2012 Ryder Cup

[furu]

This is over. Impressive play by the US team. Outstanding on the green.

[BK in TEXAS]

..... But I would NOW much rather have Watney and Mahan over Furyk and Stricker. These young guys are good.

Yup. I'd have taken Watney too. Stricker is just stinking it up. Time to break up the Woods/Stricker pair......well for 2014 anyway.

[RoverRick]

Yup. I'd have taken Watney too. Stricker is just stinking it up. Time to break up the Woods/Stricker pair......well for 2014 anyway.

 

 

The younger guys have really put on a show. This has been great entertainment. I was one of the first on the Stricker bandwagon, it just goes to show you that they next generation has truely arrived.

[revkev]

Bradley has been something, hasn't he. The US has played great, great golf - I do agree about Poulter - his play has given Europe a puncher chance - only a chance but at least a chance tomorrow.

[RoverRick]

Sunday Single Matches are posted,

 

Luke Donald v Bubba Watson

 

Ian Poulter v Webb Simpson

 

Rory Mcilroy v Keagan Bradley

 

Justin Rose v Phil Mickelson

 

Paul Lawrie v Brandt Snedeker

 

Nickolas Colsarts v Dustin Johnson

 

Graeme McDowell v Zack Johnson

 

Sergieo Garcia v Jim Furyk

 

Peter Hanson v Jason Dufner

 

Lee Westwood v Matt Kuchar

 

Martin Kaymer v Steve Stricker

 

Francesco Molinari v Tiger Woods

[RoverRick]

I look at those first three matches and I could not tell you who was going to win. Those could really go either way and have to be some best head to head matches ever.

 

Then Phil and Brandt will win their matches.

 

Dustin vs Colsarts will be clash of the titans, but Colsarts may be the better putter. So Euros win this one.

 

I fear that Graeme and Sergio will prove to be too much for Furyk and Zack.

 

But I think the USA gets the last four matches. Only because Kaymer appears to be worse than Striker.

 

At the end of the day I have the US 18 and Euros 10.

 

 

 

I do not know if any or you remember my predicitons from the match play earlier this year but if you do, you know I not very good at prediciting who will win.

[RoverRick]

I was just reading about DL3 and his plan for the Ryder Cup. From the very begining his plan was to use the pairing system. To develope a pair of golfers who would play three matches together and put them together on Monday and they would do everything together until Saturday night. He used his captain's picks to fill out those pairings with input from the players. He eluded to this when he said that Tiger wanted to play with Steve Stricker. I thought that was sort of odd at the time and wondered who the captain was DL3 or Tiger, but now it makes perfect sense.

 

And he told them that they would only play in three matches and everyone would sit one out. So that they can be fresh for the next match. Look at Rory. He has played every match and has not looked particularly sharp in all of them. While Hanson and Kaymer have only played one. I am not even sure Europe provided full clothing to some of their players. Just opening ceremonies and Sunday singles.

 

So for the most part they started picking their own partners early in the year and working towards building a team then. So instead of 12 individual golfers DL3 had 6 two-man teams. But he also told them if they did not play well in one match, it did not matter because they would still have the same partner and they would still be playing in the same number of matches. He wanted them to not be concerned about the little stuff and have fun and try to win the match they were in.

 

He also set up the course so that they could hit drivers and have birdie opportunities. He did not want them to have to go out and grind out every par. He wanted them blasting it and putting for birdie. This would get the crowd into it and everybody loves a birdie.

 

We will see tomorrow how this worked out for him. Already I have griped about Stricker but someone had to play with Tiger and Stricker was the only one with a history of playing well with Tiger. Well, Rory and Ian and now Luke and Nick have a history of playing well with Tiger, but they are wearing the wrong clothes to count.

 

Three cheers for DL3.

[furu]

Europe needs to change to four captains picks. Having only two today means that players who had a peak in form a year ago - or even 18 months ago - are in the team no matter how terrible their form is. Everyone over here was rooting for Colsaerts to win the last tournaments before Ollie had to make his picks. That would´ve pushed Kaymer out but Colaserts didn´t win and they had to use captains picks to get him in the team.

 

The Euro team are putting people together based on habits - not common sense and a feel for the situation. Rory/GMac doesn´t have to play together. Rory can buy his own beer now.

 

Poulter is amazing. He´s a match play phenomenon. Any captain who rests him if he doesn´t ask for it is a terrible leader.

[revkev]

Europe needs to change to four captains picks. Having only two today means that players who had a peak in form a year ago - or even 18 months ago - are in the team no matter how terrible their form is. Everyone over here was rooting for Colsaerts to win the last tournaments before Ollie had to make his picks. That would´ve pushed Kaymer out but Colaserts didn´t win and they had to use captains picks to get him in the team.

 

The Euro team are putting people together based on habits - not common sense and a feel for the situation. Rory/GMac doesn´t have to play together. Rory can buy his own beer now.

 

Poulter is amazing. He´s a match play phenomenon. Any captain who rests him if he doesn´t ask for it is a terrible leader.

 

Agreed on all points - Europe was forced into sending players out for the second session yesterday anyway. Wise move by Love to rest players as he has but that's much easier to do when your guys are ahead. The margins in golf are so tight and the group of players at the top are so close that I firmly believe it's time to pick teams based on the performance over the passed year rather than 2 - far less likely to get a stinker in the mix (not that Kaymer is a stinker just that his game is not there right now.) Also I think it's time for a three year rotation - Rider Cup, President's Cup, King or Queen's Cup (Euro's vs. Rest of the World) - I'd really like to see that last one in the mix as well. If there's a fear about TV perhaps there's a way to do a three team thing in that third year - someone brighter than I would have to figure that one out -

 

Finally I don't know about that 18-10 prediction RR - I looked at these match ups and though - oh no - additionally were it to be heading in that direction you'd get tons of concessions - I could see 16-12 but I'm leaning towards 15.5 - 13.5. I think Europe carries the day today and gives the US a bit of a scare.

 

We'll see - I'll be on the course for most of it. Of course I'll record it but with the Giants playing tonight I won't watch it until tomorrow and I'm sure I'll know that outcome when I watch.

[Will Par]

If we are going to discuss the number of captain's picks, I'm going to argue that there should be no captain's picks for either side. The US picks of Furyk, Stricker, Snedeker, and Dustin Johnson have not played to the level of the other qualifiers. If you eliminate all picks you are going to get 12 top players based on the qualifying criteria. There can be no argument with who qualified. And all are going to be top players in the game. The only thing missing will be the opportunity to put a star player on the team in place of someone who had a better qualifying record. Or to use favoritism to pick a friend or fellow staff pro. You can never predict in advance how well anyone is going to play. Even the best players can lose that level of peak performance overnight.

 

As for today's matches, I can go down the list and make a good argument in each pairing that would result in a European win today. If the Euros win those first six matches and half of the other six... well, I don't think it will happen, but I think the possibility is much greater than most are willing to consider.

[Ice]

That's a good point about the golf balls. Some of those guys get really effed up when they don't use their ball. Captains are old. They probably aren't thinking about equipment.

[RoverRick]

You can never predict in advance how well anyone is going to play. Even the best players can lose that level of peak performance overnight.

 

On this point, I could not possibly agree more with you. I readily admit that most of my prediction is wishful thinking. Because those five of the first six could go either way. Any of those guys are capable of coming out and putting together a string of birdies that the other one can not match. And then they could come out tomorrow and the other one would win by an even greater margin. That Colarts, McDowell, Garcia trio in the middle could and probably will go Europe's way and depending on the earlier matches it would be a nail biter.

 

 

 

 

If we are going to discuss the number of captain's picks, I'm going to argue that there should be no captain's picks for either side. The US picks of Furyk, Stricker, Snedeker, and Dustin Johnson have not played to the level of the other qualifiers. If you eliminate all picks you are going to get 12 top players based on the qualifying criteria. There can be no argument with who qualified. And all are going to be top players in the game. The only thing missing will be the opportunity to put a star player on the team in place of someone who had a better qualifying record. Or to use favoritism to pick a friend or fellow staff pro.

 

 

I do not agree with this. Depending on the points system and cutoff time, Stricker, Furyk, D Johnson, would be in the cup anyway. The only real choice was Snedeker or Watney. And there is no way that I would rather have Watney instead of Snedeker now.

 

Furyk and Snedeker are 1 and 1 but that loss is Friday morning on the 18th hole to Europes best team. That match could have gone either way, but US screwed up. Ok Snedy screwed up but who amoung us has not tanked a drive under pressure.

 

Stricker is winless but he was never outside the top 12. When you look at his and Tiger's losses they have actually been good losses. Yeah Stricker could have made a few more putts but if the US looses the cup it will not be his fault.

 

Dustin is 3 and 0. Hard to find fault with that.

 

I like the idea of the captain's picks. I also like the way DL3 set this up. I hope they win and win big because I think DL3 deserves a lot of credit. Yeah, this is similar to what Couples did, but he could have gone about it differently.

 

1 more hour and we get this show on the road.

[RoverRick]

That's a good point about the golf balls. Some of those guys get really effed up when they don't use their ball. Captains are old. They probably aren't thinking about equipment.

 

 

DL3 moved from Titleist to Bridgestone in the last year or two so he should know. However, a couple or three short putts were the difference in Stricker and Woods match. This was more about roll than it was spin. However, I have different putters that work better with different balls. Yeah, I know it sounds funny but to me the Pro V1X and Pentas roll in the hole better off of metal face putters. Callaway Tours and Pro V1 work better off of poly faced putters. I have no idea if there is any merit to this but I have noticed a difference. These guys putt a hell of a lot more than I do so it could be the same.

 

 

I wrote that about the golf balls before I found out how DL3 had set up the buddy system. This was brilliant. This is also the way the Army does it, or at least did it. You have a buddy. It is hard to grasp the concept of fighting for a country, or even a team. When things start going badly, it is easy to just give in and let whatever happens happen. But if you have a buddy there, that stands by you and suffers or wins along with you, it is easier to stay motivated. You will dig deeper and try harder because you fear you will let down your buddy more than yourself.

 

Throughout the week you have heard about buddies. Even the singles matches are sent out close to the buddy system. Brilliant.

[RoverRick]

By the way, it has been raining here for 24 hours and no let up today. My SSCC Ryder Cup tournament was cancelled so, I have nothing else to do but watch the real Ryder Cup and analyse it.

[RoverRick]

Excuse me, Tiger Woods was following Bubba Watson out on the course. Yeah, he has another 2 hours before he tees off but wow.

 

 

 

Rory Mcilroy, was watching TV when they said he teed off at 12:25. So he had to have a police escort to get to the match. He arrived 10 minutes before his tee time.

[RoverRick]

Damned Richard, you posted almost as many times as the announcers have said "Seve".

 

You will get to 3000 in no time this way.

[RoverRick]

I wished they would have made Colin Montgomery an assistant captainship so he would have had something to do besides sit in the booth and talk about American Football. He said that the problem with the USA team is that DL3 has instilled the Team aspect so much that they have become dependent on their partners. Seriously? They do not know how to win on their own? How did they get here?

 

 

I think Poulter may crap in his pants if he is not careful. Luke had a great opportunity to close Bubba out. Make that two opportunities. Maybe Bubba can get a half but that would be true motivation for USA and devistation for Europe. But that is dreaming. Bubba never came close to a lead.

 

 

 

 

Edit: Of course I was dreaming. If I was pulling for any Euro it was for Luke. And I expected him to win this match.

[Kanoito]

HOLY MOTHER OF GOD!!! That putt by Justin Rose on 17th.

 

I really admire Phil's sportsmanship... the way he congratulates his opponent's shots. Much better than D Johnson not conceding those gimmes.

[furu]

I did not see this coming!!! Amazing!

[Aotearoa_Brad]

wow - closest finish ever coming up...??? Now this is exciting!

[RoverRick]

All USA fans can relax. We are just depending on Stricker and Woods.

[Aotearoa_Brad]

All USA fans can relax. We are just depending on Stricker and Woods.

Love it - I'm sure Tiger is loving the opportunity to be the Ryder Cup hero, the question - can he handle the opportunity? Lets hope so!

[Ice]

What a joke.

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Ouch ... really needed that one Stevie...

[RoverRick]

Win or lose, I stand by what I said about DL3. However, I could not be more disappointed in how the Americans played today.

 

Jason, Dustin and Zach were great. Especially Zach.

 

Kaymer may miss now because he is laughing so freaking hard.

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Oh dear, Mr Kaymer, how did you do that!

[furu]

I have no words to describe this. Thank you. Good night,

[Aotearoa_Brad]

Oh dear, Mr Kaymer, how did you do that!

 

Sorry, what I meant was Congratulations Martin, well played.

[RoverRick]

Oh my...

 

Who would have thought. I did not really think it would be 18 and 10 but I never thought it would be 13 1/2-14 1/2.

Really 14 - 14. I forgive Tiger missing the putt because who really cared at that point. You could see it in his eyes when he stood in the fairway.

[Firstkart]

OMG - Team Europe does the job.

 

AJ