Bill Elliott: mountain to climb

Golf Monthly editor-at-large Bill Elliott reports from the 39th Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club

Jose Maria Olazabal
(Image credit: Getty Images)
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published

Jose-Maria Olazabal's captaincy will now be tested as never before after his decision to blood all twelve members of his European team exploded in his face as the USA began to take control of this 39th Ryder Cup.

On paper, leaving out the experience and passion of Luke Donald, Sergio Garcia and Ian Poulter might have seemed unexpectedly smart but it turns out it was all but disastrous.

There is now a mountain to be climbed for the momentum is all with the Americans and the home crowd are on their toes and yelping with delight. It is not yet over but Ollie will have suffered a sleepless night before he turns up on the first tee this morning.

He will bristle with indignation at criticism of his tactics but the reason his pride will hurt is because he knows, he must know, that he made a big error. Okay, the Americans putted wonderfully but the other fact is that too often the Europeans putted poorly.

How they react today will surely decide everything. We'll see.

Bill Elliott
Editor At Large

Bill has been part of the Golf Monthly woodwork for many years. A very respected Golf Journalist he has attended over 40 Open Championships. Bill  was the Observer's golf correspondent. He spent 26 years as a sports writer for Express Newspapers and is a former Magazine Sportswriter of the Year. After 40 years on 'Fleet Street' starting with the Daily Express and finishing on The Observer and Guardian in 2010. Now semi-retired but still Editor at Large of Golf Monthly Magazine and regular broadcaster for BBC and Sky. Author of several golf-related books and a former chairman of the Association of Golf Writers. Experienced after dinner speaker.

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