Ames goes it alone
Canadian not into team play, not into Presidents Cup
By KEN FIDLIN -- Toronto Sun
Here's a bit of news that Gary Player will be thrilled to know.
Stephen Ames, the newly minted Canadian who has rocketed to prominence this year on the PGA Tour and in the world golf rankings, might take a pass on next year's Presidents Cup.
"I'm not a big fan of team playing. Never have been," Ames said yesterday at Glen Abbey where he's preparing for his first Canadian Open as a full-fledged Canadian citizen.
"I think the reason a lot of people watch the Ryder Cup is because of the rivalry that they have had over the years, or maybe other people have perceived it to be. I'm not a big fan of it."
That opinion in itself wouldn't be a big deal if it wasn't for the fact that Ames is currently the seventh International qualifier for the 2005 Presidents Cup matches to be held in Virginia next fall. Player is once again the captain.
"When the time comes for me to play Presidents Cup, then I'll decide if I'm going to play or not," said Ames, born and raised in Trinidad. He moved to Calgary in the mid-1990s when he married his wife, Jodi, a Canadian. He was sworn in as a Canadian citizen last autumn.
"I might be the first not to play, I don't know. I'm not a big fan, to be truthful, at all. So I haven't really sat down and thought about that situation just yet."
If that's Ames' choice, then it will be his loss and his loss alone. There are dozens, even hundreds of capable players who would give up their first-born for the opportunity to play on that team. It's doubtful Player would want someone on his team with such a lukewarm attitude because emotion plays such a big role.
There is no competition in golf that compares with the tension that exists in a Ryder Cup or a Presidents Cup. The Presidents Cup may be the lesser-known of the two match-play events, but anyone who witnessed -- or played in -- the nerve-snapping atmosphere that characterized the past instalment that ended in a tie in South Africa, must admit it was one of the most compelling competitions in golf history.
About 99% of the time, golf is a lonely, solitary pursuit. There is nowhere to run, nowhere to hide and no one, aside from a caddie or family member, to share the joy and the pain with. That is why so many great players relish their team experiences, in addition to being able to represent their country in competition.
For Mike Weir, the opportunity to earn a spot on the 2000 Presidents Cup team was a season-long motivating force that spurred him into the top 10 on the PGA Tour money list that year. Despite the fact the Internationals were spanked by the Americans, Weir was their most productive player, with three points in five matches. Even now, all it takes is the mention of a Presidents Cup to get that competitive glint in his eyes.
For Ames, though, the prospect is a chore. He was asked if his indifference to the concept is a result of an inability to dictate his own competitive fate.
"Yeah, because I'm not in full control," he said. "Somebody else is in control also. In alternate shot, I could be up against a tree or in a tree trying to hit the next shot and I didn't put it there myself; somebody put me there.
"It's just me. I've never been a team sport guy. That's the reason I took up golf, an individual sport."
Ames has earned nearly $3 million US this year, good for eighth place on the PGA Tour money list, the only yardstick that really matters. More than that, he has developed the kind of confidence it takes to win at this level. That wasn't really the case when last he came to Glen Abbey four years ago. He arose on Sunday at 14 under and still in contention but shot 78 in the final round.
"I think I've grown a lot over those four years," he said. "I think I've now got to a place where I understand my golf swing, how to hit certain shots and why I don't hit certain shots.
"Pressure wise, yeah, it was on me, but I didn't know how to control it and if I was in that situation today, I would have a lot more confidence going into the last round."
Off his 2004 form chart, you'd have to think that's a real possibility. And, taking the long view, so is a berth on the Presidents Cup team.
It's his for the taking. Or not.
