Golf’s biggest event is the biannual Ryder Cup, which pits the best 12 golfers from the USA against Europe’s top 12 players. This event regularly stirs up enormous nationalism, passion, and pride along with its share of controversy.
This year we almost got to see a fist fight between European superstar Rory McIlroy and Joe Lacava, who is an American caddy carrying for the ever-dour American Patrick Cantley. That fight was prompted by Lacava waving a hat at the European crowd after his man made a big putt and as Lacava celebrated he walked in front of McIlroy, who was lining up his putt at the time.
The Ryder Cup continually presents the eternal question of how do the Europeans players, who appear to be massive underdogs, manage to beat the American team especially when on home turf? This year they played in Rome, Italy, and the European team consisted in part of Spaniards (Jon Rahm), Irishmen (Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry) Englishmen (Justin Rose, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood) and Scandinavians (Victor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg). The American team consisted of the usual suspects like Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Patrick Cantley, Brian Harmon, Scottie Scheffler and Max Homa.
These head-to-head matchups, along with the pre- and post-game interviews give any armchair psychologist plenty of data to gain insight into the differences in personalities between Americans and Europeans. Overall, one can see that the Europeans seem more intellectual. They all speak two or more languages, and as an example of how literate they seem to be, Rory McIlroy read Marcus Aurelius’ treatise on stoicism in preparation for this match.
On the first tee when the partnerships for each four-ball matches were introduced, the European pairs would be standing there with their arms on each other’s shoulders while the Americans stood next to each other with arms folded. You can learn a lot from body language.
The European players were unguarded with their willingness to show love and receive love. This is a sign of good mothering. Before they hit a single shot you could see the communal connection displayed by the Europeans and the rugged individualism shown by the Americans. Along with this American individualism, you sensed their arrogance, aggressiveness, narcissism, and greed and none of those characteristics make for great team spirit. To corroborate that is the rumor that emerges every two years that American players feel they should be paid to play in this event and that playing just for the team or worse yet for the nation is rather mundane, childish and naive.
This is in sharp contrast with the European persona, which seems far more low key, fun- loving, relaxed, humane, communal, jovial, literate and articulate. This demarcation was first drawn by Alexis de Tocqueville in the classic text “Democracy in America.” Back in the 19th century this French sociologist spent a year in America and his landmark book still has an impact on scholars.
He described the democratic revolution that was taking place in America and concluded that Americans were very industrious, hardworking, materialistic, practical and not too interested in either the arts or literature. He contrasted this American attitude with the European, who was influenced by a long history of aristocratic rule in France, England, and Germany.
It is easy to understand why the American Ryder Cup team has such a hard time with this team format. American PGA stars are individualists, which gives them their drive to win and ease as they lead a solitary life on the road traveling from tournament to tournament in America and making large amounts of cash each week as they try to beat everyone in sight. But putting them in a team environment once every two years and expecting them to embrace each other, feign love and affection for their teammates and play for country rather than money is asking too much.
It is no surprise to me that these American stars have such a hard time playing for team or country. I would recommend that the 2025 American team captain give the players a copy of “Democracy in America.” The Ryder Cup will be played at Bethpage Black on Long Island, near the birthplace of American democracy and the stands will be filled to overflowing with many rugged individualists fueled by beer and ready for a fight.
Now that is going to be an interesting Ryder Cup. I would recommend that Joe Lacava and Rory McIlroy keep far away for each other because if an intense, verbal spat takes place in front of an American crowd that is angry and filled with Bud Lights, you just might see golf briefly become a sport like soccer or hockey where fights are as commonplace as scoring.
