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Ryder Cup 2010

Frayed Knot Sep 30 2010 10:29 AM

I like following this bi-annual contest even if - maybe especially since - it's a relic from golf's upper crust and supposedly amateur past. The fact that these guys, usually the ultimate solo acts, are suddenly playing for a team seems to change the whole atmosphere of the matches and affects the way they play. And then there's the whole Tiger soap opera hanging around. He's never played particularly well in this format even when he was clearly the best player on the planet and now that he's struggling to the point where he didn't even earn his way onto the team but got in via a captain's selection and put in a place where he'll be a gossip target for the rabid British press (course is in Wales) makes it all that much more fun. Throw in crusty old Colin Montgomerie as the Euro captain and who knows when the bad blood starts to fly. U.S. Phil Mickelson Hunter Mahan Bubba Watson Jim Furyk Steve Stricker Dustin Johnson Jeff Overton Matt Kuchar Stewart Cink Rickie Fowler Zach Johnson Tiger Woods Europe: Luke Donald (England) Ross Fisher (England) Peter Hanson (Sweden) Padraig Harrington (Ireland) Miguel Angel Jiminez (Spain) Matin Kaymer (Germany) Graeme McDowell (N. Ireland) Rory McElroy (N. Ireland) Edoardo Molinari (Italy) Frecesco Molinari (Italy) Ian Poulter (England) Lee Westwood (England) Matches are Friday thru Sunday and will start real early over here due to the time difference.

Edgy DC Sep 30 2010 10:40 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

I like that the guys are playing for "Europe" --- a political entity toward whom I imagine most of their attitudes run from resentment to bregrudging acceptance --- but they can all get behind if they think of it as "against America." I repeat my demand that the Americans have the option of fielding golfers from other North American, Central American, and Carribbean nations. Fair is fair.

metirish Sep 30 2010 10:40 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

I'll follow but really it's not as much fun for me when Europe are not clear underdogs and the Americas don't have an absolute dick like Hal Sutton as captain.

Edgy DC Sep 30 2010 10:42 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

See what I mean?

metirish Sep 30 2010 10:53 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Edgy DC wrote: See what I mean? Yep , nothing like beating the yanks, does that make me an evil doer in your eyes?

Edgy DC Sep 30 2010 11:10 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

No, baby. It's just golf.

metirish Sep 30 2010 11:53 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Edgy DC wrote: No, baby. It's just golf. I was trying to picture you getting mad over this and it wasn't happening .

metirish Sep 30 2010 12:50 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

The WAGS http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/ar ... rdies.html

metirish Sep 30 2010 02:11 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Some great images here...check out the yank fans....fucks sake really http://www.guardian.co.uk/sport/gallery ... 94&index=0

HahnSolo Sep 30 2010 02:24 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

No Garcia for Europe I see. He's one of the guys who really reveled in beating the Americans. And no Kim(?) for the US. I think that's his name, the guy who had the really good Ryder Cup for the Americans last time.

Frayed Knot Sep 30 2010 05:08 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Friday morning 'Foursomes*' Tiger/Stricker - vs - Poulter/Fisher Mickelson/Johnson -- Westwood/Kaymer Cink/Kuchar -- McElroy/McDowell Watson/Overton -- Donald/Harrigan Captain Colin is clearly anti-Italian as he leaves both of them off his morning squad * Foursomes is an 'alternate shot' format where teammates take turns so that each plays his partner's shot and 1 score is recorded for each team. Friday morning means 2:30 AM with the time difference. The afternoon 'four-ball' matches (all four players playing, best individual score wins the hole for his team) will be late morning here. Saturday's TV is NBC which is going to do the "plausibly live" thing where they start broadcasting on a five or six hour delay but doing so in real time while pretending that it's being shown live.

Ashie62 Sep 30 2010 11:12 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Mickelson vs. Westwood....2:30 est

metirish Oct 01 2010 06:35 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Play suspended , Europe up in three of the matches in the early going, an announcement on the resumption of play today has now being pushed back to 2pm local time, a third such push back. The will now likely stretch in to Monday. Holding this in Wales in October was always going to be an issue.

metirish Oct 01 2010 07:22 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Frayed Knot Oct 02 2010 02:56 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Haven't seen a bit of this yet - what with the weather and the odd starting times - but the rain has condensed the schedule and changed around some of the strategy. Normally there are four morning matches and then four afternoon matches on each of Friday & Saturday. That means that only eight guys on each team are used at any one time so the captains have some say in who plays and how often. There's no rule that says everyone has to play. But since on Friday only the first four matches went off (and none of them finished) they allowed those to finish first thing Saturday and then organized the rest into two separate six-team matches instead of three involving only four-teams each. This makes it so that all players on both teams have to play in every remaining round and theoretically should test the depth of the squads more than the standard format. U.S. leads the completed matches (the original four plus the first of the two sixes) 6 points to 4, but the Euros were leading in all six of the 'Session three' matches (some are close, some not so much) as those were suspended for darkness in varying stages of completion. Sunday will see the completion of those six and then, if time permits, all twelve of the singles matches. They'll go until Monday if needed.

Frayed Knot Oct 03 2010 07:41 PM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Euro team nearly got a clean sweep in the "Saturday" matches which were completed on Sunday. They were leading in all six when the weather halted things on Saturday. The U.S. squad eventually tied & took the lead in a few matches but in the end managed just one tie and the score was a 5-1/2 to 1/2 point walkover for the Euros. Combine that with the early 6-4 U.S. lead and it's now a 9-1/2 - to - 6-1/2 point lead for Europe heading into singles play. Seeing as how the U.S. side is defending champs and the RC rules say that the other side has to win outright in order to take possession of the Cup, the European side needs 5 of the 12 available points in singles to get to the 14-1/2 points they'll need. U.S. needs 7-1/2 to get to 14 and remain champs. Pairings with times (EDT): 4:05 -- Steve Stricker vs Lee Westwood 4:17 -- Stewart Cink vs Rory McElroy 4:29 -- Jim Furyk vs Luke Donald 4:41 -- Dustin Johnson vs Martin Kaymer 4:53 -- Matt Kuchar vs Ian Poulter 5:05 -- Jeff Overton vs Ross Fisher 5:17 -- Bubba Watson vs Miguel Angel Jiminez 5:29 -- Tiger Woods vs Francesco Molinari 5:41 -- Rickie Fowler vs Eduardo Molinari 5:53 -- Phil Mickelson vs Peter Hanson 6:05 -- Zach Johnson vs Padraig Harrington 6:17 -- Hunter Mahan vs Graeme McDowell

Frayed Knot Oct 04 2010 07:23 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

U.S. has narrowed the gap a bit but probably not enough. It's 13-11 Europe with 4 matches still in play, but 3 of them are pretty lopsided and late (2 in favor of US, 1 to Europe) so basically the whole shooting match is going to come down to the result of the final match, Hunter Mahan vs Graeme McDowell Northen Ireland's McDowell is up by 2 but, with 5 holes to play, Mahan still has an outside shot. He's going to need to win it outright though just to get the whole match to 14-14. A tie there would give Europe the 14-1/2 - 13-1/2 lead they need and a McDowell win makes it 15-13

metirish Oct 04 2010 07:46 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

This is the day I would have wanted to watch, looks like a good one alright. Hold on 2.45pm: AMAZING SCENES ON 17!!! (and it's EUROPE 13-12 USA, too). Molinari can't make his putt, leaving it left. A good effort, though. Fowler surely can't hole his 25-footer - but he does!!! A majestic left-to-right roller! Back on 15, Harrington is going down like champions do: fighting. He birdies the hole, Johnson misses, and now he's three down with three to play. Surely not? Surely not?! Oh, and on 16, Mickelson birdies to win the hole and the match, but we always knew that would happen. Is that news? E Molinari v Fowler EUROPE 1 UP (17) Hanson v Mickelson USA WIN 4&2 Harrington v Zach Johnson USA 3 UP (15) McDowell v Mahan EUROPE 2 UP (14) EUROPE 13-12 USA

Frayed Knot Oct 04 2010 07:59 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

Yeah, if Fowler can win 18 and halve that match then Mahan need only catch and tie McDowell for a U.S. win. If Molinari hangs onto his lead (either through a win or a halve on 18) then we're back to Mahan needing an outright win.

metirish Oct 04 2010 08:04 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

WOW 3.03pm: WHAT A PUTT BY THE 21-YEAR-OLD FOWLER! EUROPE 13½-12½ USA. And Fowler rolls in a simply sensational putt to win the hole, and tie the match. Wow. "Is it cowardly to pray for rain?" asks Tom Adam, relying on a hoary old OBO trope. Get dancing, folks.

metirish Oct 04 2010 08:07 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

3.04pm: EUROPE 13½-13½ USA. Zach Johnson puts Harrington out of his misery. Down to the last match?

metirish Oct 04 2010 08:14 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

WOW 3.10pm: THIS IS SENSATIONAL BY GRAEME McDOWELL!!! Mahan clips his wedge to five feet. He should get par. But he'll not get the chance: McDowell tinks the most delicate of putts down the hill, sending it snaking back and forth, nearly missing on the right, but tipping in at the last. McDowell punches the air. He's dormie two. Europe have secured at least a draw in this year's Ryder Cup - but they need McDowell to close out this win to take the cup back. McDowell v Mahan EUROPE 2 UP (16) EUROPE 13½-13½ USA

Edgy DC Oct 04 2010 08:15 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

I hate when they're dormie two.

Frayed Knot Oct 04 2010 08:59 AM Re: Ryder Cup 2010

McDowell winning the 16th was the killer. That put Mahan in the spot of having to run the table on both 17 & 18 but he hit a horrid chip after a mediocre drive on 17 and conceded a par putt to McDowell which ended the match.