Scott urges overhaul of Presidents Cup

MELBOURNE (AFP) –

Australia’s Adam Scott, pictured here on November 4, said Wednesday the format of the Presidents Cup needed to be drastically overhauled or risk living forever in the shadow of the Ryder Cup.

Australia’s Adam Scott said Wednesday the format of the Presidents Cup needed to be drastically overhauled or risk living forever in the shadow of the Ryder Cup.

World number five Scott said the format must change before the next Presidents Cup between the United States and the non-European Internationals at Muirfield Village in Ohio in October 2013.

“Someone needs to take a lesson from the Ryder Cup,” Scott told reporters ahead of Thursday’s Australian Masters at Melbourne’s Kingston Heath course.

“We’ve got to get the competition back in the event. The last three have been walkovers to the US, to be quite honest. We need to change the format so it’s not all done by Sunday.”

Scott, who has played in the last five Presidents Cups, said each team should have a chance to win on Sunday’s final day of the event.

Ian Poulter said he wishes he could transfer his Ryder Cup intensity to the Majors, which continue to elude him

Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter, pictured here on November 4, said his year had been “a little bit disappointing” until he inspired the European comeback with five straight birdies on the penultimate day in this year’s Ryder Cup.

“Most of the five I have played in have been done and dusted by Sunday apart from the first one in South Africa which was a tie,” he said.

“We’ve got the chance to do it (change format) next year at Muirfield Village in Ohio and we should.”

Only 28 points are up for grabs in the Ryder Cup (Europe v USA) compared to 34 in The Presidents Cup (International Team v USA). Both formats allow for 12 singles matches to be played on the Sunday of competition.

Defending Masters champion and Ryder Cup hero Ian Poulter said his year had been “a little bit disappointing” until he inspired the European comeback with five straight birdies on the penultimate day in this year’s Ryder Cup at Medinah Country Club in Chicago.

The Englishman, 36, said he wishes he could transfer his Ryder Cup intensity to the Majors, which continue to elude him.

“The Ryder Cup always kind of lights my fire a bit. For some reason you don’t get the intensity you get at a Major like you do at the Ryder Cup,” he said Wednesday.

Leading 10-6 entering Sunday’s final singles matches at Medinah last September, the Americans were overtaken for a stunning 14 1/2-13 1/2 European triumph that allowed the visitors to keep the trophy.