Captain's column - day three

25/09/2019

All throughout PGA Cup week, Captain Cameron Clark will be providing a daily update from inside the Great Britain & Ireland camp ahead of the 29th PGA Cup matches at Barton Creek Resort in Austin Texas.

There’s a lot of pressure on us. We’re trying to do everything we can to make it three consecutive wins in the competition, but we know we face a very strong America team. We desperately want to bring the PGA Cup home with us and we’ll be ready come Friday morning.

I definitely don’t see America as underdogs. I think for us to come out here is a big task and will always be seen as a big task. The guys will be ready and they understand that we’ve won the last two and they don’t want to be the team that gives the trophy back to the United States. The team is focussed on the job in hand.

When you’re playing individual golf all of the pressure is on you. You let nobody else down but yourself so when you come into a team environment it’s very different, there’s a lot of personalities to deal with. That’s been high on our agenda, to make sure we’re pairing the right people. We’ve put a lot of focus into that.

Everyone is going to be nervous come Friday morning. There’s not doubt about that, you’re playing for your country and the expectations are high after winning the last two matches, but we’ll be ready.

Team Pic

To play in a PGA Cup was always a big goal of mine. I almost felt like I missed the boat a little bit. I was coming towards the back end of my playing career. It’s special when you’re travelling over here. The excitement levels go up a notch when we’re coming over to America. To be part of the 2015 team was something very special. We all wanted the same outcome but to deliver it in the way we did was very special.

We’ve tried to put across to the team to not take anything for granted. We always know the American team is going to be very strong, they’ve got a bigger pool for the players to come from. For us to come over to this side of America, especially given the conditions that we’re playing in, it’s been 100 degrees since we’ve been here which is something we’re not used to.

A bit of down time for the players over the next couple of days is very important. The pressure is on our team, the expectation is high not only for me and my backroom staff, but the players themselves, they’re desperate to win. I’m trying to play things down a little but for our guys too.