'Rahm sends Ryder Cup reminder as US warm up with Presidents Cup stroll'

Jon Rahm’s play-off decision successful the Spanish Open by satellite fig 398 Angel Hidalgo, shows golf’s enduring capableness to output upsets - but this trait seldom extends to the Presidents Cup.

In Montreal, the United States’ 10th consecutive triumph implicit the Internationals was arsenic apt arsenic Hidalgo’s shootout occurrence was unexpected successful Madrid.

Former satellite fig 1 Rahm birdied the past 2 holes to instrumentality his location Open to other time, lone for the unheralded Hidalgo to prevail with consecutive birdies successful abrupt death.

Sporting romance was live and kicking successful the Spanish capital.

The 26-year-old champion from Marbella, who lone a mates of years earlier supported Rahm from the galleries, has present secured DP World Tour playing privileges for astatine slightest the adjacent 2 years.

“Winning astatine home, winning a Spanish Open with each the enactment that determination has been, you could archer however overmuch helium felt it and however important it was for him," LIV prima Rahm sportingly observed.

“May helium larn from these moments and bask them.”

Across the pond successful Quebec it was a spot much feisty and decidedly much predictable. Jim Furyk’s United States squad recorded a convincing 18½-11½ triumph implicit the Internationals led by erstwhile Masters champion Mike Weir.

The Presidents Cup has plentifulness of critics. It is seen arsenic 'Ryder Cup-lite' with its little aggravated four-day format.

Players coming from disparate parts of the globe to signifier America’s absorption has often felt confected - Koreans and Japanese teaming up with South Africans, Australians and Canadians.

But past week, adjacent successful defeat, Weir’s squad did play with an evident and commendable corporate spirit, particularly erstwhile they reversed the opening 5-0 drubbing successful the Thursday fourballs with a cleanable expanse successful the Friday foursomes.

There was niggle too, particularly successful the signifier of Tom Kim. The demonstrative 22-year-old Korean made wide his displeasure astatine being asked to spread a abbreviated putt helium felt should person been given.

Kim besides complained that helium and spouse Kim Si-woo had been sworn astatine during their Saturday clash with Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele. And the Montreal crowds were raucous, not rather a 'bear pit' but not acold disconnected it.

The young Korean, though, yet backtracked. He went to Schauffele astatine the extremity of the lucifer past Sunday to apologise for his comments the erstwhile day. “I conscionable told him I didn't mean it to spell successful specified a antagonistic way,” Tom Kim admitted.

“It was conscionable extracurricular the ropes, and I felt similar that was a small misunderstanding connected my part, which I should person explained better,” helium admitted.

But the Presidents Cup requires borderline and needle if it is to go the spectacle the PGA Tour would privation it to be.

Right now, it is excessively one-sided and the gulf is accentuated by the accomplishment of the breakaway LIV tour, which deprived the location squad of Australia’s 2022 Open champion Cameron Smith and the highly rated Chilean Joaquin Niemann.

Yes, the United States were without the likes of Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka, but American play inactive possesses large spot successful depth. Their full dozen-strong squad was ranked wrong the apical 25 successful the world.

How could these matches beryllium improved?

There is extracurricular enactment for American Solheim Cup skipper Stacy Lewis’ contention that the Presidents Cup should go a mixed event.

The Internationals would beryllium acold stronger fixed the extent of Asian and Australasian endowment connected the LPGA. “It’s the cleanable mode to blend the 2 tours,” Lewis said astatine the Solheim successful Virginia earlier this month.

“The planetary squad volition get amended precise quickly. I deliberation it would beryllium astonishing to person the 2 tours unneurotic that way.”

But, adjacent with yet different one-sided contention successful the books - the Internationals person lone won 1 of the 15 Presidents Cups to day - it is precise hard to spot the PGA Tour changing course.

Such a extremist alteration would not beryllium emblematic of their usually blimpish playbook. It will, astir likely, proceed successful the aforesaid vein astatine the adjacent lucifer astatine Medinah successful 2026.

That Chicago venue famously played big to the past genuinely adjacent Ryder Cup, wherever Europe came backmost from 10-4 down to sensationally snatch triumph by a azygous constituent precisely 12 years ago.

And, fto it not beryllium forgotten that the Ryder Cup could bash with different adjacent contention aft mostly one-sided location wins during the past decade.

US skipper Keegan Bradley confirmed this Presidents Cup triumph by beating Kim Si-woo aft the South Korean missed from six feet connected the last greenish successful Montreal.

Now Bradley’s thoughts indispensable crook to starring astatine Bethpage successful 12 months time. Bethpage is apt to beryllium an utmost 'bear pit' wherever emotions could easy spill implicit and crook ugly, particularly if Luke Donald’s Europeans marque it competitive.

Bradley, who bleeds stars and stripes, volition person been delighted to witnesser adjacent manus the mode Schauffele, Cantlay and Collin Morikawa dominated the Presidents Cup, with each 3 winning 4 matches retired of five.

They, on with satellite fig 1 Scottie Scheffler (three wins and 2 defeats) - who showed uncharacteristically overt passionateness successful Canada past week - volition beryllium the bedrock of the US effort successful New York adjacent year.

Europe should person the power, precision and passionateness of Rahm successful their team. By playing successful Madrid past week helium took a large measurement towards retaining DP World Tour rank and truthful Ryder Cup eligibility.

The 29-year-old mightiness not person won, but if his quality successful the Spanish superior helps him go portion of a squad that retains successful a raucous Ryder Cup adjacent year, it volition inactive person been good worthy playing - adjacent successful decision to specified lowly ranked opposition.