Darren Clarke insists previous results are irrelevant ahead of Ryder Cup
By Keith Jackson at Hazeltine
Last Updated: 27/09/16 7:12pm
Darren Clarke believes Europe's run of three Ryder Cup victories in a row is "irrelevant" ahead of this week's contest at Hazeltine National.
Europe have won eight out of the last 10 contests and have held the trophy since 2010, but Clarke feels their dominance does not give them a significant psychological advantage in Minnesota.
Clarke and his opposite number Davis Love III began their first press conference of the week with an emotional tribute to Arnold Palmer following his death on Sunday at the age of 87, and they confirmed that plans were in place to honour the legend throughout the tournament.
"Each Ryder Cup is individual in its own rights," said Clarke. "We have had different scenarios going on in past Ryder Cups and this is a totally different one where we're currently under the shadow of Mr Palmer's passing away.
"And you know, we will pay our respects, but come Friday we will be out there battling like the two great teams that we are. It's something that whatever happens this week, it will be another great chapter in the history of The Ryder Cup, and certainly one that goes along with honouring Mr Palmer as well."
Clarke also insisted he was not concerned at having six Ryder Cup rookies on his team, and he is adamant that the newcomers will all be fully prepared for the challenge ahead.
He added: "We have six first-timers on the team this year, but of those guys, one of them is a Masters champion and those guys play a lot of their golf over here now anyway. I know The Ryder Cup is a totally different animal altogether, but those guys are ready and they are prepared.
"They have spoken a lot to the vice captains and myself over this build-up into the tournament, and they know what to expect. The home support is going to be loud, it's going to be vociferous and rightly so; that's the way it should be. That's what makes The Ryder Cup so special.
"They are all so keen to get out there and play and savour the whole atmosphere of the Ryder Cup. There's a wonderful mixture of youth in there, as well. And from a European point of view, they are really looking forward to it. They are excited."
Love, who confirmed that Bubba Watson had been appointed as his fifth vice-captain after he was overlooked for a wildcard pick, is also excited about the blend of youth and experience in his line-up.
The US captain did not finalise his team until Sunday evening, when he named the in-form Ryan Moore as his final pick, and he is happy with how the much-publicised "task force" has worked out in preparing his team for the Ryder Cup.
"We learned a lot this time, but we are very, very happy with the outcome," he said. "The 11 guys have been together for two-plus weeks working on who the last pick was going to be, and our team has really come together.
"Everybody has been really, really focused on it, and I think now that we have 12 plus Bubba, we've got the perfect team and we're just thrilled with the way the whole thing shook out, even though it was hard on the captain!
"We have a lot of really long drivers and we can't tell who is the longest, and we have a lot of great leaders and we can't tell who is really going to step up. But what I've seen is the assistant captains over the last two or three months have all kind of helped me in different ways, and they will continue to do that.
"But we have leaders that have already stepped up in past years, like Phil Mickelson and Zach Johnson, and Jordan Spieth has stepped up to be a great player but also a leader in the locker room. We are heavy on leadership and heavy on passion.
"We've just got to get out and play our game, I think is the only thing we have to do. But we're excited about the 12 players, the six captains, the support team we have, and I don't think we've ever been as pumped up and as organised and as together as a family as this group."
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