Verdi's Views: Final musings from the week in Melbourne

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Stan Badz/PGA TOUR

To see Tiger Woods celebrating the United States' win with Australia's fans is to understand that the host country can keep a defeat in fun perspective.

Bob Verdi, one of the most respected sports writers in the United States, is on site at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia filing stories for PGATOUR.COM to give fans an inside look at the competition, teams, players and captains, as well as the unique setting of the Sand Belt courses in Victoria.

Verdi joined the Chicago Tribune in 1967 covering hockey and baseball. He gradually moved his expertise and skills as a columnist into golf and wrote full-time for the newspaper through 1997. He joined Golf Digest and Golf World as a senior writer in 1997. Currently, Verdi is a member of the Chicago Blackhawks' front office, serving as team historian.

Verdi has covered all eight previous Presidents Cup, including those in Australia (1998), South Africa (2003) and Canada (2007). Verdi will rely on his decades-long relationships with many of the players -- as well as team Captains Greg Norman and Fred Couples -- to focus on the players and personalities of The Presidents Cup and present stories from the event in his individual and iconic style.

MELBOURNE, Australia -- Upon learning of Greg Norman's modest proposal to tweak the Presidents Cup, Phil Mickelson came up with a bright idea of his own.

More from Bob Verdi

Click here to access the archive page of Bob Verdi columns from Royal Melbourne.

"Why not let the Internationals pick players from the rest of the world?" said the lefthander, trying mightily to keep a straight face. "Wait a minute. They do that already."

Strange, how after the Americans triumphed at Royal Melbourne Sunday, they heard some of the same things they used to hear about themselves: they can't handle foursomes, their selection process is flawed, they don't play together enough to master the team concept. Most of that rap sheet was compiled during failed attempts to beat Europe in the Ryder Cup. Now, it's the USA that is must be dethroned for the health of the Presidents Cup.

Norman's thoughts about altered formats and more wildcard picks are worthy, but we should all exhale, take a step back and appreciate that the Presidents Cup has matured nicely for its age. Why the Internationals have won only once is a mystery, because they always appear loaded. But last week's competition was close enough to be entertaining and far enough from predictable to beget optimism for an even brighter future. This was about more than Steve Williams and Tiger Woods, or as Peter Hanlon of The Age dubbed it, "Caddyshake." Remember, not until the Ryder Cup became more inclusive did the United States face the visceral type of biennial pressure that Europe applies now. For five decades, the Ryder Cup wasn't prime-time. Against that, the Presidents Cup has been around for five minutes.

Nobody is comparing the Ryder Cup with the Presidents Cup for seismic history, but Capt. Fred Couples of the United States did allow that the latter is more enjoyable for players because they play more: matches spread over four days, instead of three, means fewer golfers sitting out. Taken a step further, Prof. Mickelson offers his theory of relativity: the more fun you have off the course, the more fun you will have on the course, and thus, the better you will perform. Interesting, particularly if you adhere to the school of thought that you first have to win to have fun.

Whatever, American teams of recent Ryder and Presidents Cup vintage do appear to be shedding their reputation as individuals forced into community service, immune to bonding and helpless when encountering eccentric weather on unfamiliar venues. Last week, it was difficult to discern whether the six rookies were feeding off the six veterans, or vice versa, but even on a parboiled Friday, the misery index was non-existent. Couples insists he is less a group captain than a crossing guard. However, Freddie does have this way of instilling a certain attitude that effects a lot of birdies and a lot of laughter.

You would be remiss in ignoring the arena of Australia, a truly special nation. The mood of galleries at Royal Melbourne was festive and fair. Five native sons played for the Internationals, but it wasn't as though losing another Presidents Cup would feel like death or alter the high quality of life. On Monday, Melbourne was bustling as usual, a cosmopolitan melting pot without a noticeable police presence that feels as safe as a gated housing development. Al Jazeera is on the hotel TV, there is a hefty fine for walking while intoxicated, and as Christmas in summer nears, stores aren't screaming about holiday sales, as happens in America starting about Labor Day.

Mind you, there are some quirky local rules, besides driving on the wrong side of the road. Because of that, I think, escalators operate accordingly. If you bear right when approaching one and attempt to board it for a ride, you will feel a sensation in your feet, and it will not tickle. Horse racing is a rather robust industry, but a dizzying spectator sport. Horses run around Melbourne tracks in a counter clockwise fashion. From left to right on your TV, just like in the U.S. But in Sydney, only an hour away by plane, the horses run right to left, or clockwise. If you think it's tough being a horse in Australia, it's even worse if you're a smoker. There is a massive government movement to convince everyone to quit or, better yet, never start. A pack of cigarettes cost $17 or so, and you have to ask for them because they are hidden behind the counter. Cigars are also heavily taxed. If you are a parent who savors a stogie on occasion, the choice is absolutely daunting. Either buy a box of Cubans, or send your child to college.

Aussies generally like Americans. As Neil Mitchell of the Herald Sun wrote during President Obama's recent visit, "our cultures are fundamentally linked by similar principles, a common language and hours of bad television." But Aussies view us as workaholics who don't devote enough time to leisure. They are outdoors people, we are chained to our desks, or so the common perception goes. Also, Aussies who travel to the United States are horrified about our coffee, which they liken to a mixture of cough syrup and motor oil. (The coffee here is decidedly better.) They frown on our wine, too, and wonder why we bother with our beer. If you want to drink water at a bar, why go to a bar?

Another problem for Aussies in America is our bread. Stuart Appleby, who did not participate in this Presidents Cup, mused years ago that he has to search intensely near his Orlando residence for a proper bakery. I am told we put too much sugar in our bread, which lacks taste and texture. Appleby said if you were to drive a car over a loaf of bread from Australia and a loaf of bread from the United States, you would see the difference. Why you would drive a car over a loaf of bread is unclear, but whenever I make a sandwich, I think of Stuart Appleby.