What if they stopped playing the Ryder Cup?

[ShowMe]

Time to spin up another, but differently themed, Ryder Cup thread.

 

What if they stopped playing the Ryder Cup?  Would anybody care?  Would anybody miss it?

 

I'll start.  I'd miss it at first, but would soon pretty much forget all about it.  I mean, does golf really need a nationally-themed event every year (Ryder Cup one year, Presidents Cup the next)?  

 

What if instead of playing the Ryder Cup and the President's Cup, they included a team event in the Olympics.  Having it occur every 4 years would make it more exciting and less ordinary.  And at least the winners would get something out of it that they could cherish forever...a medal.

 

What say you?

[iBanesto]

Can't get rid of the Ryder Cup.

[golfandfishing]

I’d rather they get rid of the Olympics. And take the Presidents Cup too. 

[stinger_gc]

I'd never have to hear about Poulter again and I'm cool with that.

[diddy2]

Ryder Cup is tradition, you don’t get rid of traditions

[OrangeGravy]

Some would gripe about it, but ultimately nobody would care after a couple years

[nichho]

3 hours ago, golfandfishing said:

I’d rather they get rid of the Olympics. And take the Presidents Cup too. 

Don't forget the Fed-Ex. Get rid of that, and it's forgotten about in the blink of an eye.

 

As for the Ryder Cup, embrace it, it is the most exciting golf you are going to get this side of New Year.

[bobfoster]

Certainly isn't going away anytime soon - its a tradition, and golf likes its traditions. Comes from being a sport who's origins come from 15th century Scotland, with the first formalized 18 hole round created at St. Andrews in 1764 ... over two and a half centuries ago.

 

Obviously the RC is only played every couple of years, and there were some years when it was missed and/or postponed (i.e., the WWII when a number of players were actually on battlefields, after 9/11, and last year's which is about to be played this year). But still, the thing has been around for something approaching a century now. First one was played (only between the UK and US at the beginning) in 1927. 

 

That said, the RC kind of stands apart from professional golf in both the US and EU. Though the PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe (a sort of consortium) organize the event, with players drawn from the PGA Tour and European Tour, the event doesn't really resemble or interact with the tours themselves. Three days, with foursomes, fourballs, and then finishing with singles match play. No one wins money in the traditional sense that a player would get tournament winnings (though there is money involved in several ways). No one gets FedEx or Race To Dubai points. 

 

Truthfully, while it won't disappear, I'd don't think it would be missed at anything even remotely resembling the level at which the disappearance of a major would. I watch it mostly because the season is generally over when it is played, and there's not a lot of other good golf going on. If you look at the Wiki page for Tiger (or pretty much every pro golfer) it will have detailed stats about wins in majors, wins in WGC events, and wins on the respective tours (PGA, EU, etc.). No mention of RC wins, however, is made - it just isn't considered very relevant to a player's career.

 

At the end of the day, it is (oddly) simultaneously not very important and likely to be played for years into the foreseeable future.

[iBanesto]

4 hours ago, PHILsThemannnn said:

I'd never have to hear about Poulter again and I'm cool with that.

 

Only at the Houston Open though 😂

[elwhippy]

The RC is a globally popular event. It generates massive revenues. I doubt it will be going anywhere soon. 

[bscinstnct]

This be like Orioles fans sayin,

 

 

What if we just canceled Baseball?   ; )

 

 

Edited September 19, 2021 by bscinstnct

[the bishop]

What if?  I hate hypotheticals that come with no rational basis why it would happen.  Why would you even ask that?  Is there a scenario you could see this happening?  Tired of seeing the U.S. squad get housed every two years?  Me too but that's not a reason to stop playing it.  

[caniac6]

Life goes on.

[nitram]

36 minutes ago, caniac6 said:

Life goes on.

Yes, the earth would keep spinning.

[dbleag]

More so for women than men, but the Asians should feel hosed the most in the "Team" events.  

 

There should probably be a GLOBE CUP event held every two years.  The teams could be the USA, Internationals (Canada/Africa/Australia), Europe (current Ryder Cup countries) and Asians.  

 

The winner every two years gets to defend, and the challengers rotate getting a chance to unseat them.

 

That way, everyone gets a chance and we only have to watch it every two years.

[wobgon]

If they got rid of the Ryder cup, years later, people would say, remember when the Europeans used to get all fired up about 12 countries teaming up to play against one country.....Then everyone would have a good laugh. 

[miamistomp]

44 minutes ago, wobgon said:

If they got rid of the Ryder cup, years later, people would say, remember when the Europeans used to get all fired up about 12 countries teaming up to play against one country.....Then everyone would have a good laugh. 

 Of players who , to a man , live and practice in the USA

[bladehunter]

14 hours ago, golfandfishing said:

I’d rather they get rid of the Olympics. And take the Presidents Cup too. 

Agree. Disband the Olympic cartel first.  The Ryder cup works. 

[TiScape]

What if they stopped playing the Ryder Cup? 

We would lose about 40 pages of content in September! 😊

Edited September 19, 2021 by TiScape

[Greg_B]

16 hours ago, golfandfishing said:

I’d rather they get rid of the Olympics. And take the Presidents Cup too. 

This.

[Mike_Honcho]

i wouldn't miss it.

[straightshot7]

For me it’s sort of optional. I like it.
 

But I wouldn’t be that upset if they got rid of it, as I would be if they tried to get rid of a Major, for example. 

[dlygrisse]

This thread is as actually as dumb as I was worried it might be when I clicked on it. 

[Hawkeye77]

What if cats gave a damn about anything?

[jdl]

Can't stop.

 

Won't stop.

[Dave230]

What if they got rid of the Masters? US Open? Tournament golf in general? Pro sport?

 

There was no sport to watch in lockdown and I just read books and did other stuff. You adapt. It’s a silly question. But I’m still happy the Ryder Cup is on next week and am excited to watch it.

[bscinstnct]

4 hours ago, dlygrisse said:

This thread is as actually as dumb as I was worried it might be when I clicked on it. 

 

This thread be like

 

If we didn’t have thumbs

 

Would we be like?

Edited September 20, 2021 by bscinstnct

[Soloman1]

20 hours ago, diddy2 said:

Ryder Cup is tradition, you don’t get rid of traditions

 

$ > traditions

[Hawkeye77]

Imagine there’s no countries ….. it isn’t hard to do ……

Edited September 19, 2021 by Hawkeye77

[Holy Moses]

Would the PGA of America be able operate without the Ryder Cup? The Ryder Cup is said to be a $125 million event.