The Great Ryder Cup Question

[TheStarOne]

The Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events on the planet. I've been a fan of the European team, because of Seve, Nick,Jose,Bernhard and Colin. They were of my generation. And in the early days, the Europeans were constant under dogs.

The Miracle at Medina was one of the greatest comebacks in any sport at any time..Seve's Magic.

My question is.......Why would the U.S. pick Davis Love lll as captain again, after he bungled the last day lineup at Medina? The U.S. certainly had better choices.....Freddy for one.

And the European Squad, the last two Ryder Cups, may be "the Murderers Row" of Ryder Cup teams ever.

Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Luke Donald
Graeme McDowell
Paul Lawrie
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Thomas Bjorn

 

[NEhomer]

You're American, and you rooted for the Euros?

 

[R.J. MacReady]

You're American, and you rooted for the Euros?

It's all about what you can relate to. Rooting for the euro's all and all is harmless.

I always get a chuckle when I see guys jump on somebody for the whole patriotic sports thing.
They will question your patriotism, and that same tool will go on Amazon and never once consider where the
products they buy are made.

Mr. I love America can't be bothered with such an inconvenience.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

It's all about what you can relate to. Rooting for the euro's all and all is harmless.

I always get a chuckle when I see guys jump on somebody for the whole patriotic sports thing.
They will question your patriotism, and that same tool will go on Amazon and never once consider where the
products they buy are made.

Mr. I love America can't be bothered with such an inconvenience.

I like a lot of the Euro players, but when it comes the RC, it's the only time in golf than I'm openly pulling for a winner and yeah, I'm a homer then.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events on the planet. I've been a fan of the European team, because of Seve, Nick,Jose,Bernhard and Colin. They were of my generation. And in the early days, the Europeans were constant under dogs.

The Miracle at Medina was one of the greatest comebacks in any sport at any time..Seve's Magic.

My question is.......Why would the U.S. pick Davis Love lll as captain again, after he bungled the last day lineup at Medina? The U.S. certainly had better choices.....Freddy for one.

And the European Squad, the last two Ryder Cups, may be "the Murderers Row" of Ryder Cup teams ever.

Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Luke Donald
Graeme McDowell
Paul Lawrie
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Thomas Bjorn

The Euros have simply been better recently...especially putting.

What I do find interesting is many of the Euros feel winning the RC is a bigger deal to them than winning a major...now, I have heard McDowell, or Rory say that, but I tend to believe it on some level. The American team members will never match that kind of love for the event.

 

[NEhomer]

Fuck the Euros.

First of all, it's MERICA against the rest of the world. Secondly, we always falter on the silly formats. 3 straight days of singles matches and we'd still kick their asses every year. We don't play team golf well 'cause we're too busy competing with each other for fat stacks of cheddah and scoring with the hottest bichez!

 

[TheStarOne]

Team golf is fun. Match play is great. American PGA golfers , for the most part, don't understand that "TEAM" thing.
The Europeans seem to bond together. At one time, Europeans use to fly together on the same planes to their events. Tiger Woods, in referring to the Ryder Cup once said, I have 3,000,000 reasons not to play in the Ryder Cup. He had a chance to play in a competing tournament with an appearance fee. I guess Tiger now has changed his tune.
Without looking it up, I think Tiger and Phil have poor Ryder Cup records.(arguably two of the best golfers on the planet in the last 20 years)
And the thing of it is, most European golfers probably have a home in the U.S. And as far as the nationalistic thing.....I've always appreciated great athletes and teams from around the world. Sports transcends countries' boundaries.

And it just seems, the Americans pick captains that are......you pick the words.
I think it was Captain Hal Sutton who put Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the same pairing......They hate each other

 

[Ricky Roma]

My question is.......Why would the U.S. pick Davis Love lll as captain again, after he bungled the last day lineup at Medina? The U.S. certainly had better choices.....Freddy for one.

How did Davis bungle up the last day? He had a good lead, and asked his players to win one-on-one matches. The US players simply got beat by the Euros.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

Team golf is fun. Match play is great. American PGA golfers , for the most part, don't understand that "TEAM" thing.
The Europeans seem to bond together. At one time, Europeans use to fly together on the same planes to their events. Tiger Woods, in referring to the Ryder Cup once said, I have 3,000,000 reasons not to play in the Ryder Cup. He had a chance to play in a competing tournament with an appearance fee. I guess Tiger now has changed his tune.
Without looking it up, I think Tiger and Phil have poor Ryder Cup records.(arguably two of the best golfers on the planet in the last 20 years)
And the thing of it is, most European golfers probably have a home in the U.S. And as far as the nationalistic thing.....I've always appreciated great athletes and teams from around the world. Sports transcends countries' boundaries.

And it just seems, the Americans pick captains that are......you pick the words.
I think it was Captain Hal Sutton who put Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson in the same pairing......They hate each other

There was a long stretch where the Americans dominated the RC and even then it was the same...Euros bonded better but they lost...now...far more Euro players play college golf here in the U.S. and the Euro tour has just gotten better. They care more about it but at the same time they play loose, and make putts.

Sutton was just stubborn trying to prove a point, but pairings have been questionable.

My whole thing with the RC is what does it really mean in the grand scheme of professional golf? By that...golf by nature is an individual sport now played as a stroke play game on all of the pro tours. Measurements are cash earned, and wins....then you have this team event...huge, but...

 

[TheStarOne]

My whole thing with the RC is what does it really mean in the grand scheme of professional golf? By that...golf by nature is an individual sport now played as a stroke play game on all of the pro tours. Measurements are cash earned, and wins....then you have this team event...huge, but...

The RC obviously doesn't mean much to American golfers. And it shows. I get the feeling they don't have much sense of history. The rest of the world cares though......Just like Formula 1 racing and soccer. The Ryder Cup telecast is huge TV ratings around the world.
I've heard about how much pressure it puts on golfers though. Kaymer and many others have said there's far more pressure in the Ryder Cup than even in a major golf tournament. I've read some golfers are so nervous they have trouble breathing.
And most pro golfers have more money than they'll ever need. But playing a sport, just to play a sport, is special. A 6 foot putt to win the Ryder Cup for your team is a lifetime and history book memory. ...ask Martin Kaymer

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The RC obviously doesn't mean much to American golfers. And it shows. I get the feeling they don't have much sense of history. The rest of the world cares though......Just like Formula 1 racing and soccer. The Ryder Cup telecast is huge TV ratings around the world.
I've heard about how much pressure it puts on golfers though. Kaymer and many others have said there's far more pressure in the Ryder Cup than even in a major golf tournament. I've read some golfers are so nervous they have trouble breathing.
And most pro golfers have more money than they'll ever need. But playing a sport, just to play a sport, is special. A 6 foot putt to win the Ryder Cup for your team is a lifetime and history book memory. ...ask Martin Kaymer

Ryder Cup TV Ratings Plunge on NBC, Hit Likely Record Low — Sports Media Watch

'14 Ryder Cup TV ratings

CBS Sports' Masters Final-Round Coverage Metered Market Ratings Up 23 Percent

'15 Masters TV ratings

A good RC delivers a 3 for NBC and you can see at least in the U.S the '14 numbers were down from '12....a bad Masters delivers 4 rating for CBS...a good one easily doubles the RC.

It's a great event, because it is different and you are part of a team, the history, and the crowds are huge and partisan which creates a lot of pressure. Because it is so different and shared by many, when you win, it's something you share with those guys forever. One reason I think the American team is kind of ho-hum about it is because of the Pres. Cup. It's really an every year thing for the American team in terms of team play in general. What's stemming the ho-humness is we haven't won it in a while now and these guys want to be on a winning team again.

 

[TheStarOne]

Ryder Cup TV Ratings Plunge on NBC, Hit Likely Record Low — Sports Media Watch

'14 Ryder Cup TV ratings

CBS Sports' Masters Final-Round Coverage Metered Market Ratings Up 23 Percent

'15 Masters TV ratings

A good RC delivers a 3 for NBC and you can see at least in the U.S the '14 numbers were down from '12....a bad Masters delivers 4 rating for CBS...a good one easily doubles the RC.

It's a great event, because it is different and you are part of a team, the history, and the crowds are huge and partisan which creates a lot of pressure. Because it is so different and shared by many, when you win, it's something you share with those guys forever. One reason I think the American team is kind of ho-hum about it is because of the Pres. Cup. It's really an every year thing for the American team in terms of team play in general. What's stemming the ho-humness is we haven't won it in a while now and these guys want to be on a winning team again.

According to those web sites you named, I couldn't figure out whether those TV ratings were just for the U.S. or (as I meant, and I admit I wasn't very clear)the rest of the world, other than the U.S.
Formula 1 and soccer TV ratings in this country, I would imagine aren't that good..But worldwide would be great. I kinda meant world wide.
If I was unclear about that, I apologize. I never have liked the President's Cup, not defined enough. And it's not even a warmed over Ryder Cup.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

According to those web sites you named, I couldn't figure out whether those TV ratings were just for the U.S. or (as I meant, and I admit I wasn't very clear)the rest of the world, other than the U.S.
Formula 1 and soccer TV ratings in this country, I would imagine aren't that good..But worldwide would be great. I kinda meant world wide.
If I was unclear about that, I apologize. I never have liked the President's Cup, not defined enough. And it's not even a warmed over Ryder Cup.

Ratings...more than anything I just wanted to point out that the RC is still a golf event that draws golf fans mostly...it's not like the World Cup where it transcends the sport and everyone is a soccer fan for a month or whatever.

Great event that has grown from more or less an exhibition to a full blown production, huge money maker for the PGA of America and the Euro PGAT.

As sporting events...I like both the RC & PC...it's the only time I really root for or against players, but neither trumps a golf major and the outcome doesn't really mean a whole lot at the end of the day for me. The Pres. Cup was probably born because the Aussies and maybe the S. Africans whined about not being able to play in the RC.

 

[gohusk]

The Ryder Cup is one of the greatest sporting events on the planet. I've been a fan of the European team, because of Seve, Nick,Jose,Bernhard and Colin. They were of my generation. And in the early days, the Europeans were constant under dogs.

The Miracle at Medina was one of the greatest comebacks in any sport at any time..Seve's Magic.

My question is.......Why would the U.S. pick Davis Love lll as captain again, after he bungled the last day lineup at Medina? The U.S. certainly had better choices.....Freddy for one.

And the European Squad, the last two Ryder Cups, may be "the Murderers Row" of Ryder Cup teams ever.

Rory McIlroy
Henrik Stenson
Martin Kaymer
Lee Westwood
Ian Poulter
Sergio Garcia
Justin Rose
Luke Donald
Graeme McDowell
Paul Lawrie
Miguel Angel Jimenez
Thomas Bjorn

I have a hard time believing that we can't stack up against them. U.S. players just have to drop the "me" attitude for a week and go out and show some team spirit. Golf in general is loaded right now. Guys just need to show up and play instead of going into head case mode that seems to be the thing with American golfers. Watson was a gold-awful choice as well. He has his own unique of approach to the game and he can't expect other people to play to it.

 

[TheStarOne]

I really believe it is a culture that has been taught to young European players. From Seve on down, to Olazabel, to Garcia,to ...From Nick, to Ian From Darren Clarke to Rory to Graeme....It is a heritage of European golf.
It is like Yankee pinstripes, Celtic pride. You do not let your teammates, or your heritage down.
And look at the captains for Europe. It is like the passing of a torch. And all the recent captains of Europe loved the Ryder Cup. And they haven't necessarily been the big names in golf. They were the "working class" golfers.

 

[NEhomer]

Did I say fuck the Euros yet today?

 

[Ricky Roma]

I really believe it is a culture that has been taught to young European players.

A lot of European players put the Ryder Cup above everything else in golf. I 'hear' some American players say that they'd rather be on/win the RC over a Major, but I'm hesitant to believe it. With a Euro....I can.

I still believe the bottom line is the american players need to play better when they are called to. They seem to pick bad days to have bad days on the course. Then you have this american task force nonsense - they seem to be overthinking this thing considerably. I can't wait till RC '16 and hope that the Euros roll the americans again...just to watch a potential full implosion.

 

[ATL96Steeler]

A lot of European players put the Ryder Cup above everything else in golf. I 'hear' some American players say that they'd rather be on/win the RC over a Major, but I'm hesitant to believe it. With a Euro....I can.

I still believe the bottom line is the american players need to play better when they are called to. They seem to pick bad days to have bad days on the course. Then you have this american task force nonsense - they seem to be overthinking this thing considerably. I can't wait till RC '16 and hope that the Euros roll the americans again...just to watch a potential full implosion.

Not Rory, not Harrington, i.e. not guys that have won majors.

For Sergio and Poulter and guys that haven't won one...absolutely the RC is more important. I get the Sevie factor and the influence he had on Euro golf, but no aspiring pro golfer imo would ever put the RC 1st priority.

Once you've made it on tour and you qualify for the team, yes, it's a big deal, bigger than it's been for American pro golfers.

But come RC time the Euros play loose, and they play well, they play better...it means more to the U.S. now because we have haven't won it and the golf media is constantly reminding them.

 

[Rex Racer]

The U.S. picks their team waaaaaay too early, chooses their Captains in a haphazard manner and as such hasn't shown up with anything resembling their most talented squad in a long time.

Watching Jim Furyk mull over a 10 ft putt for 20 minutes only to miss it by 18 inches is kind of depressing

 

[ATL96Steeler]

The U.S. picks their team waaaaaay too early, chooses their Captains in a haphazard manner and as such hasn't shown up with anything resembling their most talented squad in a long time.

Watching Jim Furyk mull over a 10 ft putt for 20 minutes only to miss it by 18 inches is kind of depressing

The think the points qualifying time frame is pretty close to being the same for both sides...I know the captains picks are the same time.

Captains...pairings is about the biggest factor they play in the outcome...knowing when you sit a guy, etc...keeping a light mood when you're down...at the end of the day, the players have to make putts.