Ryder Cup 2006 [Archive] - MyMedia-Forum.com

GrahamK

09-16-06, 03:36 PM

This is a thread for discussion of the forthcoming Ryder Cup contest between Europe and USA.

At the K Club in Ireland over the 22-24 September twenty-four of the world's best golfers will compete in three different formats of the game.

The two opposing teams are;

Europe; Colin Montgomerie, Luke Donald, Paul Casey, David Howell, Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Henrik Stenson, Robert Karlsson, Lee Westwood, Darren Clarke, Jose-Maria Olazabal, Paul McGinley (Ian Woosnam - non-playing captain)

USA; Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Jim Furyk, David Toms, Chad Campbell, Chris Dimarco, Scott Verplank, Stewart Cink, Zach Johnson, JJ Henry, Brett Wetterich, Vaughan Taylor (Tom Lehman - non-playing captain)

The formats are;
Fourball (Players are paired together and compete against a pair from the opposing team. Each player completes each hole, with the pair's best score counts.)

Foursome (Players are again paired together, but this time they play alternate shots with one ball.)

Singles (Players compete on their own against an individual from the opposing team)

There are a total of 28 points available over the three days, so 14½ points is the 'winning post'. Europe won the last Ryder Cup by 18½ to 9½.

After decades of USA dominance in one-sided contests, Europe have won six of the last ten.

This year is probably the first time in the seventy-nine year history of the event that the European team is favourite to win.

Will USA's four rookies cope with the pressure?

Will Darren Clarke be able to keep his understandable emotions under check? (His wife tragically died a few weeks ago)

Will Colin Montgomerie overtake Nick Faldo as Europe's leading points scorer of all-time?

Will Tiger Woods be able to improve his mediocre Ryder Cup success rate?

Fancy Monkey

09-16-06, 06:31 PM

I think It's going to be very tough for the Americans to win, and not just because they have four rookies. It's because their top veteran players have never really demonstrated an ability to excel in the Ryder Cup. Two of them - Tiger and Furyk - are playing fantastic golf lately, but as evidenced by their first-round departures in the HSBC Match Play tournament, that doesn't necessarily translate into success in this format. I think the U.S. will need a Tiger-Furyk pairing to get at least 3 points in the first two days, and probably another 2.5 or 3 points from Mickelson-DiMarco, to have a shot. That's asking a lot.

The European team may not have any major champions, but top to bottom they're much better and much deeper than the Americans. Who's the worst player on the Euro squad? Robert Karlsson? He made the semifinals of the HSBC Match Play. Paul Casey? He's in the finals. Henrik Stenson is having a great year, too. The supposed "weak links" in terms of who's playing well lately would probably be Monty, Clarke, and Westwood, and their track record in the Ryder Cup pretty much throws that out the window.

I'll say it'll be closer than last time - it'd be hard for it not to be - but in the end I'll give it to Europe, 16-12. Should be very exciting, as it always is.

Anyone else want to venture a final score prediction?

Later this week I'll try to "play captain" for both sides. Anyone else want to pick their ideal pairings for the first day?

GrahamK

09-16-06, 07:33 PM

I think It's going to be very tough for the Americans to win, and not just because they have four rookies. It's because their top veteran players have never really demonstrated an ability to excel in the Ryder Cup.

The supposed "weak links" in terms of who's playing well lately would probably be Monty, Clarke, and Westwood, and their track record in the Ryder Cup pretty much throws that out the window.

I'll say it'll be closer than last time - it'd be hard for it not to be - but in the end I'll give it to Europe, 16-12. Should be very exciting, as it always is.

Anyone else want to venture a final score prediction?

Later this week I'll try to "play captain" for both sides. Anyone else want to pick their ideal pairings for the first day?

I pretty much agree with all your comments.

Woods has been (by his high standards) a great disappointment in the Ryder Cup time after time. He recently commented that he doesn't understand the high level of excitement in the build up. That's why he doesn't do as well as he should. He can't get 'in the zone' for a contest he simply doesn't appreciate.

Montgomerie hasn't been playing his best stuff; but he finished well last time out on the European Tour and he made the semis of the match play. I personally think Westwood is a weakness. I'd have picked another Swede - Johan Edfors or Carl Petterson.

I think 16-12 will be about right.

I'm going to give it some thought and then post my opening day European pairings.

What's your favourite Ryder memory? Mine is probably Eamon Darcy's singles victory over Ben Crenshaw at Muirfield Village in 1987. Crenshaw snapped his putter halfway round and had to use a 1-iron to putt. Despite this it went to the last and Darcy's final putt on the 18th green... heart in mouth.

island_maverick

09-16-06, 09:22 PM

Great to have a thread on the greatest team event to take place across the world. Well, apart from the World Cup.

So much to discuss, so little time right now. For now, I'll leave a question.

Are the Stepford..sorry...American wives going to be wearing matching outfits again? Their part in this event is as much a part of the entertainment as the golf. :)

GrahamK

09-17-06, 01:21 PM

Are the Stepford..sorry...American wives going to be wearing matching outfits again?

Almost certainly. But will the American golfers wear anything to rival their final day shirts at Brookline '99?

http://i.pga.com/pga/images/rydercup/2006/photos/history/gallery/1999c.jpg

If I was picking European pairings for the opening series of fourball matches right now I'd go for;

Montgomerie & Harrington
Garcia & Donald
Casey & Howell
Clarke & Olazabal

My plan for Friday's foursomes (presuming, of course, that we're 4-0 ahead after the fourballs) would be;

Garcia & Donald
Casey & Howell
Stenson & Karlsson
McGinley & Harrington

Fancy Monkey

09-18-06, 02:10 PM

Okay, time to play Captain for the Friday matches. First, my home-team Americans:

I'm sure Lehman knows the Americans don't have a chance unless their studs (Tiger, Furyk, and Mickelson) get a ton of points, so those three have to be out there four times before singles. Lehman has already hinted that Tiger and Furyk will play together, and that Mickelson and DiMarco will play together. This worked well at the Presidents' Cup last year, so I'm guessing that at least for Friday, those two pairings fill up half the spots. The other 8 guys will all need to play at some point, and if I were Lehman I'd try to get everybody in on Friday. No way is anyone going to repeat the European mistake of '99, benching all the rookies until singles, so if you're going to play guys like Wetterich and Taylor once, I'm in the camp that says play them Friday. That said, here would be my morning and afternoon pairings:

USA Morning Fourball:
1) Woods-Furyk
2) Mickelson-DiMarco
3) Campbell-Johnson
4) Toms-Wetterich

USA Afternoon Foursomes:
1) Woods-Furyk
2) Mickelson-DiMarco
3) Cink-Henry
4) Verplank-Taylor

These groupings puts each of the four rookies with a veteran. Depending on the score, Saturday could see something similar (if the US is ahead or tied) or, more likely, a couple rookies - Wetterich and Taylor, most likely - sit out all day Saturday and guys like Cink and Toms play twice more.

Now for the European side. A bit of a different strategy since the team is much less top-heavy. Certainly everyone gets in at least once, and a case could certainly be made to let everyone play at least twice. Even if a guy is playing well, a little rest for the older guys - Monty, Olazabal - is probably a good idea. So even though this is also an "everybody plays" Friday just like for the U.S. side, I think it's much less likely the Europeans play anybody four times. The guys who play twice Friday might only play once on Saturday:

Europe Morning Fourball:
1) Clarke-McGinley (let the Irishmen tee off first)
2) Montgomerie-Harrington
3) Casey-Howell
4) Garcia-Donald

Europe Afternoon Foursomes:
1) Casey-Donald
2) Garcia-Westwood
3) Karlsson-Stenson
4) Olazabal-Harrington

That would set up the following Friday matches:

Woods-Furyk vs. Clarke-McGinley
Mickelson-DiMarco vs. Monty-Harrington
Campbell-Johnson vs. Casey-Howell
Toms-Wetterich vs. Garcia-Donald

Woods-Furyk vs. Casey-Donald
Mickelson-DiMarco vs. Garcia-Westwood
Cink-Henry vs. Karlsson-Stenson
Verplank-Taylor vs. Olazabal-Harrington

GrahamK

09-18-06, 03:16 PM

Europe Morning Fourball:
1) Clarke-McGinley (let the Irishmen tee off first)
2) Montgomerie-Harrington
3) Casey-Howell
4) Garcia-Donald

Europe Afternoon Foursomes:
1) Casey-Donald
2) Garcia-Westwood
3) Karlsson-Stenson
4) Olazabal-Harrington
I'd argue that neither Olazabal or Westwood are playing with enough consistency at the moment to merit a foursomes spot.

If we're going to risk Westwood at all on Day 1 make it a fourball - when at least we have a second ball. Then I think Westwood could contribute a few birdies, even if at other holes he triple bogeyed! (I suspect he'll maybe get a fourball game with someone consistent like Donald, but not until Day 2)

And if Montgomerie plays in the morning fourballs he'll almost certainly be off first. That way if he produces his common Ryder Cup brilliance he has a chance of a decent rest if he's selected again for the afternoon. Putting an Irish pairing out last in the afternoon aims to bring Day 1 to a euphoric close.

I agree with you that everyone needs to get a game before the singles. The European strategy of Brookline was fatally flawed (although I think the bottom line was the three players in question weren't good enough).

Do you not think there's a case for the US splitting up their big 4 for the fourball matches? (Actually I'd say big 3 - I think Dimarco is not in as good form as he could be right now).

If Tiger (for example) plays fourball with someone like Wetterich he can concentrate on his own game and play his own shots. If the rookie can come in now and then with a birdie then that's a bonus. Now if Furyk and Mickelson do the same with another rookie each and your fourth pair is Toms and Dimarco, then I think you've got an opportunity to spring some surprises.

Fancy Monkey

09-18-06, 04:10 PM

Do you not think there's a case for the US splitting up their big 4 for the fourball matches? (Actually I'd say big 3 - I think Dimarco is not in as good form as he could be right now).

If Tiger (for example) plays fourball with someone like Wetterich he can concentrate on his own game and play his own shots. If the rookie can come in now and then with a birdie then that's a bonus. Now if Furyk and Mickelson do the same with another rookie each and your fourth pair is Toms and Dimarco, then I think you've got an opportunity to spring some surprises.

That's certainly a viable strategy, but I'm not sure Lehman will go that way. Before last year's Pres Cup, talk was on how no one had ever been able to find a suitable partner for Tiger. Well, Furyk became that partner last year. Not just the results - the way Tiger played alongside Furyk was markedly different than anyone else he'd played with in team competitions. I don't think Lehman is a big risk-taker - he's no Hal Sutton, putting Tiger and Phil together on Day 1 last time out, with predictably disastrous results - so at least for Friday morning, I think he sends out Tiger and Furyk together. Simiarly with Mickelson and DiMarco (who, you're right, is not playing great lately, but who seems to be the best "team competitions player" on the U.S. squad, at least the guy who raises his game the most). Yes, if Lehman splits them all up, they'll have a better chance at getting 3 or 4 points in the morning. But there's probably also a better chance of getting 0 or 1. And I think, considering how it went in 2004, the Americans would be pleased to come out of the morning with a safe 2-2 tie, and would be thrilled to be tied 4-4 at the end of Day One. I'm betting that those two big pairings give the US the best chance of being in that spot.

One other note - I read this morning that Verplank is not 100%. Which means it's quite possible that he sits out Friday altogether, opening up a spot for someone else to play twice - probably Toms.

'Stoon

09-18-06, 04:20 PM

GO Tiggers!

anyhow
i would liek to see woods and dimarco paired for the us...at least once

GrahamK

09-18-06, 07:24 PM

That's certainly a viable strategy, but I'm not sure Lehman will go that way.

I don't think Lehman is a big risk-taker

if Lehman splits them all up, they'll have a better chance at getting 3 or 4 points in the morning. But there's probably also a better chance of getting 0 or 1.

One other note - I read this morning that Verplank is not 100%. Which means it's quite possible that he sits out Friday altogether, opening up a spot for someone else to play twice - probably Toms.

Lehman will, I think, prove an excellent captain. If US lose it will not be down to him. US have suffered in the past from having captains that presumed that matches would go according to world ranking; and that just ain't the Ryder Cup way. Lehman is a man who will consider each decision carefully and take every factor into account. His preparation will be meticulous. In many ways he reminds me of Bernard Gallacher in captaincy style.

There was talk over here during the HSBC Matchplay event that Micheel might be drafted in as a replacement for Verplank. Given his form (except for the final) that could be no bad thing for US.

Toms is a golfer I admire greatly. He's a good Ryder Cup player, but am I right in thinking he's had a bad back lately? If he hits top form he's capable of beating anybody.

Fancy Monkey

09-18-06, 07:38 PM

Toms has actually played okay this summer, which is unusual for him the last few years. Seems he usually peaks in the first three months of the season and runs out of gas and/or into injuries around Cup time. But I agree, if he's healthy, he's a great Match Play/team competitions guy. Behind Tiger and Furyk, I'd put a healthy Toms the #3 weapon on the American side.

And I agree about Lehman, I think he'll do well. Not sure it'll be well enough to bring the Cup back, but he was a good choice.

BTW, of all the American rookies, who do you think will be the leading point-getter? If any of the four breaks out, I'm guessing it'll be J.J. Henry. He's been solid as of late, he's a little older than the other three, and seems to have the demeanor for Match Play.

One last prediction: who's going to end up scoring the most points on each side, and who will be the biggest disappointment? Most points I'll go with Tiger for the Americans (this is the year I think he puts it together and wins a bunch) and Luke Donald for the Europeans (his game seems to fit all formats, all kinds of partners, and he's among the most likely on the European side to play all five matches). Biggest disappointments: Mickelson and Harrington. Both are stellar players who have had success in this kind of format, but I'm not sure either one is playing at the top of their game coming in.

Sticking by my 16-12 Europe prediction.

Warthawg1

09-18-06, 07:39 PM

Will USA's four rookies cope with the pressure? No

Will Darren Clarke be able to keep his understandable emotions under check? (His wife tragically died a few weeks ago) - No idea

Will Colin Montgomerie overtake Nick Faldo as Europe's leading points scorer of all-time? Yes..probably

Will Tiger Woods be able to improve his mediocre Ryder Cup success rate? Doubtful. He's not really motivated to be there.

GrahamK

09-18-06, 07:58 PM

BTW, of all the American rookies, who do you think will be the leading point-getter? If any of the four breaks out, I'm guessing it'll be J.J. Henry. He's been solid as of late, he's a little older than the other three, and seems to have the demeanor for Match Play.

One last prediction: who's going to end up scoring the most points on each side, and who will be the biggest disappointment? Most points I'll go with Tiger for the Americans (this is the year I think he puts it together and wins a bunch) and Luke Donald for the Europeans (his game seems to fit all formats, all kinds of partners, and he's among the most likely on the European side to play all five matches). Biggest disappointments: Mickelson and Harrington. Both are stellar players who have had success in this kind of format, but I'm not sure either one is playing at the top of their game coming in.

I wouldn't be surprised if all four US rookies scored very poorly - if at all. Henry does seem to be the most consistent, but I believe the rookies will need to be partnered by a strong player if they're to score on either of the first 2 days. In singles it depends on who they're against and how the momentum swings.

I reckon someone slightly unexpected like Toms or Campbell will top score for US. I agree Donald could well top score for Europe - alternatively Casey is on fire right now.

I have a gut feeling that Woods will under perform again. I know he played well with Furyk, but my instincts tell me his poor run will continue.

Controversially, I fear that this may be Montgomerie's worst Ryder Cup. Despite the fact that he's not the player he was, over here all the talk is of how he always ups his game for the Ryder Cup. He usually does, but can he do it again this time?

Warthawg1

09-18-06, 08:20 PM

Personally... I think Tiger's endorsement deals are the only reason why he even plays Ryder cup.

GrahamK

09-20-06, 08:28 AM

Personally... I think Tiger's endorsement deals are the only reason why he even plays Ryder cup.
That, and the opportunity to hang out with his buddy Phil Mickelson. :awwhug:

I am mystified (but, as a European, delighted) that Tiger normally plays so poorly at Ryder Cup. Other figures who've dominated world golf in their time have understood the significance of the contest. Tiger has always come across as a man who's acutely aware of golf's traditions and history; so why does he have this 'blind spot' about the Ryder Cup?

BTW strong winds and heavy rain have disrupted the start of Wednesday practice. The K Club has been closed to spectators and non-essential staff on safety grounds. Hopefully it will blow over quickly.

Fancy Monkey

09-20-06, 02:45 PM

As far as Tiger's struggles are concerned, I've always chalked it up to not playing well with others. Of that 7-11-2 record, he's an even worse 5-10-1 in the team competitions (compared to a more reasonable 2-1-1 in singles). If - and, granted, one impressive Presidents Cup doesn't make this certain - they've found a good partner for him in Jim Furyk, then I expect that record to improve this year. If that happens, not only would that help Tiger's record, but Furyk's as well. For all the (justified) talk about Woods underachieving at the Ryder Cup, not much has been made of Furyk's utterly abysmal record in foursomes and fourball (1-9-1!). We shall see, but I expect that those two will improve on their previous marks. I'm not so optimistic for the rest of the American veterans (Mickelson, DiMarco, and Campbell especially), but I think this is the year Tiger and Furyk turn things around.

Here's another topic to ponder - does the order in singles play matter? I know that in 2002, the Americans were criticized for putting their best players too late in the order to make a difference, and a big to-do is usually made of the Sunday singles order. But I'm just not sure it makes that much of a difference. If the score is close, you can't necessarily predict whether it'll be more important to send your studs out early (to "set the pace") or hold them back (for the late "clutch" matches), or sprinkle them throughout the day. I for one would love to see the Ryder Cup do the singles pairings the same way the Presidents Cup does them. Each captain takes turn throwing out a name on their ladder. The other captain then picks that player's opponent. It adds a bit of strategy, and allows each side to pair specific players against opponents they'd like to go up against. Rather than submitting a list 1-12 blind, and ending up with stellar matches like Tiger vs. Andrew Coltart. What do you think?

GrahamK

09-20-06, 07:15 PM

Here's another topic to ponder - does the order in singles play matter?
What matters on Sunday is momentum.

In 1999 Europe started losing holes early on and this caused a ripple effect. By the time the later starters went out they couldn't do anything to change it. That year Europe actually won 3½ points from the bottom 5 matches, but the damage was done by losing all 7 of the top matches.

If Europe had won 3½ points from the first 5 matches then they'd have gone on to win the Cup. So, in 1999 order of play mattered. However, there's no sure fire way of knowing who's gonna perform well in singles.

In 2002, for example, Westwood had performed sensationally on the first two days. He lost his singles match against Verplank - which I'm sure he was expecting to win. On the other hand Philip Price who'd played and lost one game going into Sunday's singles, pulled off a surprise victory over Mickelson; which I'm sure USA weren't expecting.

So, I reckon since you can't predict who's going to play well, and you don't know what order the other team are going to play, the players might as well pick numbers from a hat. You just gotta pray that whatever the order, momentum swings your way at the start.

GrahamK

09-21-06, 03:56 PM

Friday AM fourball pairings

Montgomerie & Harrington .v. Woods & Furyk

Casey & Karlsson .v. Cink & Henry

Garcia & Olazabal .v. Toms & Wetterich

Clarke & Westwood .v. Mickleson & Dimarco

Interesting choices.

Fancy Monkey

09-21-06, 04:03 PM

GrahamK

09-21-06, 06:48 PM

I can see the logic in the US pairings - Wetterich is definitely a guy more suited for fourball than foursomes, and Toms is a good partner for him. I'm a little surprised that Donald and Howell are sitting in fourball (or at all, really). I probably would have put Olazabal in the afternoon as opposed to the morning.

Predictions:

Woods/Furyk def. Monty/Harrington, 2 and 1
Casey/Karlsson def. Cink/Henry, 3 and 2
Garcia/Olazabal and Toms/Wetterich, halved
Clarke/Westwood def. Mickelson/DiMarco, 3 and 2

Europe leads 2.5-1.5 heading into foursomes. We'll see how accurate that turns out to be...
Montgomerie was interviewed on TV here after the announcement and he hinted very strongly that those left out of the fourball will play in the foursomes.

Olazabal and Westwood's erratic form makes them better suited for fourball at the moment.

My own predictions;

Montgomerie & Harrington halved match with Woods & Furyk

Casey & Karlsson beat Cink & Henry 4&3

Garcia & Olazabal beat Toms & Wetterich 1up

Clarke & Westwood lose to Mickelson & Dimarco 3&2

Let the games begin!

(BTW Woosnam is really not very good at public speaking. Did you see the opening ceremony? Oratory is not his strong suit - I hope he's better at picking pairings!)

Fancy Monkey

09-22-06, 01:14 PM

Well, we both got the score right, but how they got there was different. Here's my quick picks for the afternoon:

Harrington/McGinley def. Campbell/Johnson 2 & 1
Howell/Stenson def. Toms/Cink 1 up
Mickelson/DiMarco def. Westwood/Montgomerie 3 & 2
Donald/Garcia and Woods/Furyk, halved

Day One total: Europe 5, USA 3

Unfortunately being in the U.S. I've been sleeping/at work through today's matches... hopefully this afternoon will give us something riveting at the end so I can catch some good golf on the tape-delay when I get home this evening. Let me know your impressions of how everyone's playing... the scorecards seem to be vindicating my boy Henry.

GrahamK

09-22-06, 01:24 PM

My opinions on the morning fourballs

Match 1.

There will never be a better opportunity to beat Furyk and Woods at fourball. Tiger was not at all good, and unless he can improve this afternoon they will struggle. Neither Montgomerie nor Harrington could putt at all - and they also need to improve this afternoon. All in all the result was fair because Furyk was the best player of the four.

Match 2.

Casey and Karlsson got three up and then took their eye off the ball. Cink and Henry played well to bring it back all square. I'm surprised Henry isn't out this afternoon after a strong performance. Casey and Karlsson wil probably pair up again in tomorrow's foruballs.

Match 3.

Toms did his best, but Wetterich wasn't good enough. He's long but he's wild. Garcia was inspired, and if he and Donald click this afternoon they will beat Woods/Furyk.

Match 4.

Talk about emotion! Clarke on the first tee could hardly keep the tears at bay. A great competitive match that could have gone either way. I felt Mickelson was poor by his standards - none of his usual brilliance round the green. Westwood was a surprise for me; playing much better than he has been lately.

The foursomes promise to be exciting. I don't understand the Westwood/Montgomerie pairing but hopefully it will work.

My predictions;
Harrington/McGinley match halved Campbell/Johnson
Howell/Stenson def. Toms/Cink 2 & 1
Mickelson/DiMarco def. Westwood/Montgomerie 1 up
Donald/Garcia def. Woods/Furyk 3 & 2

GrahamK

09-22-06, 05:54 PM

Wow! That was a rollercoaster ride of foursomes!

Harrington/McGinley halved with Campbell/Johnson
Garcia/Donald beat Woods/Furyk 2 up
Howell/Stenson halved with Cink/Toms
Montgomerie/Westwood halved with Dimarco/Mickelson

End of first day; EUROPE 5 USA 3

Match 1

If Johnson could putt the US would have won this one easily. Campbell played some great shots to greens, but Johnson didn't hole one until the last three holes. Harrington still not playing great. I'd be tempted to drop him for tomorrow morning.

Match 2

Garcia great again; Woods not himself. He just does not like the format. His game is based on his own ability being able to rescue him from any trouble, when he has to rely on a partner (even one as good as Furyk) he struggles.

Match 3

A great competition between great putters. Neither team deserved to lose, so I'm glad it was halved. This was the best match to watch this afternoon.

Match 4

Montgomerie and Westwood proved me wrong. Their half point came from their courage, experience and self-belief. Dimarco and Mickelson played better this afternoon than they had done in the morning, but Mickelson is still not at his best.

Let's see what pairings come out for tomorrow.

Fancy Monkey

09-22-06, 09:03 PM

Well, I'll be looking forward to the 45 minutes or so I get to watch this afternoon. Sounds like an exciting ending.

Tomorrow's fourball matches look interesting. Verplank gets his first action, while Taylor still sits. Donald sits again? Did he play that poorly today? (I confess I might have a teensy tiny Luke Donald bias, since I'm a fellow Northwestern alum, but am I mistaken in thinking he's one of the best players on the European team, coming off a big win over Tiger and Furyk?)

I don't know if I'll have a chance to post tomorrow after the singles pairings come out, so here's a couple that I'm hoping to see happen, and hopefully while there's still something at stake:

Monty vs. Phil - who can best atone for their U.S. Open 72nd hole choke?

Woods vs. Luke - what can I say, I want to see my fellow Wildcat play the best the US has to offer (and maybe make up a bit for his Medinah Sunday 74)

Here's hoping for a US comeback in spite of a Luke Donald dominance!

GrahamK

09-22-06, 09:16 PM

Tomorrow's fourball matches look interesting. Verplank gets his first action, while Taylor still sits. Donald sits again? Did he play that poorly today? (I confess I might have a teensy tiny Luke Donald bias, since I'm a fellow Northwestern alum, but am I mistaken in thinking he's one of the best players on the European team, coming off a big win over Tiger and Furyk?)

Donald played okay today - though Garcia was the dominant one in that pairing. The general view is that Donald is more a natural foursomes player than fourball. I'm sure Donald and Garcia will play again in tomorrow's foursomes.

My predictions for tomorrow's fourballs are;

Casey & Karlsson .v. Cink & Henry; This is a repeat of this morning and I think could well be another halved match.

Garcia & Olazabal .v. Mickelson & Dimarco; Garcia on form, Mickelson/Dimarco not. Europe win 4&3.

Westwood & Clarke .v. Woods & Furyk; In fourball I'm gonna plump for Woods to scrape through. USA win 1 up.

Stenson & Harrington .v. Verplank & Johnson; Neither Harrington nor Johnson putted at all well today. But Stenson played well. Europe win 2&1.

But I've not exactly been accurate with my predictions so far!

GrahamK

09-23-06, 01:12 PM

Overall, Lehman was let down this morning by his big four once again. They should have been the leaders on the course; creating momentum and pulling along their team mates. Instead they all played poorly and left it to two rookies (Henry and Johnson) to keep Europe in check. Woods .v. Clarke or Mickelson .v. Garcia in the final round of a Major then I’d back the Americans every time. In the Ryder Cup it’s a different story; but still Lehman won’t leave Woods or Mickelson out for the foursomes!

Casey/Karlsson halved with Cink/Henry
Garcia/Olazabal beat Mickelson/Dimarco 3&2
Westwood/Clarke beat Woods/Furyk 3&2
Harrington/Stenson lost to Verplank/Johnson 2&1

Match 1

This was such a close match once again which could have gone either way. Henry was excellent again. He’s a very consistent performer. I reckon he and Cink would have made a formidable foursomes pairing.

Match 2

Nobody could have competed with the awesome Spanish duo today. Having said that; Mickelson and Dimarco were woeful. They managed only three birdies between them – which is nowhere near good enough. Mickelson should have been dropped after a similarly lacklustre performance yesterday.

Match 3

Westwood has been a revelation – I wouldn’t have picked him for the team to be honest. For most of the match Woods played worse than I have ever seen him play; even in Ryder Cup. The two European captain’s picks have now more than justified their spots. I’m especially delighted for Clarke, given his personal circumstances.

Match 4

Johnson discovered how to putt and pretty much single-handedly won this match for USA. Harrington and Stenson didn’t seem to fire on all cylinders at all – they got behind early and never looked like fighting back effectively. For my money Harrington has been the most disappointing European so far.

Foursomes predictions;
Garcia/Donald .v. Toms/Mickelson EUROPE WIN 3&2
Montgomerie/Westwood .v. Campbell/Taylor EUROPE WIN 2&1
Casey/Howell .v. Cink/Johnson USA WIN 3&2
Harrington/McGinley .v. Woods/Furyk MATCH HALVED

island_maverick

09-23-06, 01:19 PM

This competition continues to fascinate me. I'm not a big golf fan, ordinarily, but the Ryder Cup is something special.

I thought the two Spaniards were high class, they make a tremendous pairing. In fact, this is symptomatic of why the US are struggling, they just don't have the match-ups, pairs wise, to compete with the Europeans' match-ups. Solo golf is not on the menu until tomorrow.

Clarke and Westwood were similarly impressive. Hats off to Woosnam for sticking to his guns and going for the picks he genuinely wanted. Its paid off, those two have been formidable. As you say, Graham, it is especially warming to see Clarke come through so well, particularly that smart chip in at the last to seal the victory.

I don't about you, but I was finding it quite emotional when he teed off first thing yesterday, and then the walk up the green on the last was even more emotional. Like I said, the Ryder Cup offers so much more than any other team event I can think of, and Darren's form in the face of personal turmoil simply adds to the magic.

GrahamK

09-23-06, 05:38 PM

Garcia/Donald beat Toms/Mickelson 2&1
Montgomerie/Westwood halved with Taylor/Campbell
Casey/Howell beat Cink/Johnson 5&4
Harrington/McGinley lost to Woods/Furyk 3&2

Match 1

Mickelson was better, but still not great. Toms’ putter was cold. Donald and Garcia were calm and composed. They didn’t quite hit top gear, but they didn’t need to. This seems like an invincible foursome pairing.

Match 2

When the pressure was on at times Taylor showed why he hadn’t played on Friday, although he seemed to pull himself together again over the closing holes. Montgomerie and Westwood were unspectacular. A halved match was probably a fair result.

Match 3

Johnson forgot how to putt again! Casey and Howell are confidence players, and they got well ahead early on. They were never going to lose it from there. The result will do their confidence good going into the singles. And what a way to close out your match!

Match 4

Woods finally started playing decent golf. Harrington improved as well. McGinley missed a few holeable putts, and that was the difference. Lehman must pray that Woods and Furyk take this kind of form into Sunday.

EUROPE 10 USA 6

I can't wait for the singles.

GrahamK

09-24-06, 06:23 PM

FINAL SCORE

EUROPE 18.5 USA 9.5

Equals the biggest European win. The first time Europe has won three consecutive Cups. The first time Europe has won all five series in a Cup. The biggest European winning margin in singles.

That was a wonderful display of golf from the European team. They showed that they possessed the strength in depth that USA lacked - which is what most people predicted before the Cup began.

The singles matches showed us that;

You cannot beat Montgomerie in a Ryder Cup singles match.

Garcia eventually runs out of nervous energy when he is hit by a birdie blitz.

Cink is a very under rated golfer.

Casey is a man on fire right now, and this could be the start of big things for his career.

Woods, despite his relative poor form, is still the best golfer in the world.

Donald is not in his best form, but he's a great talent.

Henry is the only US rookie to emerge with real credit from this week.

McGinley is a gentleman - the putt he gave Henry on the 18th green must the longest ever conceded.

Clarke is back - and I'm delighted for him.

Taylor is not good enough for a Ryder Cup team.

Neither is Wetterich.

Mickelson is not playing well, and I hope he uses this break he's supposed to be having now to good effect. Is it all linked to the 72nd hole of the US Open?

Dimarco is a fierce competitor but he's not quite as good as he should be.

Westwood was, for me, the player of the Cup - even more so than Garcia.

Harrington was the most disappointing European, and I'm amazed he played five times.

Woosnam was a great captain. I don't know the details of what he did or how he influenced his team, but any captain who leads a team to this kind of comprehensive victory is a great captain.

Overall it was an enjoyable experience to watch - from a European perspective.

I'm already eagerly anticipating two years time.

Fancy Monkey

09-25-06, 02:41 PM

It's half-amusing, half-irritating, to listen/read the American golf press talk about what needs to be done to fix the U.S. Ryder Cup process, as if a process fix is what has led to losing by 9 points two Ryder Cups in a row. This weekend's performance by the European team should really leave golf fans with one obvious conclusion: Europe's great golfers are better than their American equivalents. After Tiger Woods (who is, obviously, in a class by himself, and who has nothing to be ashamed of in going 3-2-0 against that competition), the American side is just not as talented. Mickelson has actually not been as across-the-board good for the last two years as he was in 2004. His lofty world ranking is bolstered by his performance in a couple select major championships (especially the Masters) and at courses that really suit his game (Augusta as a prime example). Yes, Phil can still get himself up for a big tournament at a course that fits him, and yes, he is still the most likely player besides Tiger to lap the field by ten strokes when he does win a tournament, but he is no longer a week-in, week-out lock to contend for titles every time he plays. Forget all the garbage about him "not being a good Ryder Cup player." He's just not as good a player, period. His record in the Ryder Cup used to be pretty solid.

I could say similar things about most of the rest of the U.S. team. Looking over their results from the past year, it shouldn't be surprising that these guys struggled:

Toms (two Top Tens since mid-March)
Johnson (two top tens and five missed cuts since the Masters)
Taylor (one top ten, one more top 20, and three missed cuts in his last 8 tournaments)
DiMarco (one top ten and TEN missed cuts in stroke play events this year)
Verplank (one top ten and five missed cuts since the Players Championship)
Campbell (five missed cuts and only one top ten in his last ten tournaments)

And there is no quick fix or systemic change for the U.S. team simply because it's not like anyone else was beating down the door to make the team. Sure, they could probably use a tweak in the criteria to prevent obviously unqualified guys like Wetterich from making the team, but there's really nobody else on the American side who's playing great golf and could have helped the team. Davis Love, Fred Couples, Fred Funk, and Kenny Perry have been poor this year. Would guys like Jerry Kelly and Tom Pernice have really made a difference? Doubtful. What the American side needs is more, better, young golfers. I think there is hope on the way - guys like Sean O'Hair, Lucas Glover, Ryan Moore, and the aforementioned Johnson all have the potential to turn into very good players, so it's not like the future of American Ryder Cup golf is hopeless. But it's silly for the media to pretend that we keep losing because the team "doesn't bond well together" or some other subjective nonsense. We're just not as good.

Major credit to a loaded European team that utterly dismantled the Americans. With guys like Garcia, Donald, Stenson, and Casey, the next generation of European stars is clearly going to keep the team rolling. Even in a blowout, it was a great Ryder Cup to watch, and I can't wait for 2008.

Meanwhile, I'll have to content myself with another false-hope-building victory over an undermanned International team in next year's President's Cup.

GrahamK

09-25-06, 09:21 PM

And there is no quick fix or systemic change for the U.S. team simply because it's not like anyone else was beating down the door to make the team. Sure, they could probably use a tweak in the criteria to prevent obviously unqualified guys like Wetterich from making the team, but there's really nobody else on the American side who's playing great golf and could have helped the team. Davis Love, Fred Couples, Fred Funk, and Kenny Perry have been poor this year. Would guys like Jerry Kelly and Tom Pernice have really made a difference? Doubtful. What the American side needs is more, better, young golfers. I think there is hope on the way - guys like Sean O'Hair, Lucas Glover, Ryan Moore, and the aforementioned Johnson all have the potential to turn into very good players, so it's not like the future of American Ryder Cup golf is hopeless.

It's amazing, but true, that there is no strength in depth in US golf.

I could name Ian Poulter, Thomas Bjorn, Niclas Fasth and Miguel-Angel Jiminez that could have slotted into the European team this year and we'd still have won quite easily.

Waiting in the wings are the likes of Carl Petterson, Johan Edfors, Justin Rose, Graeme McDowell, Simon Khan, Stephen Dodd, Bradley Dredge, Antony Wall, Simon Dyson, Nick Dougherty - all of whom look like they could become Ryder Cup standard.

Now if only we could win a Major!