OK. Maybe the most consistently awesome sporting event in the world starts tomorrow. A format that matches country against continent, using matches only seen once every two years - foresomes, fourball - with singles on Sunday.
The teams:
USA (Ryder Cup Record)
Phil Mickleson (9-8-3)
Stuart Cink (3-5-4)
Kenny Perry (0-2-0)
Jim Furyk (4-9-2)
Anthony Kim (Rookie)
Justin Leonard (0-3-5)
Ben Curtis ®
Boo Weekly ®
Chad Campbell (1-3-2)
J.B. Holmes ®
Hunter Mahan ®
Steve Stricker ®
Europe
Paul Casey (3-1-2)
Sergio Garcia (14-4-2)
Soren Hansen ®
Padraig Harrington (7-8-2)
Miguel Angel Jimenez (2-5-2)
Robert Karlsson (0-1-2)
Graeme McDowell ®
Ian Poulter (1-1-0)
Justin Rose ®
Henrik Stenson (1-1-1)
Lee Westwood (14-8-3)
Oliver Wilson ®
They do not play on paper. Whoever makes the important putts wins. Couple years ago ,the US played better from tee to green. The Euros made putts from everywhere stemming the charge. Who knows who will sink them this year?
The Americans will suffer such a bloodbath it will be a wonder we choose to play the Ryder Cup again in two years. :eek:
Ok, we’ve established the ends of the spectrum here: now y’all can rush to the middle.
I’m in an excellent position to analyze the outcome of this Ryder Cup, because I had a dream about it last night.
In the dream the Ryder Cup round was a timed team format. When the ball came to rest, the next golfer in the team had to rush up to it and strike as quickly as possible in order to conserve time. The golfer I dreamed about was Tiger Woods and he whiffed on his shot.
So after analyzing my dream that included a non-existent format, and a golfer who isn’t on either Ryder Cup team, and who probably hasn’t whiffed on a shot since he was 5, I call this one for Europe… because they look better on paper.
For long time now, I’d look at the talent levels on each team and wonder why the Europeans were so dominant. I mean, the talent levels were usually so equal, there was no logical reason that the Europeans should be winning so handily each time.
But this time (and last time), there’s no mystery. The Europeans just have a much, much deeper team than we do.
A few years back, Thomas Bjorn was livid because Ian Woosnam didn’t select him… but Ian’s problem was, he had too many great players to choose from! If the grieving, recently widowed Darren Clarke had dropped out of the tournament, he’d have been replaced by Bjorn, who wasn’t much worse!
Meanwhile, the U.S. captains have been struggling, agonizing, over which of the mediocrities to choose to fill out the roster.
Even when talent levels are even, this tournament MATTERS more to the Europeans, who really want to win it a lot more than the Yanks do.
Now that the Euros have much more talent, as well as far more desire, this is likely to get ugly.
Of course, I thought the same thing about last year’s Super Bowl (I predicted my favorite team, the Giants, would lose 42-13, or so).
I’ve never really gotten to watch much of the four ball action or anything, so this is interesting.
Harrington/Karlsson keep begging Mickelson/Kim to take the match from them, but we fail to comply. Twice they’ve hit tee shots forcing them to lay up and waste a stroke and we failed to take the hole from them for it.
Furyk has been solid, but Kenny Perry has been pretty bad. As has the Cink Campbell pairing.
If Perry straightens out, we have a good chance at a couple of points out of the gate. But we really need to take advantage of the mistakes when they make them. So far we are not.
It looks amazingly tough though, they mentioned the rough was cut down from previous majors played there. I can’t imagine myself shooting less than a 200… ha!
Kim and Mickleson have some momentum going and Perry and Furyk aren’t flinching at Garcia and Westwood. Good first round matchs. Suggests it won’t be a blow out.
Looks like the USA strikes first… Leonard Mahan win 3&2… they were very good throughout after the first couple of holes.
This has been exciting. The wheels came off Mickelson/Kim in their match, but they just turned it around and things are square as I type this. Furyk/Perry not backing down. Even Cink/Campbell have come back to tie it. Just amazing
Very good team spirit from the Americans this time (and good play, obviously). Bring it on! I’m looking forward to 2014 - when the Ryder Cup will be within a day’s hard march from my house.
Olaaho, olaaho, olaaho (sorry if the spelling is wrong)
**
(OH NO!! I sat down at the computer and my SO was logged in…I meant to send from MOMENT SLAYER - sorry, sorry, sorry to all)** :smack:
According to John Feinstein in his book about Q-school, Holmes did go by “John” when he first came on the tour. It was Gary McCord, I think, who suggested he change to J.B.
Stricker is the hero right now. His play on 18 was huge. I still have a bad feeling that the play of Holmes and Weekley yesterday on 18 will come back to haunt the US.
Today is more evidence that the Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events in the world. Those who missed it today missed great drama.
