Rickie Fowler’s generous Ryder Cup concession? Major winners weigh in

After 9 Ryder Cup appearances and yet one more, in 2018, because the U.S. captain, Jim Furyk is aware of a factor or two about golf’s most charged occasion. He understands how feelings can heighten, how momentum can rapidly swing and the way tough it may be throughout Sunday singles to know precisely when and the place the decisive putt would possibly drop.

Furyk was again in the Ryder Cup combine in Rome final week, this time as an assistant captain underneath Zach Johnson. Late on Sunday, with solely 4 matches nonetheless on the course, the U.S. was in a deeply precarious place — although not fairly lifeless. Having began the day in a frightening five-point gap, the Americans had performed nicely sufficient in the primary wave of singles matches to provide their second-wave teammates an oh-so-slim likelihood to tug off a Miracalo at Marco Simone.

Assistant captains aren’t permitted to advise their gamers mid-match however they will hoot and holler for them, which was Furyk’s position on Sunday. With the Americans hanging on by a grass blade, Furyk joined the ultimate match of the session: Wyndham Clark vs. Robert MacIntyre. By the time that contest reached 15, Clark had seized the momentum, having gained the earlier two holes to tug even along with his Scottish rival. If every of Clark’s teammates nonetheless on the course delivered a full level, the U.S. Open champion was positioned to turn out to be the U.S. hero.

Clark had no such alternative, as a result of the Ryder Cup as an alternative was determined by the match forward of his: Rickie Fowler vs. Tommy Fleetwood. Fleetwood, who was 2 up by way of 15 holes, wanted only a half-point to safe the Cup for Europe, and he would earn it in weird vogue.

After Fowler splashed his tee shot on the drivable par-4 sixteenth, he took a drop after which hit a tidy wedge that left him about 6 toes for par. Fleetwood, in the meantime, had blistered his tee shot to the back-middle of the inexperienced, which arrange an eagle strive that he left 2 toes 8 inches quick. Fowler’s solely hope of extending the match was to make his putt and hope Fleetwood missed. An unlikely state of affairs — so unlikely to Fowler that he determined to concede the putt, and the Cup, to his opponent.

It was undoubtedly a sporting factor to do, however was it smart? On the NBC telecast, analyst Brad Faxon was shocked by Fowler’s generosity, whereas a legion of American followers on social media was outright salty. For the Cup?! Make him gap it!

Neither Fowler nor his teammates have been requested in regards to the concession afterward. But on Tuesday, Furyk did weigh in, on a press name for the World Champions Cup, a senior occasion impressed by the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup; later this yr Furyk will captain a U.S. workforce versus squads from Europe, captained by Darren Clarke, and the remainder of the world, helmed by Ernie Els. The occasion is slated for Dec. 7-10 at a Florida course referred to as — how ’bout this! — The Concession, which was named in homage to the Ryder Cup-tying two-footer Jack Nicklaus gave to Tony Jacklin on the 1969 matches at Royal Birkdale.

Given Furyk was a gap behind Fowler’s match at Marco Simone, he mentioned didn’t get a real-time sense for what was occurring forward of him. But Furyk did say Fowler’s concession wasn’t a lot of a dialogue level for the American gamers at day’s finish.

“We didn’t talk much about it at all actually as a team,” Furyk mentioned. “And at the end of the day the other matches didn’t work out, so I’ve got no fault with Rick there and I got no issues, but I need to kind of go back and see [the replay].”

Also on the convention name with Furyk was Els, one other main winner with a lot worldwide workforce competitors expertise. At the 2003 Presidents Cup in South Africa, Els, then No. 2 in the world, famously dueled Tiger Woods, the world No. 1, in a sudden-death playoff for all of the marbles. After Els and Woods tied the primary three holes and darkness was setting in, U.S. captain Jack Nicklaus and International captain Gary Player agreed to name the match a draw.   

When requested about Fowler’s concession, Els mentioned on the decision, “Listen, you’ve got to ask Rickie that. How far was Tommy’s putt, you say?”

“Two feet 8 inches,” a reporter mentioned.

“I mean, 2 feet 8 inches, I think the guy’s going to make it nine out of 10 times and he goes to 17 2 down.”

Actually, should you take a look at Fleetwood’s 2023 placing stats on the PGA Tour, his make-rate from 3 toes and in is even higher than that, at 99.70 p.c (or 669 for 771). That vary, in fact, contains many teeny-tiny tap-ins, however even while you zoom out barely to 3- to 5-footers, Fleetwood’s stroke remains to be almost a certain factor. Of the 186 putts he has taken from that vary in 2023, he made 165 of them, or 90.86 p.c. Ryder Cup stress could make placing strokes do wacky issues, however in that second — with Rome (figuratively) burning round him — Fowler felt elevating the white flag was the noble factor to do.

Qualms? You gained’t hear any from Els.

“The Europeans were at 14 points, so they just needed basically a half a point,” he mentioned. “It was going to be very, very — nearly impossible for Rickie to turn that match around. If he makes that putt, Fleetwood makes his birdie, the match is over. He goes dormie, 2 up with two to go. Europe’s got a half a point at least. It’s tough to get on to Rickie saying that he might have cost [the U.S.] — it’s just not true.”

However you are feeling about Fowler’s gesture, there can be no such bizarre conclusion to the World Champions Cup. That’s as a result of the Sunday singles matches in the three-day occasion can be carried out as stroke play.   

“No gimmees,” Furyk mentioned. “So get to watch the old guys shake it in from 2 feet, 8 inches.”

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s government editor, Bastable is accountable for the editorial path and voice of one of many sport’s most revered and extremely trafficked information and repair websites. He wears many hats — modifying, writing, ideating, creating, daydreaming of at some point breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely proficient and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Before grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the options editor at GOLF Magazine. A graduate of the University of Richmond and the Columbia School of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey along with his spouse and foursome of children.