WHISTLING STRAITS — NBC Lead Ryder Cup play by play announcer Dan Hicks talked with TMJ4's Lance Allan about the character of this year's competition.
Lance Allan: "People even have a concept of how international and how big the Ryder Cup is?"
"I don't think you can fully describe it to them until they're there. And they watch it and they hear it. To this day, the loudest roars and the biggest electricity that I've ever been around a golf course has been around the Ryder Cup. The loudest cheers I've ever heard were Hazeltine back in 2016 when the U.S. won. And I mean it'll send shivers up your spine," Dan Hicks says. "And I get asked all the time, about hey what's your favorite event? What's got the most energy? Ryder Cup's got the most energy. There's no doubt about it. It is a football stadium on every hole from start to finish. If you're a sports fan - not just a golf fan - if you're a sports fan, the Ryder Cup is a bucket list to check off."
Lance Allan: "Our guy Steve Stricker, you know, first U.S. Ryder Cup captain who never won a major. Dan, you see it week in, week out. Why is he so respected by the guys on tour?"
"There's great respect among the players to see a guy who previously was you know, going to the near elite of golf, but had to resurrect his game and hit rock bottom. And hit balls out of a trailer into the snow in Wisconsin in the winter. And ended up being one of the most consistent players and winning a lot. Didn't win a major, but he's a winner. And anytime Tiger is going to pick your brain, like Tiger has in the past over his putting stroke, and Tiger's in close contact with him as the Ryder Cup captain because Steve Stricker respects Tiger a lot. You know, Stricker's got the ability to have a great relationship and respect from everybody," Dan Hicks says.
Lance Allan: "In your opinion, what is Steve Stricker's toughest challenge or most difficult thing? What is it in your opinion?"
"Did you know that the U.S. team has not won back to back Ryder Cups on home soil since like 1983? It's crazy isn't it? So, you know, that's what they're gonna, you know, I mean it's a big challenge for Stricker I think to get this done, because Europe has all the confidence that they're going to win again," Hicks says.
