Ryder Cup 2014

[TheCelt67]

[Fuctifano]

Anthony Kim was another bellend from that 2008 US team.

The optimum age for being captain since the turn of the century seems to be 45-50- with Watson an obvious outlier. Think the Yanks going back to Azinger would be a backwards step, would like to see Freddy Couples get it but is he too nice / laid back? I think he'd be a better "away" captain for them to get on with the crowds. He's already over 50 though.

[RedRob72]

I'm not bitter about anything I just don't understand why you would go to something like that and boo someone. He wasn't booed at the ceremony on Thursday that Amy McDonald sang at.

ETA - It would be like me going to an event in England, David Cameron doing a speech at it and me booing him. I wouldn't do that, because I'm not a massive bell end

Cant f*ckin stand Salmond, but booing him before the presentation was uncalled for. Great 3 days golf though, some cracking stuff!

[Disco Duck]

Was there yesterday, got into the stand behind the 1st tee at about 8.15, about 15 minutes before it was full - three hours before the first tee off!

I have never ever been at a sporting event with such a great atmosphere as that tee - all the players dancing, the Mexican wave round the entire first hole (eventually), the songs...best chants of the day "you've got Big Macs, we've got GMac", and "where's Bianca gone?" when Rickie Fowler was on the tee.

Also loved the shouts of "fore!" after every American practice swing! Got great footage of the tee as Bubba got everyone to cheer as he drove.

We were at the 17th as GMac got his win, and the 16th when sexy sexy Martin Kaymer holed his chip.

What a day!

[Ro Sham Bo]

That picture of Watson and Fowler sums up part of the Americans' problem. You just get the feeling that losing doesn't hurt them like it hurts the Europeans.

[peasy23]

Just watching SSN, Rose and Donaldson looked blootered this morning, as did Bradley. Plenty US players sticking up for Watson, Mickelson looks to be out on a limb now.

Genuine lols at Stenson leading a chorus of "can we play you every week!"

[Frankie S]

Always had a lot of time for him, but felt that Mickelson's post match dissection of Watson was uncharacteristically classless. Watson may not have been the most effective leader, but he was one of the game's true greats, an elder statesman who deserved more respect. Mickelson's talk of pods is probably indicative of the difficulties in managing the American 'team.' It's a group of disparate and sometimes egocentric individuals, all with their own agendas. It must be like herding cats at times. The performance of the rookies gives them hope for the future though.

[peasy23]

Anthony Kim was another bellend from that 2008 US team.

Posted a link to a story about him in the golfer's thread. He has been "injured" for ages, and there are rumours that he will never play again as he has a bumper insurance policy that will pay out if he has to give up competitive golf. The figures quoted are around $10m!

http://golfdig.st/ZqsxD1

The Yanks do seem to have far more players that appear in one Ryder Cup and disappear from view. Chris Riley, JJ Henry, JB Holmes, Vaughn Taylor anyone?

[printer]

Good interview with Paul McGinley on 5 Live. He spoke well of his players and was very gracious about Tom Watson. Always enjoyable to hear someone who knows how to win well.

I think McGinley did an impeccable job. He clearly put everything into the role over the last couple of years and during the last week. His speaking was very accomplished. Really pleased that he got the reward his effort and attitude deserved.

Clarke as next Captain? There's already chatter for the yanks to bring Azinger back.

I'm not sure Clarke would be a good choice, but then I thought the same about Wooise.

Think Clarke then Westwood unless the latter is still good enough to make the team in 4 years time. Harrington might be in with a shout as well by then tho not sure if everyone thinks he's a dick or that's just me.

I'm not sure it's just you, but I think Harrington is highly regarded by the players. He's also bright. I think he'd do an excellent job, but probably in a few years.

Just caught a wee bit of Jack on commentary this morning but you could almost feel the class oozing through the mic.

This whole competition owes him a debt for his lobbying for the Continental players to be involved.

Yep, always has been a class act (well apart from right at the start of his career).

BBC are saying Phil has laid into Watson in a post match interview.

Maybe not such a classy guy after all then?

I had a fantastic week at Gleneagles and would do it all again. Here's a pic of me on the 18th. I'm right in the middle of the row of marshal's holding the crowd back.

[TheScarf]

Given Clarke's improvement in fitness over the last 18 months I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility that he could feature as a player in the future.

[Guest The Phoenix]

I had a fantastic week at Gleneagles and would do it all again. Here's a pic of me on the 18th. I'm right in the middle of the row of marshal's holding the crowd back.

You're no bonny, are you?

[printer]

You're no bonny, are you?

[Hipster Dufus]

The Yanks do seem to have far more players that appear in one Ryder Cup and disappear from view. Chris Riley, JJ Henry, JB Holmes, Vaughn Taylor anyone?

Steven Richardson, Philip Walton, Ignacio Garrido, Jarmo Sandelin, Peter Baker, Ronan Rafferty, to name but a few blasts fae the pasts. I think the only one I might even recognise would be Baker with the blond hair.

I'm already buzzing for 2016. Hazeltine is a 1.5 hr flight away or a 10 hr drive.

[Biscuits]

Given Clarke's improvement in fitness over the last 18 months I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility that he could feature as a player in the future.

Hope so. Love Darren Clarke - watched a wee replay of the time he played no long after his wife passed away. How anyone can watch that and not shed a tear is beyond me.

[Guest The Phoenix]

Given Clarke's improvement in fitness over the last 18 months I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility that he could feature as a player in the future.

*Insert John McInroe's immortal words*

[Ro Sham Bo]

Given Clarke's improvement in fitness over the last 18 months I don't think it's out of the realms of possibility that he could feature as a player in the future.

He'll need to make some serious improvements to his golf game as well then. I've hardly seen him make a top ten this season.

Regarding Mickelson, it's funny how he didn't moan about captaincy methods after the last two Ryder Cup defeats. Sour grapes from him because he was dropped.

[Diamonds are Forever]

I realise in Golf you're meant to respect your elders, but I've never got the Tom Watson love-in, he's always struck me as a bit of a w****r and someone you'd find it hard to get on with. I'm not surprised he was a terrible captain.

[The_Kincardine]

The FT had what I regarded as an excellent take on the past weekend here:

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/5d0dcb06-4732-11e4-ba74-00144feab7de.html#axzz3EkFtWON2

I know it's 5 minutes of your life and a long quote but for fans of golf and journalism it's a decent read:

"Europe’s golfers won the Ryder Cup yet again at Gleneagles on Sunday, beating the US by 16½ to 11½, their eighth win in the past 10 contests.

This was the result expected overnight, when Europe already led by four points, and for months in advance as well. It did not prevent the day providing outstanding sport, in both the intensity of the contest and the quality of the golf.

The US team made a fast start to the final-day singles play, and at one early stage was ahead in enough of the 12 matches to make victory feasible, which would have precisely mirrored Europe’s comeback (“the miracle at Medinah”) in Illinois two years ago.

You can believe in miracles, but not bank on them. The European ace Rory McIlroy led the way from his opening blast on the first tee and never wavered before crushing Rickie Fowler 5 and 4.

And there were big comebacks from two of Europe’s other major championship winners: McIlroy’s fellow-Ulsterman Graeme McDowell fought back to beat Jordan Spieth having gone three holes down; and Justin Rose finished all-square with Hunter Mahan after being four behind. Mahan, who made a crucial error at Celtic Manor in 2010, this time soup-ladled a wedge from one side of the 18th green to the other.

It was a crushing blow but not the crucial one. That was struck by the Welshman Jamie Donaldson, rising 39 and a very late developer indeed (there could be hope for us all) who put his second shot at the 15th less than 2ft from the hole. In keeping with the best traditions of this event his opponent, Keegan Bradley, conceded.

Partisanship often boils over at the Ryder Cup, and this was taking place in Scotland, a country that has been very over-emotional of late. But both the winning captain, Paul McGinley, and Tom Watson, are high on the roll call of golfing mensches and helped make this a very satisfying renewal.

Nonetheless, this sequence is an astonishing twist of history. By 1977, the last year before continental golfers were allowed to beef up the old Britain and Ireland team, the Ryder Cup was on the brink of oblivion. Now, one wonders, does the US need to build a coalition to become competitive again? Hey, do you need some Canadians? Are there any golfers in Venezuela? Could the British lend you some Falklanders?

The rise of McIlroy, winner of two of 2014’s four majors, and the decline of Tiger Woods (not fit enough even to be considered) has highlighted the shift of golfing strength across the Atlantic. No longer fearsome, this American team is notable mainly for having so many players with first names borrowed from 1980s British football line-ups: Keegan, Hunter, Jordan, Webb.

Technically, the Americans did have some trouble understanding the autumnal Gleneagles greens. Psychologically, the US does seem to have a problem adapting to international team sports which play so little part in the national sporting culture. Personally, I think it must be hard to go out in public, never mind play well, wearing the scarlet trousers that formed part of the last-day US team uniform.

Nonetheless, it is hard for outsiders to understand why the consistently brilliant Ryder Cup should be restricted to one weekend every two years in an era when regular tournament golf has become so ho-hum. The answer is that the pros play Ryder Cup for show and everything else for dough: the American players are given $200,000 for the charities of their choice; the Europeans get nothing directly – though the profits are fed in to the week-in, week-out prize money.

It is a completely different experience for these players compared with their normal job. Have a bad couple of stroke play rounds, even at Augusta or St Andrews, and you slink quietly away and aim to do better next time. Blow up in this – ask Hunter Mahan – and you live with it forever.

Meanwhile, Donaldson will never have to buy a drink in Pontypridd again. “The wedge shot of my life,” he said after his winning hit. “It’s, it’s . . . ” A woman (thought to be his mum) rushed over to embrace him and finish his sentence – “wonderful”, she said.

And this is a great venue for golf, as Watson admiringly said. Under-exposed because British Opens are only played on links courses, it looked and played great, and the surrounding hills seemed perfect for the sudden appearance of the US 5th Cavalry. It never materialised."

[Half Rice Half Chips]

Sky can hype it up as much as they want but people will lose interest in the ryder cup if the yanks don't become competitive, and fast. I got the distinct impression that a lot of those American players, deep down, didn't really give a shit.

[TheScarf]

*Insert John McInroe's immortal words*

'Andy Murray can win 6 Majors' ?