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Cape Town - Jack Nicklaus believes that too much importance is given to the Ryder Cup and that it should not be billed as a "war" between Europe and the United States.
The 2016 event takes place at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Minnesota from September 30 to October 2 and while Nicklaus is a fan of the tournament he feels that winning it is not the be all and end all.
"To me the competition is incidental," Nicklaus said in USA Today. "Who wins bragging rights -and I know everyone wants to win — but that’s not the important thing. The important thing is the game of golf and people having good relations and goodwill.
"The Ryder Cup to me - we make a little bigger deal out of it than I think should be. It’s a great event to have bragging rights for Europe or bragging rights for America. It’s a great format; it’s a great competition. There’s a lot of nice things about it, but I wish we wouldn’t make such a war out of it.”
Nicklaus, who played in six Ryder Cups from 1969-1981, also believes the USA will reclaim the trophy in Minnesota, adding: "People say why are the Europeans winning? I think it goes in cycles. I think the Americans have a better team this year. I think the Americans will win – they may or may not – but I think they will win this year. I think Davis has done a nice job, the guys want to play."
