Last weekend’s Ryder Cup saw a masterful demonstration of crowd surfing from US captain Paul Azinger and an object lesson in the dangers of abdicating control to the crowd from his European counterpart, Nick Faldo.
One of the biggest decisions facing the two Ryder Cup captains is the order in which they send out their players on the final day. Do you start with your stronger performers or hold them back until later in the day? It has now been revealed that Nick Faldo, contrary to his reputation as something of a control freak, allowed his players to decide where they wanted to appear … they dictated his strategy. Some might regard this as a smart example of employee empowerment, notwithstanding Europe’s defeat, but compare Faldo’s approach with Azinger’s. The US captain certainly consulted his players but admitted that his team’s final day line-up had “been in his head for two weeks.” He listened to the crowd – his team of highly paid, often egotistical golfers – but the final decision was down to him.
Being a crowd surfer does not mean being a crowd pleaser - giving the crowd what it wants all of the time. In the words Royal Mail chairman Allan Leighton, “leadership isn’t a popularity contest”.
Now to cheer up all European golf fans, here’s a video of the wonderfully named Boo Weekley riding his club down the fairway – at least none of the European players went to these lengths.