Ryder Cup 2010 Discussion!

I wasn’t thinking so much about press, but viewership. Non-golf fans have a hard enough time understanding the rules and scoring in stroke play golf, and the Ryder Cup, with it’s multiple format matches is just really confusing. Even some of my golfing buddies don’t fully understand the different formats.

Would it be bigger if it happened outside of football season? Maybe, but I doubt it. It’s just not easy for non-golf fans to appreciate.

I have to wonder, too, how many golf fans there are like me. I watch a lot of golf, but I just can’t get into it as a team sport. I like routing for my favorite golfers and don’t really care what country they’re from.

There is more than 9 holes for teams to play before singles can begin. Rain (surprise) is in the forecast. It is likely that they will not finish and Monday will be the end. They may not finish by then either.
Would they just count the scores completed at that point?

They are going to play as long as possible, until Monday at Sunset. ~6:45 pm local time.

If there are any matches still on the course on Monday at sunset, those matches will automatically be called a draw.

IMO, they will complete the matches tomorrow if there is no more than an hour weather delay. If there is a delay of more than an hour, the matches will go into Monday.

This was good for the US. The European team had all the momentum .

Why it is in October.

The Tiger team got their horns honked, 5 and 4. They will have plenty of rest before Mondays singles, assuming it does not rain out. Phil is not having a good cup either. Our biggest names failing on the biggest stage.

It was actually 6 & 5. The Europeans take the session 5.5 - 0.5 to lead 9.5 - 6.5 going into the singles.

Tremendous play by the Europeans, and the Americans struggled with the slow greens. Never have I seen so many putts for a win or half left short.

No kidding, ad what’s with the white belts? The rule is, never wear a white belt after Labor Day…1969

It is very big. It is bigger than normal golf. Casual fans seem to follow it .
That is my experience. Except this one comes on at 3 AM, which certainly limits the viewership.

It might dry out a bit. The forecast is for dry tomorrow. In my area it starts at 4AM.

The Ryder cup has been frequently described as the ‘third most watched sporting event in the world’ in the press build up over here.

here, for example

and here

No idea on the source for this, and it could well be pulled from a golfing journalist’s hole, but it is certainly a few levels above any other golf tournament in terms of interest over here.

Americans with a mountain to climb - can their rugged individuality assert itself in the singles? I kindly doubt it, but we shall see.

Some exquisite choke artistry on display. You expect it from Phil at this stage in the season, in fact I kind of admire the brass neck of the man to not give a fuck playing in the ‘third most-watched sporting event in the world’. Dustin Johnson though, damn. The lad couldn’t hit a cow’s arse with a banjo.

Tiger and Stricker are responsible for about 30% of the U.S. teams points. Mickleson has contributed nothing. He’s now the losingest player in Ryder Cup history. I wonder if it’s just that he’s bad in this kind of format or if people just don’t like playing with him.

I doubt that while on the course you think about your partners jerkiness or ego. If you did Colon Montgomery would not be the winningest Ryder Cupper of all time.
I wonder who faces Tiger tomorrow. They don’t have to put their star against him. They can put a Molinari on him and have a good chance. Phil will not draw Westwood either.
Mcilroy and Tiger would be interesting.

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/early-lead/2010/10/ryder_cup_singles_matches_begi.html And here they are. Tiger vs Molinari.

Stricker v Westwood. The Euros are trying to derail Stricker with their best
Cink v Mcilroy experience against youth
Furyk v Donald good match Furyk finished strong this season
Johnson v Kaymer tossup
Kuchar v Polter Kuchar has been choking and Polter is seasoned
Overton v Fisher who v who
Bubba v Jimenez battle of the rocket launchers. Dustin better relax
Tiger v F. Molinari should have been an insult but is not now
Fowler v E. Molinari If Fowler relaxes he can win it
Phil v hanson Another insult that makes sense now
Johnson v harrington harringtons cousin was a lousy QB so he deserves to lose
Mahan v McDowell Last match. Crank up the stress on Hunter and see if he can survive.

Not as impressive when you realize they are playing the scrubs of the Euro team. They got the easiest draw in the first two sessions.

But when they played someone that was actually ranked in the top 15 in the world rankings, they got beat like the proverbial drum.

We might as well nickname his partner, Strickertariet because Tiger rode him like a thoroughbred.

Europe

US

US

Europe

Europe

Europe (Fisher carried Harrington).

Jiminez is no “rocket launcher” and has a poor Ryder Cup record, so US.

US, but the other Molinari would beat Tiger.

Europe

US

US - Harrington is so out of form.

If this match counts, McDowell has the better nerves, so Europe.

Where does that leave us? 6-6, so Europe regains the cup.

An insult by whom; how are the various matchups selected? Does each captain list their players in order (without knowing the order of the other team), or is there a back-and-forth of some kind so each captain can get some of the pairings he wants?

Yes.