Sutton to take leaf out of Seve's book

Ryder Cup • Hole-by-hole course guide • Highlights of Ryder Cup history • What players are saying • Previous results

LONDON (Reuters) -- United States captain Hal Sutton plans to follow the example of Seve Ballesteros in 1997 when the 2004 Ryder Cup begins at Oakland Hills next week.

Sutton, a big man in every sense, admired the way Ballesteros captained the Europeans to success in such visible, in-your-face style at Valderrama in Spain.

Ballesteros, a five-times major winner, seemed to be everywhere on the course, shuttling between the matches to maintain close contact with every player on his 12-man team.

"I think Seve stepped up there and proved to his team: 'Hey, I'm with you 100 percent. I'm going to fight to the finish, I'm doing my fighting from pairing and all of that sort of stuff and you guys go fight with your clubs'," Sutton said.

"I'm the only guy that can give the American team any advice. I can tell them what I think, the assistant captains can't.

"I certainly won't be afraid to tell them what I think. I won't be afraid to encourage them if I think that's what they need. Seve wasn't."

Like the Spaniard in 1997, Sutton is making his debut as Ryder Cup captain. Although the 46-year-old American has learned a lot from watching previous U.S. captains, he has a clear idea of his own captaincy style.

DECISIVE CAPTAIN

Above all else, Sutton wants to give a firm lead as his team strive to win back the Ryder Cup from the Europeans.

"I think anybody that's decisive and organised is easy to play for," he said. "You know what to expect out of them. It doesn't matter if they have got a fiery way or a quiet demeanour. I think it's just easier to expect it."

Hardly surprisingly, Sutton's best Ryder Cup memory is of the 1999 showdown at Brookline, the only time the U.S. triumphed over Europe in his four Cup outings as a player.

Ben Crenshaw was American captain that year, inspiring his charges to an astonishing fightback in the last-day singles when they won eight of the 12 matches to regain the Ryder Cup by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2.

"The 1999 Ryder Cup was the highlight of my golfing life," Sutton recalled. "It was also, at one point during that week (when it looked as if the U.S. would lose), the lowest point in my golfing life."

Sutton ended up as the most successful American player at Brookline with three wins and a half point from five matches.

GAME PLAN

Sutton will never forget how captain Crenshaw stuck to his guns over the three days of competition.

"I think they (Crenshaw and his assistants) had a plan," he said. "It looked like a plan that totally departed us and we were down by four points going into Sunday. But they stuck to the plan.

"They didn't ask guys questions about how they felt like we ought to be paired up or anything else. I felt very organised in that event. Speaking from a player's standpoint, I think the players appreciate the organisation of that."

One of the hard men when he played on the U.S. team, Sutton expects a talismanic figure to emerge from his team at Oakland Hills, someone who can provide the emotional spark.

"I think every leader of the team will not be afraid to say what's on his mind at the right time," he said.

"Somebody will emerge on this team as a player who will say what he thinks. And it will be at an opportune time.

"I don't know who that person is. We'll find out. I'll be able to tell you after it's over with."

Copyright 2004 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.