Danny Willett was the main guest. The winner of the 2016 Masters — his name is in the podcast title. And rightfully so. But it was a story from someone else that had Willett in stitches on a recent podcast appearance.
While hanging out with George Harper Jr. for an episode of Life on Tour Podcast, Willett delved into his Masters win, his struggles at the top level of the game and dealing with injuries, but he took a backseat for the best moment when the secondary guest, Nicolas Colsaerts, had a Ryder Cup story to tell.
Harper’s question was simple: What’s it like playing in a Ryder Cup?
Willett knows, having experienced the 2016 Cup at Hazeltine. But Colsaerts knows it even better, having been on the 2012 European team that came back in epic fashion at Medinah. There are plenty of fond memories he holds from that week, particularly from the party that followed, but what got him going recently was retelling a story about his teammate Lee Westwood.
It was Westwood who was sent out with Colsaerts in his first career Ryder Cup match, a four-ball comp against Steve Stricker and … Tiger Woods. After sitting out the morning session, Colsaerts came out on fire, making eight birdies and an eagle on his own ball. Golf so good he didn’t really need a teammate.
“You somehow have a little bit of ink in the history books,” Colsaerts told Harper and Willett. “Which is something to be incredibly proud of.”
“And you got a point off Tiger, right?” Harper said.
“Yeah, well. I was helped by Lee Westwood,” Colsaerts said with a grin. Willett, relaxed back in his chair, began to laugh.
“His mother tells an amazing story,” Colsaerts continued. “I haven’t seen Westwood for a while so I’m going to go right in. I made eight birdies and an eagle, and he only came in on one hole and he had 12 feet for birdie to win the hole and he left it short.
“One day here, at Wentworth actually … we’re doing this gig in front of everyone and it’s Westy and I on stage. I’m telling this story about his mother was saying, ‘Yeah, it’s the first time that my son has caddied for someone.’ Which I thought was amazing.”
“Trish just absolutely annihilated him,” Willett said, throwing his head back.
“You’ve got a multiple Order of Merit winner, who’s got an amazing Ryder Cup memory, and he’s caddied for a Belgian kid. It was pretty cool.”
Colsaerts certainly does have a little ink in the history books, considering his 1-up win in that match against Stricker and Woods was the only match the European team won Friday afternoon, maintaining some semblance of competition as the Americans had pulled ahead 5-3.
For Colsaerts, that was as good as it could get. And it was as good as it would ever get, since he dropped foursomes and four-ball matches on Saturday as well. He also lost his singles match against Dustin Johnson on the final day, going 1-3 on the week. But that part of the result is mostly lost to history as the Europeans won the Ryder Cup by just a single point — the only time in the last nine Ryder Cups where the visiting team emerged victorious.
As for Willett, well, he wasn’t around for that Ryder Cup but he did celebrate. He was in St. Andrews preparing for the upcoming Dunhill Links Championship and planned to catch about a half hour of the Ryder Cup on the television in the Dunvegan. When the European team mounted their comeback, those plans began to change.
“Lo and behold, about 15 pints of Guinness later,” he was apologizing to his wife. “I am so sorry we’re still watching golf.”
