The Unashamedly Pro-European Ryder Cup Preview

Nish: 0:00

Every story has an ending. Does our quest to play the top 100 courses in 10 years have a good ending? I’m Nish and I’m here to guide you through this golfing journey. This is the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast Bonus episode, the 45th Ryder Cup Preview. Is the Ryder Cup the greatest sporting event in the world? Some would argue that, but certainly in golf there isn’t much bigger A chance to represent your continent or your nation with nothing but pride and bragging rights on the line for two whole, insufferable years.

Nish: 0:36

Today I’m joined by a longtime friend of the pod, that’s Lee from Harbs 7 Golf, to get you even more excited about this gladiatorial ding dong battle. But before we carry on, I would like to point out to everybody that when I look at the back end stats, I do find that most people who do listen and watch along haven’t clicked like or subscribe. It’s a tiny little thing, doesn’t cost you any money and all it does. It just enables us to grow the channel a little bit more, get our reach a little bit further, and we can do things like increase our production values so I can buy better cameras and recording equipment, we can get on better guests, even though Lee’s on here today Sorry about that, lee. And it also means that we can get a little bit more clout with the golf club, so hopefully we can get a bit of better representation. That we can get a little bit more clout with the golf club, so hopefully we can get a bit of better representation. So, for instance, a few courses we’re coming to next we’re going to be talking to the pro at the club, so it’ll be a nice little surprise and good little bits of content that we can promote. So, just for the action of clicking, like clicking subscribe and following us, it does help us out immense, immensely.

Nish: 1:44

Now getting back to the episode on hand. So we are recording this. We are going to be six, seven, seven days out from the start of the rider cup. So I, like I said, I’ve got one of my substandard guests on with me, that is, uh, lee from harb seven golf. So, lee, I’m gonna before I’m gonna ask you to introduce yourself properly and tell us what you do and your journey through golf. With harb seven golf, are we going to win this and pull off a bit of a minor miracle?

Harbs: 2:16

yeah, hold on mish. I’m just unsubscribing from your podcast shit.

Nish: 2:21

We’re losing subscribers whoops.

Harbs: 2:25

Yeah, I I really, really fancy our chances. Um, I think this is one of our strongest teams and possibly one of usa’s weaker teams. I know they’ve got some outstanding players in sheffield and you know several others, but, um, their, their squad doesn’t scream world-class to me. Don’t get me wrong. All their players are super talented pros. But I think they’ve got four or five newbies coming into the Ryder Cup and the nerves playing their first Ryder Cup are probably going to be there. They have got the advantage of being on home soil, which seems to really benefit the USA, but I genuinely think the class and the quality of the European side and, of late, some of the results that many of those players have been getting, I think I really do fancy our chances this time.

Nish: 3:21

That’s the correct answer, well done, mate I still haven’t subscribed news.

Harbs: 3:25

There’s nothing you can say yeah, no, I can’t.

Nish: 3:27

I can’t get it back now. There’s no, there’s no amount of buttering I can do.

Harbs: 3:31

Now tell us a little bit about yourself, lee, and your journey in golf with hard seven golf I’ve been playing golf for probably 25 plus years but use that term very loosely once a year, twice a year, maybe, if I was lucky during my, my footballing days, and that dominated my lifestyle. So, going out, drinking and all that, all that good stuff, I’d say probably six or seven years ago, after retiring from football, I started playing golf a bit more frequently and that became four or five times a year. And then, during covid, I actually joined um as a member at wedmore and started playing very frequently then, before gallivanting off to dubai and staying there for a bit of time. But, um, even in dubai got to play shed loads of rounds of golf on some of the most spectacular courses. And now I’m back in the uk. I’m still loving it, although the weather’s starting to get a bit sucky.

Harbs: 4:25

Um, but I, I really enjoy recording the rounds using some of the tips and tricks that I got from my last round, with you getting it on my trolley, so I don’t have to worry about fiddling around with a podcast sorry, a tripod which can derail your round a bit. I’ve found, um, but yeah, I get. I get as much content on my Instagram and on my youtube as possible.

Nish: 4:45

My, you, my five-year-old son’s got more subscribers than I have on youtube, but um it’s more interesting to watch, I guess well, look, I mean, you have been, uh, like the og hype man for our podcast for such a long time, lee, uh, it’s great to have you on and you know, unashamedly, today we’re going to take a very pro-European stance. That’s us, that’s the whole thing. It’s a partisan tournament, but also, you know, we are going to try and analyze the opposition a little bit and see if there’s any, you know, glimmers of hope for something special, because the last time we won in the States was at Medina. The miracle at Medina, and 2012. That was 2012, and you know what a day that was, watching those singles coming in. Yeah, and let’s. If nothing else, you always want a tight match, don’t you? The last couple of times we’ve been over to states, it’s been pretty one-sided, and I think you’re right. You know there’s a little bit of.

Nish: 5:43

I was talking to the American guys about this. I’ve been on a couple of American podcasts, so the downside of hooking up with people worldwide on this sort of stuff is that when it comes down to something like this, you’re there to be shot at. So I’ve been, I’ve been invited on to to cop a bit of flack, and it’s really interesting the mood that I’ve picked up. I think there’s some natural bullishness, which is what we’ve got. You know, we’re like yeah, yeah, come on, we’re gonna do it, we’re gonna do it.

Nish: 6:14

But I do sense that they’re a little bit afraid of the strength in depth of our team this time and you know, luke donald, as a captain, obviously did a magnificent job in rome. It was a little bit cringy with some of the una familia stuff and some of the you know over produced almost moments and things like that. However, he is following a blueprint that’s been successful for the european rider cup team for 30 years. I’d say you know, we’ve been doing very well. I think generally we’re up in that period and that comes off the back of a real period of dominance for the Americans. It made total sense because the last two times that we’ve sent a captain over to the States has been Darren Clark and Nick Faldo and they got absolutely pummeled at Valhalla and at Whistling Straits. So I think it was an interesting choice to go with him. I think he’s pragmatic enough to not give anybody a team talk, isn’t he?

Harbs: 7:18

Oh, yeah, absolutely.

Nish: 7:20

He doesn’t want to make headlines. He’s not going there saying, yeah, we’re going to win. He’s kind of just keeping it under the radar. But I feel like the choice that he’s made of the team has betrayed a degree of real determination to come back with this trophy. Probably the Britishness coming out in me a little bit more than anything else. I think, secretly, we’d all be very happy with a 14-hole draw bring the trophy back, and we’ve done well. I think he probably wants a little bit more than that, doesn’t he, lukey boy? I think he’s definitely looked very determined to do it.

Harbs: 8:01

Well, I think he’s absolutely going to want more than that. We were talking off air a little bit, just having a bit of chat, and I’ll continue with what we were saying. We’ve got a lot of experience in quite a majority of young men going into this competition. Um, we’ve got. I think it’s jj. Um no, the usa have got jj spawn. Um, who else have they got? Cameron Ben Griffin? Um Russell Henley. These guys are all coming in for their first competition. Yeah, um for, for Europe, we’ve got.

Nish: 8:36

Hoygard, rasmus, hoygard, rasmus, hoygard. And do you know what? We might have played a blinder with that. Yes, is it Rasmus? Is it Nikolai? We don’t know, it could just be a little sub going on, it could be the whole. What was it, fabio, and what’s the other guy called that united? The other, the twins, playing all right and left back or something like that. You know, nobody’s gonna know who’s actually playing if one of them’s having a rotter just sub the brother.

Harbs: 9:01

Brilliant I love that what are they gonna do?

Nish: 9:04

test us and it’ll be exactly the same.

Harbs: 9:06

But he’s absolutely flying at the moment. He looks class, he looks absolutely class and he’s one of those players that I’m expecting to come into this competition with absolute ice in his veins and just enjoy it. I genuinely think he’s going to walk in and enjoy it. And now, I genuinely think he’s going to walk in and enjoy it. And now, don’t get me wrong. I expect that the Americans are likely to say the same about all of their rookies, but some of those names on there I look at and I don’t think they’re going to walk out there thinking they’re going to win. They’re going to walk out there and hope to win, as opposed to walking out there thinking I’m going to win this and that’s a very biased statement to make.

Harbs: 9:45

I would actually expect usa fans american fans to to come back at me and say exactly the same about their team and probably talk down europe’s chances. But I’m very, very confident that the team he’s picked is going to be out there.

Nish: 9:59

It’s going to be solid and yeah, it’s going to run it close. It feels like it’s going to be a close one which actually’s going to run it close. It feels like it’s going to be a close one which actually look as sports fans we’d all absolutely love, wouldn’t we? You know, that’s what we want. We want a nice close one, I agree mate.

Harbs: 10:12

So, heart-wise, I’m going Europe win by you know, maybe one and a half, two points, yeah. However, my brain’s telling me that it literally with those two teams and with america being on home soil and the amount of energy they do generate, because I find the americans during the rider cup quite aggressive, like overpowering and aggressive, which is fantastic, because it’s certainly a way of getting your point across, getting some energy and getting some feed off the crowd, if you like. Um, maybe one, maybe one point, two points for america, my brain would say yeah, I was being honest about their home advantage, and you know there’s.

Harbs: 10:51

There’s no rubbish players going into the rider cup. Everyone’s of a ridiculously good standard, yeah, but it’s just who’s gonna fare well on on on the weekend, isn’t it?

Nish: 11:01

it doesn’t feel like we’ve got any, um, mentally weak players in our team. There’s been a couple of occasions in the past where you’ve gone. You know, if the going gets tough, is this player gonna stand up? I mean and I’m talking physically as well here, like the physically imposing players here, you know, look at oberg’s, like six and a half foot or something, isn’t he? You know, it’s really only kind of. I mean, even tyra hattles short, but he’s stocky.

Nish: 11:26

I mean, I wouldn’t want to fight tyra I was gonna say he’s short, but he’ll bite your face yeah, yeah, he’s like, he’s like a bulldog, you know, um, you know, I think there’s not really many that you’d you’d be, and and then they either have the physical stature to maybe have the broader shoulders, even metaphorically, but I think there’s either that or your record, you know, and and a couple of things that have happened in the in the very recent past which have been great, is tommy would.

Nish: 11:53

I mean, how much stick would he been getting if he didn’t win that tour championship right at the end? You know, you know that was going to be something they were going to beat him with and for him to show the mental fortitude he would have been thinking to ride a cup at that time, of course, like he’s thinking about winning a tournament, but to get that monkey off his back. They can’t throw that at him now. They can’t say, oh, he’s a choker, he doesn’t win whatever. He’s done it, and you know. Then you look at the other story unfolding, which was Rory, you know, and we, yeah, we love the guy because he’s just he’s the he’s the playing captain, isn’t he, rory?

Nish: 12:21

like he know, and we love the guy because he’s just, he’s the he’s the playing captain, isn’t he, rory? Like, he’s the guy we all love and we love him because of his emotion and everything like that. And then you go, he’s won the Masters. You know, he got that really big millstone from around his neck. He just went nah, that’s it done. Yeah, wins the Irish Open. You know home crowd, all that kind of thing. Is the Irish Open? You know home crowd, all that kind of thing. Is it just written in the stars that he wins the Masters, the Irish Open and the Ryder Cup all in the same year?

Harbs: 12:53

Would be amazing, and I agree. Him and Tommy are flying high Rory’s coming in. This is his eighth Ryder Cup as well, which is unbelievable. That is some achievement to be selected for eight Ryder Cups. He’s got 10 years left in him. I know he’s the most seasoned person in the Ryder Cup, this competition, and to be coming off the back of those wins they must be feeling on top of the world like almost invincible as far as what they can achieve at the moment. So, um, yeah, I do feel like if they can get off to a good start, I don’t think there’ll be any stopping either of them that first session feels a stupid point.

Nish: 13:40

I know, and you know they’ll bring out all the statistics when they’re about the first session, whatever, but it feels like that is so crucial this time round because there’s a couple of things that can play out here. You know we absolutely annihilated them in the first session last year. Never happened all that kind of stuff. You know it could open up old wounds for a lot of those, some of the top boys there, and once that momentum starts coming into it, you know, when you talk right at the top about the crowd, the bear pit I’m going to bring out a great bit of knowledge. I don’t think it’s even knowledge. I don’t even know if I was getting punked or not, but I’ve been on a us podcast.

Nish: 14:22

The one of the features that they did was about headlines that have been generated in the press about what’s been going on, and one of the headlines was that that the rider, rory macarons, interviewed and somebody asked him that there’s a rumor that you guys have been practicing with vr headsets and to get the crowd noise and and surroundings for when you’re playing and they’re, they’re, they’re built in things like the heckles that they’re going to get from the crowd and things like that. Yeah, I mean that that that was a headlight, I don’t know this is. This is one of those things where it felt like this is do you know? Do you remember? Do you remember you’re a 96? Of course you remember. Everyone remembers the best summer ever, right? Do you remember when all the england players were saying song titles in their interviews?

Nish: 15:09

yeah, it was brilliant, yeah, just because it was a game and whatever. I feel like that. That’s what’s going on here. That’s rory going well, that’s the team, that the squad going. Let’s just say the most ridiculous thing and let’s just see if it gets picked up and then see what comes out of it. You know, because then the joke’s on them, isn’t it? It’s like we’re having a laugh with you and you know. But but then, equally, I heard it and I went how do you know? There is a lot of sense behind that. Uh, that, get yourself mentally prepared for the noise that’s going to be there with the first team and whatever. But the guys in america, they were brilliant and they were, they were spot on with this. By the way, they said I guarantee you, whatever you’ve dialed that up, that abuse, the crowd in america at beth page will be able to dial that up to 11. Like, guarantee you.

Harbs: 16:00

They were like yeah, I think you’re right well, I mean, if they’ve been preparing themselves for anything, it’s probably to be bored constantly of listening to usa, usa, it is the most boring, mundane champ. Honestly, they need to come up with some new material, because I I spend time to mute my tv when I’m watching the rider cup. I’m like, have you guys got anything?

Nish: 16:22

it’s pretty much the only champ they’ve got.

Harbs: 16:24

Yeah, I mean, I certainly wouldn’t be hiring their football songwriters or should I say soccer songwriters because they just basically sing nursery rhymes as well For the greatest nation on the planet. They’re not very good at coming up with songs that are energetic and fun. I mean, honestly, I don’t know how many more times I could listen to USA. Imagine being a player out there and playing 18 holes and having to listen to that all the way around. You’d be like shut up.

Nish: 16:51

You know I’m going to chuck one more thing out there to add the petrol onto that fire that you’ve just ignited. Lee, I’m going to add one more thing. It wasn’t Whistling Straits. It was Whistling Straits. I think it was the last American there was this image, but it really stuck in my throat. Actually, it was like a real. I had a real visceral reaction to this. They were doing the hype in the crowd up at the start and the American team’s big main hype man is Justin Thomas.

Harbs: 17:27

Yeah.

Nish: 17:30

I have. He’s one of these players where don’t get me wrong, I respect him and all that kind of thing, but I’ve just I’ve never warmed to him as a player. I think I should do, because I think he’s got like a decent personality and whatever. I don’t know what it is. Something about him has just maybe it’s the fact that he’s not got a chin and it just goes straight into the net. I don’t know what it is, but there’s something there.

Harbs: 17:53

I’d happy to have my chin removed if I could play golf like him. Play golf like him, yeah, make that up a secret, take it.

Nish: 18:01

It was the image of him doing all the hyping up and they’re all trying to get him to chug a beer. And yeah, he gets down on one knee, pops the little coin or whatever and nails his bit. By the way, most of it went down his face. It didn’t go actually in his gullet and so therefore it what’s the point? And then he’s like chucking it on the floor and like, yeah, doing all this sort of stuff.

Nish: 18:25

Now I personally find that distasteful on a golf course, and I think that’s fans included. I don’t like all the waste management nonsense that goes on. That’s not for me. That’s not. That’s a step too far. On golf, go and enjoy yourselves, guys, but don’t do that. That chucking beer onto the actual hole and stuff. Like it’s weird, yeah, but it just stuck in my throat. That had a real I had a real visceral response to that, like physically recoiled I was. I can’t believe that like he’s doing that. I mean, the problem was we were getting annihilated on that edition of the rider cup, so you didn’t really have anything to like a leg to stand on.

Harbs: 19:02

But yeah, I mean, I know it’s like I alluded to nish at the start like when the rider cup comes around, american uh fans and the players, they, they just feed off it. They, like I said that, they almost become aggressive, like not in a bad way, um, but they’re different, you know, like like you’ve just explained about justin thomas there, he would never do that on the pga tour. It wouldn’t happen. Just wouldn’t behave that way, um, and and things change and behaviors change, which I’m all for right, you know, I don’t. I don’t hate the waste management situation, but part of me is just like it’s going a bit too far away from what we kind of want to see and like what we enjoy. It’s one of the reasons why I can’t really watch live. I don’t really enjoy, it’s too hectic for me.

Harbs: 19:53

I like, I like the basics of golf, the etiquette of golf and peace and quiet and things like that I mean, you know I’m not saying I didn’t have several beers on my journeys around many of the courses in dubai and things like that, yeah, yeah, but you know what I’m saying.

Harbs: 20:11

I I understand where you’re coming from there, um, but there’s just something about the Ryder Cup that brings that side out, especially in the Americans, and who knows, maybe we’ll see it in the European team this season, this, yeah, this time around. But it’s something that I regularly watch the Ryder Cups, and when I think back to previous years, I think of instances like that and I’ve seen it several times. I’ve seen, like, the aggressive fist pumping on the side of the, the greens when someone’s made a clutch putt or something, and I look at these people and I just think I’ve never seen that side of you before and it’s something I commonly see in the Americans. Again, I’m not saying the Europeans don’t do it. I mean Justin Rose gets really hyped up when things are going going in the most English way possible yeah, yeah, but you know what I’m saying, everyone’s.

Harbs: 21:04

I think the emotions of the Ryder Cup bring out a different animal in everybody and it’s one of the reasons I love watching it. It reminds me of it’s like golf’s World Cup, isn’t it? When I watch the World Cup, you sort of know that those players are there representing their country and they are giving their all during that time for their country, and quite often you can see it. And if you don’t see it in those players, you know we, as the public, like to tell them about it.

Nish: 21:32

Yeah.

Harbs: 21:33

So I’d imagine seeing seeing players like that getting fully involved and and amped up and hyped up. I’d imagine the home crowd probably absolutely loved that um, I mean it was.

Nish: 21:45

I remember again it was. I had a very visceral response to this and it was at whistling straights. Do you remember when rory knocked in like a 30 footer, absolutely miles away, and he was like it’s like giving it all? He’s like I can’t hear you and like the full thing again? I was just like rory mate, that ain’t you like.

Harbs: 22:06

Well, it’s a retaliation thing, isn’t it? Yeah, I know and I think it’s that.

Nish: 22:10

It’s that thing, I think I think. But I think this is weird. I’m getting back to your original point when you said with the amount of debutants in the US team. You know it’s great having a raucous home crowd. However, we know from football that can be a disadvantage sometimes because you’re under pressure. You know you’re under the pump.

Nish: 22:35

Now in football it’s a bit different because you’ve got 10 other guys on the pitch with you at the same time. Different in golf it’s you alone. Yes, there’s a team format here and all that going on, but you’re hitting that ball on your own at that time. Yeah. So it’s down to your technique how you handle the pressure. Can you do a fair pick? Can you deal with the expectation? And you know again, I know this and I think the European crowd. I’m very lucky, I’ve been to a couple and I’m going to bring some merch with me on the Top 110 Society Day that we’re doing. We’re going to Hollingwell, so the day that we go in is the day that rider cup kicks off, so I’m gonna have my hat I’ve got a good weekend oh, mate, I mean I couldn’t have planned any better.

Nish: 23:20

So I’ve got my glenn eagles hat, so we won that one. Jamie donaldson with his approach shot very famous. And, uh, I’ve got my celtic manor towel, and that was Graham McDowell. And do you know what? I was very fortunate. I was with somebody who really understood the game quite a lot and I was on both of those greens when those winning moments happened. So, very fortunate.

Nish: 23:44

But you know, it’s interesting that if the European team don’t do well, that there isn’t that real disappointment, almost like oh my god, this person’s terrible response, it just becomes a well, do you know what? It’s a game of golf and it’s fine. It doesn’t really matter. Like we’re here, we’re enjoying ourselves. I feel like that is a european trait. It’s not win at all costs. It’s not a. You know, you do or you die, and I’ll.

Nish: 24:16

The evidence I have for that is we got hammered at whistling straights and we got hammered at valhalla, but the press conference afterwards from the europeans, were you know all about, didn’t work better. Team won. What can you do? It’s difficult to come away and win all this sort of stuff. Contrast that with the kind of heavy defeats that have happened in europe and you know very famously, phil mickelson went for tom watson, didn’t he after glenn eagles, just like he was terrible, whatever, and it was like he was there. Tom watson was in that press conference and phil mickelson went for him and he kind of go, he wouldn’t get that bloodletting in european golf, like it’s like we don’t need to blame somebody, we can just go. Well played, sir, you know, um good, good shot, old chap, or that kind of thing, and just move on and we’ll resume in two years time I sort of felt that way during the last rider cup as well.

Harbs: 25:17

I was watching it and I I just didn’t feel that. I didn’t feel the genuine camaraderie of the usa team when you compare the behavior and attitudes of the european guys. Yeah, I just felt like there was a real good solid togetherness of our team. Everyone played really well, everyone worked really well. There was a real good solid togetherness of our team. Everyone played really well, everyone worked really well. There was great synergy and energy coming from all of the players, but I just felt there was a divide in the USA team and it’ll be interesting to watch this year to see if it’s the same, if I get the same feeling. Honestly, I don’t know if that’s just me Looking at USA going.

Nish: 25:55

I want to find a reason to be yeah, yeah, we’re just looking for weakness.

Harbs: 26:00

There’s probably weakness. Yeah, it might well be, I don’t know. But genuinely that was a genuine feeling At the time I was watching it going. I don’t get the feeling of unity here.

Nish: 26:09

Do you know what I’ve here? Do you know what I’ve I’ve? I’ve got a theory and it’s only just popped into my head. So, um, this could be wildly wrong, but obviously the us play the president’s cup, don’t they? Every the year, alternating with the rider cup, and I wonder if that’s that’s partly the cause of it, that they’ve got too much of the the team comp thing going on. So you’ve got team continuity potentially, versus new people coming in. Whatever, we’ve got this every two years, that’s it. And it means the world to be on that.

Nish: 26:48

Because golf is such a fleeting thing. We’ve had it, haven’t we? In fact, our fleeting thing is hole by hole, like you have a great hole and then the next one’s absolutely dog shit and you go, oh right, okay, but you know these players, so we’ve got, you know we’re looking at through the team here. Okay, I totally see your point and it’s a bit of a moot point here because of the experience that we’ve got in here. You know oberg, absolute rock star, turns up two years ago and he’s been, he’s backed it up and he’s he’s solid. Fitzpatrick, just solid guy. Terrible rider cup record. I’m worried about him. But you know a solid player he’s, he’s in there.

Harbs: 27:23

He’s the one I’m worried about, right, but if he can get a win on day one, I just think like that’s it. That’s the turning point he needs.

Nish: 27:31

This is his fourth rider cup as well. Like the experience and the. The knowledge is there. Here’s it. That’s the turning point he needs.

Harbs: 27:34

This is his fourth Ryder Cup as well. The experience and the knowledge is there.

Nish: 27:39

Here’s the massive thing about the Ryder Cup, though. Right, and everyone’s stats-driven nowadays, aren’t they? You know that’s his record. Are you brave enough to send him out in the first foursomes? I would the first day. I think you do. You get him in Show confidence in him.

Harbs: 27:52

That’s what a good captain’s going to do. He’s going to say to him I believe in you. You’re here on merit. Get yourself out there. Get us a point on the board.

Nish: 28:01

Matt Fitzpatrick was a captain’s pick, wasn’t he? Yes, yeah, so I mean already you’re in that territory of he’s shown the faith in you. You’ve kind of got to play him on the first day, haven’t you? I think they might do a bit of what. Come in and get Jose Mourira’s vice-captain. And do you know what? We shouldn’t underestimate the vice-captains actually here, because, looking at that list, we’ve been talking about the experience of the players. You’ve got Eduardo Molinari, who was there last time time before Thomas Bjorn, you know, stole a lot of European gold, beating around that Ryder Cup team for 27, 28 years. Jose Maria Arathaba, last European captain to win in the States Miracle at Medina. You’ve got Francesco Molinari I mean just you know Molly Wood and all that kind of thing, but great player, great guy, great character. And Alex Norrin. I mean Alex Norrin probably in recent form is good enough to be in the team, if you’re honest, but I mean what a great guy to have there, like on form. You know, whatever I think the vice captains and there was this whole debate about Keegan Bradley wasn’t there being a playing captain. Whatever I think of the two, looking at the vice captains, I think you’d probably say Luke Donald was the most more comfortable, being able to go. Do you know what? I’ll devolve responsibility to my vice captains here. Um, because of the strength of that, of that lineup, I mean it. It’s amazing, by the way, I’ve got to bring out my pet hate now about the European Ryder Cup team.

Nish: 29:38

This happens every single time and it centres around Jose Maria Lathobal. You know what? Because I’ve already told you this, but every time this gets me. So the way I see it is, we’re either going to have a good first day or we’re going to have a bad first day. I don’t think it’s going to be level pegging. I think it’s going to go one way or the other. But even if it is level pegging, let’s say you’ve got all three options around the table. You get to day two right, and day two is crucial sets you up for the singles.

Nish: 30:14

There’s one thing that’s going to happen at that point right Team Europe are going to have in the locker room. They’re going to have murals of Seve. They’re going to have videos of Seve playing. They’re going to have Jose Maria Alathobo the night before talking about Seve crying, getting emotional. Do it for Seve, seve who lived and breathed European golf. And don’t get me wrong. What a legend and he did. He lived and breathed European golf and sadly he’s not with us and it would be amazing if he still was. But can we just fucking get over it please? Like he’s, he’s not here, like we shouldn’t need to keep reviving the spirit of sevi to win fucking golf. Like I don’t get it, it’s just. It always winds me up. Every time that comes on the you know the review they do, the dvd, the blu-ray, the things on sky, whatever, I just cringe.

Harbs: 31:14

Every single time it’s always like let’s do it for sebi, let’s do sebi, let’s do it I know, mate, but how much of that is really him, really the team, like related for the team, and how much of that is just a publicity stunt?

Nish: 31:26

that’s what I mean. Like, if it’s publicity, which I think it is like I’m over it, man, like I really am over it, don’t get me wrong. I like I’m in love with spain and spanish culture, like I love it and I love, I’d actually love jose maria rathabal. I think he’s a great guy. I love miguel. Uh, angel jimenez seve was just a genius. But it’s just, I feels like to the modern golf fan it’s not irrelevant anymore and I think to some of the you know, know, this team is young. Yeah, you know, a lot of them probably weren’t even born when he was playing. You know what I mean. And it’s like just, can we give it a rest now? Can we use something else, can we? I don’t know well, darren Clark, let’s do it for Darren Clark, that’s it Right. Everybody, pint of Guinness. Do it for Darren, go do it for Clarkie.

Harbs: 32:13

That’s the way it’s got to be sorry let’s do it for ourselves, let’s do it for, let’s do it for Europe. Let’s get back to back wins.

Nish: 32:23

Let’s get our first win on American soil since 2012 and let’s tip the scales fully in our favour yeah, I mean, look, we’ve alluded to it a lot before but we probably should make an overt thing about it. But this kind of european camaraderie and spirit I know it gets overused sometimes, doesn’t it? But it feels like a palpable thing. I mean, what, what’s?

Nish: 32:46

Um, I’ve been to one and I’ll keep saying I’m really, really sorry if I’m really rubbing it and rubbing salt in the wounds here, but I’ve been to two and you do feel it, there is that, and I don’t think it’s necessarily that you’re all like oh, we’re all in it together, whatever. I think you’re just happy that you know english people, scottish people, welsh people, italian, french, whatever, all come over and everyone’s just having a great time and a good party and it’s it’s a golf tournament trip of a lifetime, that kind of thing. But you know, I feel there is that real sense of unity and pride and you know, let’s, let’s sort of do it, but then also, do you know we’re not win at all costs either. We can, we can probably lose and and it’s fine because we get another go in two years time, and it’s, it’s all right, doesn’t matter, it’s fine because we get another go in two years time. And it’s.

Harbs: 33:35

it’s all right, it doesn’t matter, it’s a tournament. You know we’ll not lose sleep over it, we’ll. We’ll be upset for a little bit.

Nish: 33:41

Well, to be honest, we’ll have a better party if we don’t win, because we’ll have a cup of tea and get over it, mate.

Harbs: 33:46

No, I, it’s one of those things. Honestly, I don’t think it’s coincidence that we haven’t won in america for over a decade it’s. It’s obviously a bloody hard place to go and beat them. Like I said, you got their droney chants constantly going on and um they, they are just naturally talented. They’ve got a bloody big pool of people to choose from and they have got some of the best golfers on the planet.

Nish: 34:15

No doubt about it I think by the end of this weekend. You hate the letters u s every time, every time I watch it honestly, sometimes I mute my tv.

Harbs: 34:25

I’m like I can’t listen to this concert. And they and um the map, the um captains the captains in the past have been firing up the crowd doing themselves a good USA. I’m like just find a new chant. Please Like something.

Nish: 34:40

Yeah, we definitely win on the wit, don’t we? The wit of the chants, we always win. Yeah, that’s in our DNA.

Harbs: 34:46

I’ll definitely give. The English and the French and the Spanish are pretty good at coming up with songs, even if they’re taking the piss out of their own players. Absolutely. They’re usually pretty good at coming up with these quippy songs that are quite catchy and you can sing along to. But yeah, I won’t keep going on about it, mate, because I don’t want to ruffle too many feathers, but yeah, it’d be lovely to hear.

Nish: 35:11

No, let’s ruffle mate. We said that. Why do do think we’ve got no european american representation on this podcast?

Harbs: 35:21

I didn’t want it, I was like.

Nish: 35:22

I don’t want anything to ruin us. Just you know, it’s all tongue in cheek.

Harbs: 35:25

It’s of course, it’s all we love everybody my genuine prediction I think europe are gonna win on american soil for the first time since 2012. Yeah, and I think we’re going to do it by two points.

Nish: 35:38

That’s my take on it yeah, 15-3, 15-13.

Harbs: 35:42

Yes, you know, fair play to anyone that can sit and watch the entire Ryder Cup. I mean, we’re going to be playing golf during day one ourselves, so we’re going to miss the majority of it. How good is that we’re playing golf.

Nish: 35:53

Fantastic, we’re going to miss the majority of it. How good is that we’re playing fantastic when the rider comes, fantastic.

Harbs: 35:56

But at one point I promise you we’ll look at the scoreboard and it will be all red and we’ll be like, oh, for fuck’s sake. And then by the end of it the blues will have started filtering in, and I do sometimes feel like that happens quite a lot during the rider cup. I very, very often see a big red leaderboard and then the blues just start coming back and dying on that board and I do wonder if that has a lot to do with um two years ago when europe won, because I remember watching, thinking bloody hell, there’s a lot of red on that board and then all of a sudden the entire board just sweeped to blue and I was like, oh, that must be quite damaging mentally. Yeah, quite draining um.

Nish: 36:39

And then, especially like I said, say again, a lot of those top boys were there, weren’t they?

Harbs: 36:43

they were like they said I don’t feel that unity with the usa like I do with the european team. I just feel like they’re there enjoying themselves a bit more. Yeah, and I find that the americans take take it like so deadly serious. It’s life or death and if things yeah on that.

Nish: 37:00

Why do you have a theory about why that is?

Harbs: 37:04

they’re just so patriotic, mate. They’re just so patriotic. And I’m not saying europeans aren’t patriotic, um, but I just think Americans live and breathe their nation, don’t they? And for the players to be playing for their nation, it’s like the biggest thing in their lives, and I’m sure it is. For the Europeans being part of the Ryder Cup, I have no doubt all of the Europeans would say the same thing it’s the biggest accolade of my golfing career to be able to represent europe in the rider cup. I have no, absolutely no doubt, but there’s just something about the way it’s bred into americans. They sing their national anthems constantly, everywhere you go, every sporting event. You know they’re super patriotic about their country, even though it’s also things like this you know american football, yeah, we’re the, we’re the great, we’re the world champions yeah, yeah, you know call themselves champions.

Harbs: 38:06

They’re the only ones that play it um. But it’s just things like that. It’s so important for them to be the best and it’s drilled into them at a young age and it’s bred into them.

Nish: 38:17

But I wonder if that’s what plays into the perceived lack, anyway, of that team camaraderie and spirit. Because it’s so important to win, because golf is a solitary sport and we all know what the american golf college system is like. It breeds winners. That’s just how it is. Yeah, and these guys are trained almost to kind of hate each other. You know you’re looking out for number one, you’re gonna beat the other guy, all that kind of thing. Competitors from day one, correct, and and then adding to that, the, I think there is that psyche, that american psyche of like we’re in born, we’re going to show that, we’re going to show dominance in everything and we’re the greatest you know ever. By the way, that’s backed up by a load of stats as well. Like the best in the world are largely american. So that’s not me being down on the kind of system. It produces winners. That’s just the way it is. But then bring that suddenly you go, I’ll bring that into a team environment and you’re fighting for each other and like the guy that last week you hated, he’s now your enemy, he’s now your friend.

Nish: 39:31

Yeah, whereas you know where the europeans you don’t. You don’t get that. Justin rose is trying to out psych rory mcelroy, I mean, you know they’re in the, the playoffs, at the, the masters, and you know you’d think, oh, there’s a bit of a thing there. You know justin rose and mcelroy and whatever, but you could just see that they both looked like they were just happy for each other to be there, sort of things like, oh well, at least we were with each other, you know, and and I think that’s that is there, is, there’s something there. There is a little like well, we’ll use it. Come on, we’ll use the phrase the je ne sais quoi. I think of the European teammate.

Harbs: 40:10

I do not know what, but you’re right it’s the the bababoom of the Europeans. One of those people. Dechambeau is one of those people. You know they, they well, not so much DeChambeau Now. We’ve brought that up in the previous podcast. I know I like him. Now it’s annoying actually, yeah, but can’t they always seem to be in a gripe with someone or in?

Nish: 40:31

a mood about something I feel like he needs it to play good golf yeah maybe maybe he almost needs that aggressive, that kind of like me against the world, kind of thing yeah what do you know about the course?

Harbs: 40:45

absolutely nothing. I still can’t get my head around the fact there’s even golf courses in that city.

Nish: 40:51

It’s mad, isn’t it really? Yeah, yeah, I mean. So, beth page black. There’s a couple of interesting things about this. So, again, the the benefit of being on the us podcast has been to get this insider info yeah, it’s not insider and just that information about the course really. So, beth page black, a lot of people will have heard about, is a. It’s a public park, is where that golf course is, so that doesn’t mean it’s a municipal as such, but it does mean that you can pay to play at that golf course. It’s not exclusive. It’s not one of these country clubs where you need an invitation to go on. Now, as a result, and because it’s a highly regarded venue, as a result, the tea times and tea slots are like gold dust, so it is difficult to get on. They run a system where you can turn up at 7 o’clock in the morning, you can queue and you can get added to a tea slot, which they do at St Andrews, and that’s a democratic way of doing it.

Nish: 41:45

But again, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get on, because if all the tea slots are booked, there’s nothing for that day. Now that gives it a little bit of for me, gives it a little bit of for me, gives it a little bit of an extra juice, I suppose, because I like that. I think it’s nice that it’s not being played at some snooty club where one of the ones, that tiger, was described, where he used to turn up and he was like I only have two questions what’s the course record and where’s the first tee? You know that kind of thing is like, well, that mentality monster that guy was.

Nish: 42:17

But so that’s one one of the things about, like Bethpage, now, the black course.

Nish: 42:21

There are five courses there, so there’s a black course, there’s a red course, blue course, yellow course and green course, and they all start from around the clubhouse, which is again quite rare for such a big golf facility. Yeah, now beth paid black hardest one, everyone will have seen it with a very famous sign that’s on and it’s about the um, the toughness of that golf course, okay, and at the end of the words that it’s only suitable for highly skilled golfers. So we’re sending these guys out on a self-professed brute of a course, and I think the main thing that comes out from it is that you either have to drive it well or you place a premium on accuracy off the tee, or you place a premium on accuracy off the tee. Now you look at the lineups and where do you think that puts in terms of the tee? Anyway, because I feel like the way the Ryder Cup is going and people can hit it so long and all that kind of stuff that how you are off the tee determines who wins this.

Nish: 43:37

The Ryder Cup, europe were amazing off the tee and you’re in in rome. They really were so accurate and just consistent. Now, what do you think, or do you feel there’s any advantage either way from how that that?

Harbs: 43:50

tea’s lining up, swings around about snitch. If I’m brutally honest, yeah, like if you look at the American lineup and there’s a handful of players in there that you could put them on any course and it wouldn’t matter. It would make absolutely no odds because they would just cruise their way around it. Like I said earlier, I think in my opinion it’s likely to be more of a challenge for those making their debut, because if there’s areas for them to make mistakes, they’ll be the ones that will likely find those mistakes. I look at the European team and We’ve got such a mix of players let’s just have a look. So off the tee we have got some very solid players, but we’ve got some geniuses with their short games as well.

Nish: 44:47

I’m so pleased to see Rob McIntyre sitting in there, Do you know, took the words out of my mouth. That’s exactly what I was going to say. You can go. Do you know what? I can have a beer with them. I can relate to that and they just have this wonderment about them playing and being there and being happy and all that.

Harbs: 45:04

Down to earth guys.

Nish: 45:06

Do you feel there are any other glimmers of hope and chinks of weakness that we could cling on to with the American team? Or do you think we rely on some of the debutants to with the american team? Or do you think, well, I’m relying on some of the debutants?

Harbs: 45:17

the european team. I’m super pleased to see victor hovland in there. Yeah, just walks around with a smile on his face. What a guy. Why is it the quirky chap? Um, john rahm, incredible golfer. Uh, however, he does have the odd swings of abilities now and again where I just I look at, I look at his game and I just think you know if he’s not completely on song sometimes it’s not going his way, do?

Nish: 45:43

you feel he’s become a bit of a necessary evil. John rahm now like you need to have him in the team because if he fires he is a he’s a guaranteed five-pointer right yeah, not just that, but the.

Harbs: 45:56

You know, he’s aura. He’s one of the fiery players, I think, when I when I look through our team and I mentioned justin rose, saying he’s like our hype man as far as been there, done it, he’s got the experience. But now he’s also bringing the last uh rider cup. He was the one there like, come on, lads, we’ve got this last uh rider cup. He was the one there like, come on, lads, we’ve got this. John rams also got a fire in his belly. So we’ve got justin rose, john rama and tyrell hatton, and then that’s offset with the likes of victor hovland, um aberg hoygard, and then you’ve just gone and calm and been through the american system and just kind of like you know, they know what the deal is with it yeah, I’ve got to admit I haven’t seen a massive amount of golf from Stracker, but what I have seen recently he’s looked really tidy and you don’t make the Ryder Cup team if you’re not playing well.

Harbs: 46:49

So I’ve got, sadly, not much more to add to that, but we’ll certainly get to watch him in the old school next weekend.

Nish: 46:55

He’s your Thomas Bjorn, alex. Sadly not much more to add to that, um, but we’ll certainly get.

Harbs: 46:56

He’s a solid type, isn’t he? Next weekend?

Nish: 46:57

he’s your. He’s your thomas bjorn, alex norrin type solid guy where the team environment will bring out the absolute best in him. But also he’s not going to let you down yeah do you know what I mean? He’s unflappable, you know. And another one that you won’t want to have a fight with. No absolutely. Unit, absolutely unit.

Harbs: 47:20

Yeah, and then we’ve got our superstars coming off the back of some recent massive wins in McElroy and Fleetwood, which hopefully they’re just going to lead the way and start off firing really well, and the rest of Europe are going to follow. It’s just exciting, exciting mate isn’t it?

Nish: 47:38

it’s exciting, so exciting, so unsurprisingly. Like I said at the top, we’re unashamedly pro europe. We’re obviously going for european wins, obviously, um, I’m gonna go with a two-point gap as well, but I’m gonna go, we’re just gonna sneak it 1513. Is that possible? That’s possible?

Harbs: 47:53

yeah, just do my sums in my head, yeah, yeah yeah, it’s fine.

Nish: 47:57

Yeah, I, I think I think we’ll do that because I think it will be, it will be close and I think this, I feel like I feel like we’ll win the first day. This is weird, I don’t know. I don’t know what’s making me feel this, but because it’s tough, you know, going out in the states and winning the, winning the first day, but yeah, I think we’re going to do that.

Harbs: 48:19

Looking back over the history, mate, we have won in New York before, so back in 1995. Which was at? It was Oak.

Nish: 48:30

Hill, oak Hill.

Harbs: 48:33

Oh, interesting.

Nish: 48:35

So that’s a good omen in my book. Yeah, I mean, it’s a done deal, isn’t it? Vr headsets, mate, that’s like I said, that’s did it for me. I was like they’ve got it in the bag.

Harbs: 48:45

I mean, if we, if we’re stooping to those depths- you come off that podcast and they’re all sitting there, go, he’s gonna go google that. Now you watch, do you watch?

Nish: 48:54

Do you know what I didn’t?

Harbs: 48:55

It’s so funny. I should have checked it out really, shouldn’t I?

Nish: 48:58

Do you know, I’m just too nice a person. I took it on total faith that that was absolutely a spot on headline. But you know, sean’s a lovely guy. I have no reason to doubt him. He gave me so much amazing info about Oakmont. It was incredible, incredible. So I must say, go and check out their podcast. It is well worth, well worth a listen. They’re great.

Harbs: 49:17

And also my good pal, lee harb seven golf at the moment you’re going to find his feed full of him doing uh, push-ups well if I started that purely because of our mate ends was looking for some inspiration and he said his biggest problem was holding himself accountable. Once he gets into a stupor of oh, I’ll do it later, it becomes I’ll do it tomorrow, and then you, days after days, happen and you don’t do anything. So he came up with the idea why don’t we do 100 push-ups a day for 100 days? And I said are you mental like for someone that’s spent their entire life trying to be fit? Even that sounded awful to me.

Harbs: 49:58

Um, and he meant it and I was like I’ll do it with you and my way of being accountable was sticking it on my social media but I’ve had messages from people on Instagram, on YouTube, because I’ve got both accounts where I’m posting the videos and I’m getting people giving me advice on how to do my push-ups better, like telling me how I should break the sets down. It’s fascinating like people see it instantly.

Nish: 50:21

They’ve got an opinion and I love it actually genuinely. If you can take the time, I do recommend this. Take the time just to scroll through the the push-up. Don’t go through the push-up because it is great to watch the progression, but you know, as you get through the push-ups and you get to the golf, do you know what? It’s worth checking that out as well, because lee’s lee’s dedicated to taking the time to post his content and that is warts and all, and that’s what I love.

Nish: 50:45

Because you know what and scotty sheffield has proved this more and I’m hoping this comes out more in the rider cup even the very best of us are prone to a terrible shot every now and again. So we shouldn’t be hard on ourselves. And you know, when people like us put ourselves out there and put a shot tracer on something that’s just dribbled 20 feet in front of us, you know we understand like that is funny and and whatever, but but also we’re humans and we want to try and improve at the game of golf and get better. It’s difficult to put yourself out there and do that and, like I said, it’s that holding yourself accountable a little bit that I’m going to improve. I think you will enjoy following Harbz’s content, so please give him a follow. I’m going to pop all the links in the video and in the podcast description.

Harbs: 51:33

Appreciate that Nish.

Harbs: 51:34

thank you for saying that and I just want to shout out to all the social media content creators in the golf space, especially the ones like us, where you’re going out with a camera and you’re trying to record it all, you’re trying to focus on your round, which is really tough. When you’re trying to make sure the shot’s there, you’re not holding a play, it takes a lot, and then you’ve got four and a half hours of content. When you’re trying to make sure the shot’s there, you’re not holding up play, it takes a lot, and then you’ve got four and a half hours of content that you’re trying to scrub and trying to add your shot tracers to. And we had this discussion.

Harbs: 52:03

The last round took me about seven hours to chunk into pieces, get the shot tracer on, put it back together. Do I need a bit of music on there? Is it boring just watching the, watching the shots being played and all of that? Stick it on YouTube and then get five views. It is what it is, but you know it’s kind of all experience. Um, and then finding the time to get it done and not not upset the family because I’m spending too much time editing editing something no one wants to watch, but we keep going because you never know what’s going to happen. So stay persistent, stay consistent and just keep going.

Nish: 52:44

You know what Amen brother, because I think that is the side of what we do that people don’t probably see. It’s sacrificing, concentrating on justy golf, I mean, I don’t even know the last time I did that.

Nish: 53:01

You know when it just concentrated on playing around a golf, improving something, not thinking about putting my trolley somewhere that I can film a t-shirt, what you know, whatever. Um, yeah, it’s, it’s an unsung quality, I suppose, and, yeah, absolute solidarity with anybody else who’s a content creator in this space and it’s, it’s crowded, it’s crowded, it’s tough out there and that it’s. It’s not even the playing golf and recording or whatever. You’re right, it is hours. You know you’re looking at double digit hours each time putting something together, and so, look, if you’re out there and you’re listening, you’re obviously all into golf. If you’re listening, if you see somebody’s post and it’s about golf, just hit the like button.

Nish: 53:47

Just hit the like button because you know what that helps so much. And it’s not, it’s about nothing else, but just it’s a little vote, it’s a little uptick, it’s a little bit of motivation that makes you go. Do you know what? The next time I’m going to make the video even better and I’ll put in 13 hours instead of 12 hours on this one.

Harbs: 54:08

And it just keeps you going, so yeah, but those lines, just that’s just that bit of appreciation where that person has spent all those hours doing that, just it will put a smile on their face just knowing that someone’s gone. I like that. That was good.

Nish: 54:22

It doesn’t cost anything. Doesn’t cost anything, just a like.

Harbs: 54:25

All right, just for that, I’m going to resubscribe to your channel.

Nish: 54:28

Yes, I have won him back. It’s taken an hour. It’s taken an hour. Well, look, my friend, it’s been an absolute pleasure, as always, and I look forward to getting on the golf course with you at Hollingwell. Thank you for helping me with this preview. I think we’re all excited. Let’s just hope Nothing else. Let’s throw some peace across the Atlantic. We just want a good competitive match, and if that’s not the case, then we’ll give you some hell when it’s an Adare Manor. In two years’ time, next time on the Top 100 in 10 Golf Podcast, we’ll be previewing Hollingwell Golf Club, which is our first ever Top 100 in 10 Society Day. We simply cannot wait.