Friday to tell
reporters about Jimenez's personality and game: "I don't know a huge amount about
him. He has a Ferrari."
Upon sitting down to address the press Sunday evening, after the Cup had been
presented to the Americans and before any questions had been asked: "Thank you.
That will be all."
When asked how crucial Hal Sutton's three points had been to the outcome: "Well,
if he'd gotten only two we'd have won. So I'm very disappointed in Hal and I intend
to tell him later." (Sutton actually won 3 1/2 points, but the question put to
James by a reporter stated Sutton's total incorrectly.)
Maintaining a sense of humour after a heart-wrenching defeat. Cup or no Cup, that's
something the Americans can learn from.
