Euro’s Ryder Cup success stems from off-course bond— and brilliant videos

Euro’s Ryder Cup success stems from off-course bond— and brilliant videos
Mark Cannizzaro

For the better part of the past two-plus decades, there’s been a lot of hand-wringing on the part of American golf in an effort to figure out the secret sauce behind why the Europeans regularly dominate the U.S. in the Ryder Cup. 

Hours, days, months and years of analysis, theorizing, research, format changes and soul-searching have gone into this without finding the answers. 

The Europeans enter this week’s Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits having won nine of the past 12 meetings, including four of the past five. 

What’s most confounding to the Americans is this: On most occasions (including this one), they’re favored to win the cup because they have more of the higher-ranked players in the world. That’s particularly pronounced this year with eight of the top 10 in the world ranking on the U.S. side compared to Europe, which has only one. 

As the Americans search for the right mojo with their task forces, think tanks and white boards, the beat goes on: The losing continues and the search for why is never-ending. 

One place where at least part of the answer lies is on the European Tour’s social-media platform — which features some of the most brilliant, playful, self-deprecating video content that encapsulates their all-for-one camaraderie and their penchant for not taking themselves too seriously. 

It’s difficult to decipher which is the best among the numerous videos done by the European Tour’s social-media team because there are so many. But the one that drew the most attention was one they produced after the last Ryder Cup — in 2018 in France, where Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and Italian Francesco Molinari became rock stars as partners in Europe’s rout of the Americans. 

During a night of partying and celebration at the team hotel in Paris after Europe’s victory, Michael Gibbons, one of the European Tour’s masterminds behind these videos, got Molinari and Fleetwood, who’d drawn the nickname “Mollywood’’ for their heroic performance, to get into bed together under the covers with the trophy. 


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Gibbons stood on the bed over the shirtless Fleetwood and Molinari in a white T-shirt and shot the video on his iPhone, adlibbing the dialogue as they went along. 

The video begins with the two waking up next to each other with the Ryder Cup between them. 

“How good was that for you?” Fleetwood asks Molinari, whose five points were the most ever won by a European player in one Ryder Cup. 

“Four out of four,” Molinari says. 

“I’d give you five out of five, Frankie,” Fleetwood responds. 

“On the Sunday as we got closer to the victory, I started thinking ‘I’m going to try and get them in bed,’ ’’ Gibbons told The Post. “The team had partied at the course and we got back to the hotel and there was this nice quiet sort of half hour where just the players families were in the room. At that point, I went up to them and said, ‘What do you think of this idea?’ And they both said, ‘It’s absolutely brilliant.’ ’’ 

Imagine for a moment, Brooks Koepka and Bryson DeChambeau spooning together under the covers caressing the Ryder Cup together for a video. Or any combination of U.S. players. Not likely to happen. 

The hilarious “Mollywood’’ video went viral, and it was followed by many more gems — such as the more recent “Angry Golfer’’ video that depicts an anger-management therapy session featuring Englishman Tyrrell Hatton, known for his on-course temper. 

As silly as it may sound, these social-media videos are representative of the special bond on the European Tour. They’re a reflection of the unity that exists on the European Tour compared to the PGA Tour, which is a more buttoned-up corporate environment with its players exuding a more individualistic culture. 

It all ties into the Ryder Cup, which is won by the best team, not the best players. 

“I think it’s harder for the PGA Tour, because they’re a little bit more constrained,’’ European captain Padraig Harrington told The Post. “The European Tour are going at it a bit more, having a bit more fun with it. They don’t take themselves as seriously as the PGA Tour does. 

“These videos show a little bit of our relaxed side. You always see the PGA Tour as the incumbent. They have their own burden. Whereas the European Tour has their own freedom to go and come up with these ideas and have fun with it. It’s amazing that the players are very happy to have fun poked at them.’’ 


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Gibbons, who used to work in the European Tour’s media relations department, is the liaison between the players and the social-media team. He credits the players for their trust and cooperation in the endeavors, the social-media team of about six people who brainstorm the ideas and Keith Pelley, the CEO of the European Tour. 

“Working in any sporting governing body, you’re kind of restricted by things you can and can’t do,’’ Gibbons said. “When Keith came in, he kind of was the one who unleashed us. He said, ‘Guys, go for it. Take the shackles off.’ ’’ 

Pelley, who’s Canadian, is all about expanding the tour’s entertainment brand. In turn, the players do exactly that to their own brands by doing these videos. They help the tour and themselves. It’s a true win-win. 

“I knew we were onto something really special at the [2018] Ryder Cup,’’ Pelley told The Post. “For that to happen, you needed a number of things. You needed very creative people, you needed unwavering trust from the players and you need not only to have the idea but then execute it flawlessly. 

“To have wherewithal to come up with the idea, shoot it at 2 or 3 in the morning, edit it quickly and put that together … that’s when everything is firing on all cylinders.’’ 

Pelley said when he saw the Molinari-Fleetwood video, “My reaction was, ‘We’ve got it.’ I smiled, because we were there.’’ 

The most amazing byproduct from these videos has been the reaction of the players. The best players on the tour are jockeying for position to be involved in these projects. 

“The players are upset if they’re not asked to do these,’’ Harrington said. “Every player wants in. The players have bought into it big time. We all want to be involved.’’ 

We live in an age where big-time professional athletes don’t want to give their time to anything unless they’re getting paid for it. There isn’t a Sterling pound, Euro or dollar in it for these players. 

Yet they’re lining up to be a part of it, because they know it’s good for the European Tour, good for their personal profile and incredibly well done by Gibbons and the social-media team. 

“The European Tour, they’re not as fortunate as the PGA Tour, where sponsor value comes easy,’’ Graeme McDowell, from Northern Ireland, told The Post. “The PGA Tour has got sponsors lining up left, right and center, whereas the European Tour needs to work a little harder. 

“What they’ve always done very well is try and activate the players and give an insight into their personalities and come up with some fun content.’’ 

All the players point to the “Angry Golfer’’ video and what it’s done to change the image and perception of Hatton, who’s a notorious hothead on the golf course but personable and polite off it. 

“The social-media stuff is more the real side of the guys,’’ Harrington said. “The perfect example is Tyrrell Hatton. On the golf course, he’s a fiery guy. Off the golf course, you cannot meet a nicer guy. He was great in the Ryder Cup the last time, a real bubbly, full-of-fun life and soul of the team room. And yet you see him on the golf course, and you think, ‘Oh no, no.’ ’’ 

Pelley said the “success in the ‘Angry Golfer’ video is that we changed the perception of Tyrrell Hatton.’’ 

“We showed that Tyrrell can laugh at himself. And for him to do that was a game-changer for his brand.’’ 

One of the first “mockumentary’’ videos the tour did was in Abu Dhabi called “The Content Committee’’ — which features Fleetwood, Westwood, Thomas Bjorn, Henrik Stenson and Eddie Pepperell in a board room brainstorming bizarre, bad content ideas. 


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The wheels of creativity are constantly cranking with Gibbons and his team. 

“Michael Gibbons is like a Hollywood writer, that’s what he is,’’ Pelley said. “He’s a massive talent with phenomenal relationship with the players.’’ 

It all works so perfectly, and it does so because no one involved — Pelley, the creative team and most importantly the players — take themselves too seriously. 

“You can’t,’’ Pelley said. “It’s golf. It’s sport. It’s entertainment. I’ve always believed that we’re in the entertainment business, and golf is our platform to create entertainment. This is a leisure activity. The only way you’ll have people watch it or participate in it is if they’re entertained.’’ 

“I’m proud of the people, the team and the respect and trust they’ve built with the players. I just want to do more.’’