Golf
Notebook: "Hoss" Sutton is boss of U.S. Ryder Cup team

By The Orlando Sentinel and The Associated Press

Hal Sutton

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Hal Sutton, son of an oilman, has sat tall in the saddle before. He has punched a few cows on the family ranch and worn a big-brimmed hat in bright sunlight.

Fittingly, one of Sutton's nicknames, an indisputable nod to his Louisiana drawl and no-nonsense manner, is "Hoss."

When the 35th Ryder Cup matches begin Friday at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., there won't be much doubt that Hoss is boss around those parts, too. U.S. captain Sutton, who raises horses, is simultaneously holding the reins and champing at the bit as he fronts the team's attempt to reclaim the Ryder Cup.

It didn't take long to realize that with Sutton as captain, there was a new sheriff in town. On the day he was introduced as captain two years ago, his opening utterance was to call out Tiger Woods, challenging him to perform better and take a leadership role in the matches, where Woods has a 5-8-2 career mark.

"That was kind of a mental thing," Sutton said last month, smirking.

Sutton quickly made inroads both into the heads and hearts of his 12-man team. When Sutton starts talking about those pesky Europeans, guys want to don a helmet and chinstrap.

"He's got some Tom Landry in him," CBS analyst David Feherty said.

Sutton, who played on four Ryder Cup teams, sowed the seeds of a grittier team even before it had been finalized, leaving a trail of personalized notes in the lockers of top players as the points deadline approached. Chris DiMarco found a missive from Sutton in his locker in Florida in March, exhorting DiMarco to earn a spot — or else. Sutton told players that he would not take them as a wild-card pick, forcing them to earn a berth on their own. He was already pushing buttons.

"I mean, if there's anybody that's more emotional than me, it's Hal," DiMarco said. "I think he's an unbelievable captain and he's going to be phenomenal. He has got a lot of fire and drive in him, for sure.
 
"He is a true competitor, the kind of guy you want on your side."

No conclusions should be drawn from the partnering in this week's early practice rounds, either, Sutton said. He will keep most folks guessing until the first ball is in the air.

"The only thing I can say is to expect the unexpected," Sutton said. "I've had players tell me who they thought they'd play well with. I said, 'That's great. Don't expect it.' "

When Sutton speaks of his captaincy, his drawl bubbling to the surface, he sounds a bit like a preacher pounding on a pulpit or a coach at halftime of a big game.

Europe has been known to bench lesser players until the final day of competition. Sutton might do likewise and deal with the frayed feelings later.

"That's one mistake the U.S. has made," Sutton said. "They tried to be politically correct, and to my knowledge since I've been playing professional golf, Europe has yet to do that. They play to win.

"We're going to take 12 egos up there. Everybody thinks that they're going to play a part in winning the 2004 Ryder Cup. Truth is, some will play a bigger part than others."

Sutton indicated he can handle the heat of being captain.

"Here is one thing, for sure and certain," Sutton said. "Hal Sutton won't win it, but Hal Sutton could lose it, and that's what's going to be written."

Note

• Woods is certain at least one European is rooting for him in the Ryder Cup: his fiancée, Elin Nordegren, the Swedish model who became engaged to Woods late last year.

Woods denied a recent Boston Herald column that said the couple "may have called it quits."

"That's completely false," Woods said. "It's 100 percent false, actually."