39th Ryder Cup

[Double Down]

The weird thing about Poulter is, unlike Westwood, he's never really been in a position to blow a major. He's always had one "meh" round where he mucks it up, and falls out of real contention. His best finish, a second place finish at the Open Championship in 2008, he shot 69 the final round, but still finished four strokes behind Padraig because he started the day six strokes back and was in like the 10th-to-last pairing. You'd think that a guy with his talent would have had more chances, at least. Freaking Paul Casey and Luke Donald and Sergio have been in contention at the start of Sunday and failing in majors for years.

 

[Michael_ Gee]

I dunno, Junkie. On Sunday, anyway, all the first five Euro golfers had to know that if they didn't win, the team was toast.

 

[Double Down]

Before we let this thread ride quietly into the Chicago sunset, I thought Shane Ryan had a pretty interesting theory on why Tiger sucks during team play.

His own negativity about his own game unknowingly infects his playing partner. He makes it impossible for the other guy to play loose.

http://www.grantland.com/blog/the-triangle/post/_/id/38704/why-tiger-woods-fails-at-the-ryder-cup

 

[Chef2]

DL3 was counting on Jason Dufner getting the winning point, then putting Stricker and Woods behind him in case.

oops.

 

[Mark2010]

If Poulter doesn't come through on Saturday, there is no Sunday comeback.

I wrote several pages back that if Europe could keep it at 10-6, instead of 11-5 or 12-4, going into Sunday they had a chance. Sure enough.

 

[Sic semper tyrannis]

The thing is, SG, when Poulter made all those birdies on Saturday, he had no pressure on him. At all. Everyone thought the Euros were done. Had those putts not dropped, nobody would have thought a thing of it. That was still true on Sunday while Poulter was on the course. He went out second. He never played a pressure shot during the weekend. Garcia, Kaymer and Westwood, and maybe Molinari, had the most pressure. When their matches were coming down the stretch, the cup was suddenly in the balance. Playing Sunday in a major with a share of the lead or the lead? Poulter would wilt just like Monty, Norman and their ilk always did. It takes a different kind of nuts.

This is completely misguided analysis. You really think the Europeans thought Sunday was just a throwaway day? Poulter's afternoon match was completely MUST WIN. He wins and Europe has a chance (as Sunday proved). The same proves true on Sunday. The guys they put out early Sunday were in MUST WIN situations, and they did it. There was tons of pressure, and they performed.

 

[JC]

The thing is, SG, when Poulter made all those birdies on Saturday, he had no pressure on him. At all. Everyone thought the Euros were done. Had those putts not dropped, nobody would have thought a thing of it. That was still true on Sunday while Poulter was on the course. He went out second. He never played a pressure shot during the weekend. Garcia, Kaymer and Westwood, and maybe Molinari, had the most pressure. When their matches were coming down the stretch, the cup was suddenly in the balance. Playing Sunday in a major with a share of the lead or the lead? Poulter would wilt just like Monty, Norman and their ilk always did. It takes a different kind of nuts.

This is completely misguided analysis. You really think the Europeans thought Sunday was just a throwaway day? Poulter's afternoon match was completely MUST WIN. He wins and Europe has a chance (as Sunday proved). The same proves true on Sunday. The guys they put out early Sunday were in MUST WIN situations, and they did it. There was tons of pressure, and they performed.

I think Rory did

 

[Lugnuts]

My next choice for captain is to bring back Tom Watson because Watson's amazing and he loves Scotland.

Just sayin', is all.

And not person posted, "Good idea, Lugz."