After Being Denounced by the Likes of Justin Thomas and Jessica Korda, Is It Time to Ban Ties at Solheim/Ryder Cup?

The Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup are golf events that are truly one-of-a kind. Both of the prestigious tournaments are biennial; that is, they take place once every two years. Fans and the golf fraternity wait eagerly for the enthralling fun and everything else that the event brings to the table. From the venue to the uniforms, everything is lavish at these two events!

But as they say, not every good thing can be good all the time, and even it may have some inhibitions. Well, so do the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup! The biggest roadblock or inhibition that these events hit is in the case of a tie when the tournament ends in a stalemate situation and both teams have a score of 14-14.

Is it about time that the Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup should retire the age-old tie system to decide the winner?

One of the most unique things about the Ryder Cup is its groundbreaking and innovative nature. The event starts with four foursomes and four fourball matches on Friday, and the same follows on Saturday. On the tournament’s final day, all 12 players come out on the course and go against their counterparts.

After the final 72 hours of gruesome golf, if the scoreboard has 14 for each team, that is, the USA and Europe, the tournament ends in a tie. As a result of the tie, the team that won the Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup last year retains the cup.

This decades-old tie system to decide the winner has been criticized a lot this year after what went down at Finca Cortesin just a couple of days ago when Team USA and Team Europe were battling against each other. It was the final single match between Europe’s very own Carlota Ciganda and LPGA cover girl Nelly Korda, but Ciganda defeated Korda. After 28 matches, the scoreboard stood at 14-14, and as per the tie system, Europe retained the cup since they won back in 2021.

According to America’s skipper, Stacy Lewis, Justin Thomas, Jessica Korda, and the golf world, the tie system is a major drawback, and the playoffs would be a much better option to decide the winner. Playoffs would mean better television for the fans too.

After what happened at Finca Cortesin, the chances are that there may be a deja vu at Marco Simone, and Europe may just steal the victory from right under America’s palms. Both of the teams are very strong this year, and as per the reports, this is Europe’s strongest Ryder Cup squad.

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The European clan is on the path to avenge what happened at Whistling Strats in 2021, whereas the American squad needs to end the match in a tie to win and be crowned as the 2023 Ryder Cup winner. Having said that, is the tie system to decide the winner unfair?

Should the tie system be used to decide the winner at such a high-platform fair or not?

The 2023 Solheim Cup was supposed to be historic. Why? Well, because Europe was on a quest to win the cup for the third time in a row, and it had not happened in Solheim Cup history. Neither did the USA lose to Europe three times in a row, but it did. The credit for the USA’s unfortunate loss or Europe’s historic win goes to the traditional winner rule in cases of a tie.

If there had been a playoff between the two teams, the result may have been different, and both teams would have gotten a last fair shot to claim the glorious Solheim Cup. But there was no playoff, and Team Europe retained the Solheim Cup. If, after the gruesome competition at Marco Simone, the leaderboard ends at 14-14, the USA team will retain the Ryder Cup, and the European team will be left disheartened after putting on quite a show on the course.

Whether or not the playoff system will be adapted to the historic Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup is a tough call to comment on since golf is regarded as the sport of history, and the system of retaining the cup after a tie is something that has been done since the tournament’s establishment.

Tune in to find out how things unravel at the 2023 Ryder Cup, which is staged to take place at the grand stage of Marco Simone Golf Country & Club in Rome, Italy.

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