The Round Table: Solheim Cup, The Match and questionable Prez Cup picks

Each week we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

The Solheim Cup will be contested this week at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia. Team USA hasn’t won in the last three matches but hopes home soil might give them the advantage this time around. On paper, the teams look fairly even. Which team do you think will win and who might be the MVP?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): I enjoy the Solheim Cup, and shamelessly root for Team Euro… partly because it drives me crazy that the powers-that-be won’t expand Team USA into Team North America so that Brooke Henderson (and previously, Lorena Ochoa) could play.  Looking at the lineups, I’d give the edge to Team Euro, and my pick for MVP would be Esther Henseleit from Germany.  (If USA wins, I pick Lauren Coughlin, based on recent performance.)  It’s a good thing there isn’t a Team Korea, because then it would be no contest.

Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario (@craigloughry): This is a tough call, I do think Team USA will win, only because of home-field advantage. The teams are pretty evenly matched as far as I can tell. The crowds can/will make a difference this week.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: The Solheim Cup is a lot like the Ryder Cup in that the best players aren’t playing.  This type of thinking is what led to the PGA TOUR having the breakaway with L1V. Someone will win by 1 point or less so it might as well be Europe. As for MVP, I hope the first timers enjoy greatness. I’m picking Albane Valenzuela and Sarah Schmelzel.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ): I think that similar to the way Suzann Pettersen left the game at the very top in 2019, it’s time for Lexi Thompson to do the same.  She’s seemingly had the pressure taken off of her since her retirement announcement and has played well, I think she redeems herself from a disappointing result in Spain last year with an MVP like performance and the USA takes back the Cup.

Hal Quinn, Freelance Writer, Vancouver: The Yanks look very strong and are still smarting from the tie in Spain. In the frenzied election year jingoistic atmosphere that will envelope the matches, it should be a real home course advantage. Wouldn’t be surprised if Lexi Thompson rides her new-found putting excellence to a starring role swan song.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): This is supposed to be Lexi Thompson’s swan song as she heads into retirement or semi-retirement or something that means she won’t be playing as much anymore. But don’t think that will conjure up a re-enactment of Suzann Pettersen’s momentous Solheim farewell from a few years back. The Hollywood scriptwriters are projecting an emotional finish with tears of joy as Lexi hoists the Solheim Cup, but the only tears they’ll see will be sobs of anguish from the losing American squad. Charley Hull for MVP!

The Match is back again but this time with a bit of a twist. Scheduled for December in Las Vegas, this version of the made-for-TV event will have a PGA Tour vs LIV Golf theme with Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy pitted against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka. Does the presence of four of the world’s top-ranked players or the Tour vs Tour theme make this any more compelling than previous Matches?

Deeks: Certainly not more compelling for me, because I’ve never felt compelled to watch any of the previous Matches.  Anything that remotely promotes or justifies the existence of LIV Golf is of no interest to me.

Loughry: Yes, this setup makes a difference for an audience interest’s sake, and I will be watching.  We have 3 compelling (and 1 budding) personalities involved, and the backstory theme (LIV vs PGA Tour), Bryson and Brooks, etc. This will be one of the few I will tune into.

Schurman: Of course! Any opportunity to watch the best players is a treat. The problem will be motivating the players.

Rule: I think it does a bit.  It will interesting to see the dynamic between the guys from the two tours, and also between Bryson and Brooks, who haven’t always been the best of friends.  I think that Bryson’s win over Rory at Pinehurst adds to the storyline for this event, and I may even tune in this time.

Quinn: This smacks of a desperate attempt to save a TV show that is quite rightly and justifiably dying. The LIV-Tour rivalry will by hyped to a fare thee well even as the players feel none of it. This (last?) episode might be worth a glance if no NFL games are on that night.

Mumford: It’s a strong cast and an intriguing storyline, which is great for promoting The Match, but as I’ve said for many years, these things don’t mean anything to anyone, and the bottom line is they’re really not that entertaining. Professional golf is on a roll of throwing gobs of money at events assuming it matters and assuming we’ll watch. This goes for some of the PGA Tour Signature events, LIV Golf and various iterations of The Match. A big purse isn’t compelling TV.

Last week Captains Mike Weir and Jim Furyk rounded out their teams for the Presidents Cup. Furyk stuck to the standings in selecting the next six from the Top 12 Americans to add to his six automatic qualifiers. Weir dug a little deeper selecting Si Woo Kim (#14) and Mackenzie Hughes (#15) to the International Team and leaving Canadians Nick Taylor (#12) and Adam Hadwin (#13) off the squad. What do you think about the selections?

Deeks: I cannot understand why Weir did that.  Bypassing two legitimate players is unfair, but two CANADIANS, when the event is being played in Canada??!  What a slap in the face to Taylor and Hadwin, and to Canadian golf and the Golf Canada development program.  What was his thinking? Actually, I don’t care what his thinking was.  It’s just wrong.

Loughry: I don’t think it matters much who he picked, the outcome will be the same. This is a lopsided event that Team USA should win in a landslide. So, knowing that, if I were Weir, I would have went all in on the Canadians. Leaving Hadwin and Taylor off is strange as they were both in the top 12. I think Weir just doesn’t want the headache of a loss with so many Canadians on the team.

Schurman: I’m an ‘all or nothing’ believer. Either have the captain pick the entire team or take the top 12. I really dislike passing over #12 and 13 for #14 and 15. That’s a double slap, particularly when both are Canadians.

Rule: I feel bad for Nick and Adam but someone had to be left off and Nick in particular just hasn’t been in the best of form lately.  I thought Adam should have been selected but I’m sure Mike has his reasons.  You can’t fault picking Si Woo Kim, and I hope that Mackenzie plays well to validate his selection.  I’m looking forward to it.  When they selected Royal Montreal to be the host, there was always the hope that there would be some Canadian content, and we have three, which is fantastic.

Quinn: Lately Taylor and Hadwin have not been ‘on song’, as the Aussies would say, and from that perspective the choices make some sense. But in an Oh Canada way, it makes none. If Kim goes 4-0, only his family will care. If Taylor and Hadwin, and significant others, were at the opening ceremonies an entire nation would care. Nick and Adam must be gutted.

Mumford: I’m with Michael on this. Either have 12 Captain’s picks or go with the standings. Either way, the standings need to be more of a “what have you done lately” list. As it stands, some of the automatic picks are on a team based on what they did a year ago. As for Weir’s picks, Kim and Hughes are about the same as Taylor and Hadwin on recent performance – nothing at all to get excited about. So, it boils down to Mike’s gut instinct, and he’ll wear the result either way.