Ryder Cup

It'll be an interesting dynamic, to be sure. However, Jeff Bradley did an interesting piece on why Europe has dominated the competition in recent years.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3579293

 

To clarify, I meant gorgeous in general. I am not there this week.

Thought that was kind of understood.

 

Sergio and Westwood are 4-1-1 together, but weren't paired in 2006 (Westwood and Darren Clarke went 2-0 together, and Westwood and Monty got two draws).

 

Rick Reilly agrees with me. Give 14 1/2 reasons why the Yanks will pull of the upset.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espnmag/story?section=magazine&id=3591916

 

While Pat Forde says Reilly and all others who believe the U.S. is better off without Tiger are nuts.

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3590967&sportCat=golf

 

Pat Forde is my personal Jesus (that lives on U.S. soil)

 

the new avatar threw me for a sec, but clicked back because the comment had to be you.

 

If one player could win enough matches to win the cup for a team, then I'd say Tiger Woods could lead the US to victory.

But it doesn't -- it takes a team effort to win the Ryder Cup. As great as Tiger is, there's one thing he's not -- a team player. That's not meant as a slam on Tiger, because I don't believe you get to be the world's greatest golfer ever by being a team player.

The Ryder Cup, I believe, is won on emotion and desire to win it. If your heart's not in it, your head certainly won't be.

 

Valhalla is a PGA-owned course built for the game of American pros, not like past Ryder Cups which were basically played at US Open courses. That is to say, missed drives will not necessarily equal bogies. This gives a leg up to Holmes, Mickelson, and several other US guys. Not to argue with IJAG, but in my one visit to Valhalla (2004 Senior PGA), I was underwhelmed. It's a very good golf course, but some short of championship caliber as I estimate it.

 

The PGA apparently has worked on the course layout for the last couple of years, extending it to nearly 7,500 yards. While it probably won't be Winged Foot, it definitely won't be set up like a major on the senior tour, which would put rubber rebound walls at the edge of the fairways if it could.

The 13th hole could be shortened to less than 300 yards to give players a chance to reach the green in one, but the green is on a peninsula, so if they're off slightly, their balls get wet.

 

I don't know what the answer is but I checked. Tiger has played Ryder Cup matches with 10 partners. They've tried pairing him with other stars (Mickelson, Duval, Love --- of course Duval and Love when they were stars at the time) or with schlubs (Calcavecchia, Riley, Steve Pate) and nothing really works. Woods and Furyk have done well in Presidents Cups. It's a mystery.

 

Sounds a little like the 10th at The Belfry, and we know what a great and pivotal hole that's been in Ryder Cup history.