Golficiency officially campaigns for an inaugural Rose Cup, a new team cup between European and International golf professionals. This new tournament should close the gap between the continents as the golf world already stages the Ryder Cup, the Presidents Cup but no established competition between Europeans and Internationals.

The Ryder Cup is just around the corner and unfortunately I won’t see a lot of the action because I’ll be on honeymoon during that time—bad timing. The missus won’t be amused if I’d ask her if she’d mind me watching some golf instead of spending some time with her at the beach estate in Mauritius and to be honest, I’m pretty much looking forward to that too. We’ve scheduled in some rounds of golf for ourselves but watching golf on TV is off the table I’m afraid.

Even though I will miss most of the 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles, I strongly admire that golf tournament setup and the idea behind it. Being invented and established in 1927 by Samuel Ryder, the Cup always attracted so many people, both on and off the course. Players even today play for free, they just earn a lot of respect for taking the field for their continent. For them it’s like the Olympic Games in which athletes feel pride in playing their beloved sport for their nation, for their colours in a team uniform. But also spectators love the team cups as they are played in match play which offers them the chance to support a team rather than only cheering for a single player’s birdies. So it’s a great event for both sides, players and spectators, and it attracts so many TV viewers as well which makes the Ryder Cup the third biggest sports media event in the world (after the Olympics and the FIFA World Cup)!

It’s difficult to describe the atmosphere of the tournament, but I’m sure you have seen some TV footage, something like the overwhelmed jumps of joy, the excitement of players after winning a hole or a point, the crowd going totally nuts following their team around the course or just the great spirit within the team. All this you usually don’t see in regular golf at all—a sport in which everybody fights on his own, where ethusiasm is rather calm and short and where a team is only a player and his caddy. This is so different in golf team cups like the Ryder Cup or the Presidents Cup. There real teams fight for the pride and the success of their continent and leave all individual goals behind.

In the Ryder Cup Europe plays against the United States, e.g. players like McIlroy, Kaymer, Poulter, Stenson or McDowell are facing guys like Woods, Mickelson, Furyk, Watson, Mahan or Fowler. The clash of European and US titans one could argue… The Presidents Cup on the other hand is the battle between the US boys and an international team excluding the Europeans. Amongst these you’ll find golf stars like Scott, Day, Els, Schwartzel, Cabrera or Matsuyama.

So we have three great teams but only two tournaments as there is no team cup between the Europeans and the international team! This has to change now!! I really want to see Martin Kaymer playing match play against Adam Scott, and I’d like to see Rory McIlroy winning a point for Europe against Ernie Els—all accompanied by huge crowds, extensively cheering for their team.

This is where the Rose Cup comes into play. I officially campaign for the implementation of the Europe vs International team cup and as the tournament usually is named after its inventor, I believe “Rose Cup” is a more than suitable brand name :) I already see the breathtaking trophy in my mind’s eye—with a huge silver rose on top… ok, this is open for discussion ;)

“As you walk down the fairway of life, you must smell the roses, for you only get to play one round.”
(Ben Hogan)

I could be very wrong here but I believe the world deserves an additional golf team cup, another chance to shine as a continent and to play golf on highest professional level at the best golfing venues in the world. Most likely South Africa and Australia would make up the most players in the international team but as these two countries brought up great and proud golf enthusiasts I’m sure there would be many supporters of this idea, both in Europe and elsewhere.

What’s your opinion on this? I say let’s make this viral, let’s breed this idea, let’s come to a point in which the need for such recurring event hits the media and attracts many people around the world wishing the same, crossing fingers for the budgeting, support and finally the implementation of the new cup which lets the best European and international teams hit the majestic golf ground of our time.

I’d be more than delighted if you would support this idea. Please comment, share your thoughts and impress with your own ideas if you want. Let the games begin.

Continue reading Ryder Cup, Presidents Cup, Rose Cup