Ryder Cup 2016

[BWFC_Insane]

Westwood, what a shocker!

[BWFC_Insane]

Lee Westwood. What an absolute joke you are.

The mental strength of a cabbage. Loser of the highest order.

[Dr Hotdog]

The bookies knew it. Euro's odds lengthened after the picks. Two out of three picks - totally duff. Westwood's stabby putting action is the reason he has not, and will not, close the door on a major (and I'm pretty bored of saying it). Imagine how frustrating it must be to strike the ball as well as he does from tee to green only to get up there and shove your flatstick at them from 6 feet and in and watch them graze the cup and stay high. Time to move on. The question is, would another Captain in Clarke's position had the courage not to pick Westwood. 5 rookies had already qualified. The other experienced players were in poor form too (Luke Donald, Graeme McDowell). Was it time to pass the baton to someone else? Russell Knox won on the PGA Tour (the hardest tour to win on) in August. No Pick for him.

Chris Wood won his match on Saturday morning. So where was he in the afternoon? What did Kaymer & Westwood do to earn a recall to the fourballs? Why split the Spaniards to bring the German back in?

We were due a drubbing and this will be it. I expect the USA to reach 16 or 17 points tomorrow. Johnny Miller was right. This was the weakest Euro team in years. All good things come to an end.

Still. We picked three players outside the top 40 on the World Ranking (note: we had an opportunity to pick Russel Knox who was in the top 25 at the time of the picks and Shane Lowry who was just inside the top 40). America's lowest ranked player was 31 (Ryan Moore, the pick they made last Sunday after the Tour Championship). Their talent pool is deeper. They were due.

Also. Penny for Paul Casey's thoughts. Just had the best season of his career but as he's not a member of the European Tour and doesn't want to commit to playing many events in Europe he can't play in the Ryder Cup. If the Ryder Cup was about the 12 best European players against the 12 best Americans, Paul Casey and Russell Knox are on that team. Shame for Paul Casey as I'm sure he'd love it. But he's still bitter because Monty overlooked him in 2010 when he was about World No.6 or 7 (need to check that).

[Montreal Wanderer]

Pieters was outside the top 40 but he did pretty well for a rookie. Stenson did not play well today but I don't think Jordan had a good afternoon either. I'm not sure rankings mean all that much - temperament may be more important. A big hill to climb tomorrow but not impossible.

[lovethesmellofnapalm]

Still hope. a lot of the yanks aren't playing that great and the ones that are are matched against our strongest. Clarke had an absolute shocker with those fourball picks. Stenson like Spieth looks knackered

[TANGODANCER]

Yanks owe a lot to Phil Micklesen. All his errors always come with the big stick. From out in the country either fairway or jumgle he's one of the finest iron players and putters in the golf. His temperement and ability to sink monsters is a major factor in America's strength. Our own failings are too "nice guy", a Yank leaps gleefully at a ten footer while we get the shakes at a four foot putt. Yesterday, we weren't destroyed by wonder golf, it could have been so different if only......We can still do it...I can well remember, before we got Europe as reinforcements when it was just Great Britain and Ireland v America and that was the biggest mis-match ever. Even so, way back,I watched Peter Alliss beat Arnold Palmer in the singles at Royal Birkdalewhen the Yanks had legendary golfers by the bucketful. ( Edit, It wasn't the singles, it was fourballs and Allis was with O'Connor) I had to look the year and the players up, because my memory isn't what it was, but remember the occasion well enough:

United States Team USA
Byron Nelson
Julius Boros
Billy Casper
Tommy Jacobs
Don January
Tony Lema
Gene Littler
Dave Marr
Arnold Palmer
Johnny Pott
Ken Venturi

United Kingdom Team Great Britain
England Harry Weetman
England Peter Alliss
England Peter Butler
England Neil Coles
England Jimmy Hitchcock
England Bernard Hunt
Republic of Ireland Christy O'Connor Snr
England Lionel Platts
Wales Dave Thomas
Scotland George Will

We lost in the end, but one of the highlights of it all for me was seeing Christy O'Connor Snr walk onto the tee smoking, drop a ball out of his pocket onto the deck, nudge it a bit with his three wood and then leather it straight down the fairway cool as you please. Tee pegs, who needs em?

Come on......

[Bruce Rioja]

What happened. When I left the house last night it was 6 1/2 v 5 1/2, we were up in 3 and A/S in the other?

[TANGODANCER]

What happened. When I left the house last night it was 6 1/2 v 5 1/2, we were up in 3 and A/S in the other?

In a nutshell, the putt fairy was wearing stars and stripes...

I'm still trying to decipher the new golf language from The Telegraph commentary: How do you "drain" a putt, "burst" the green, or have to get a half with your boots on?.....

[Montreal Wanderer]

What happened. When I left the house last night it was 6 1/2 v 5 1/2, we were up in 3 and A/S in the other?

In a nutshell, the putt fairy was wearing stars and stripes...

I'm still trying to decipher the new golf language from The Telegraph commentary: How do you "drain" a putt, "burst" the green, or have to get a half with your boots on?.....

Draining a putt is fairly common - the ball goes down something that looks like a drain hole - usually refers to a middle or longer putt. However the other two are not in my golf lexicon.

[BWFC_Insane]

What happened. When I left the house last night it was 6 1/2 v 5 1/2, we were up in 3 and A/S in the other?

Went a bit wrong. Ultimately Westwood missed a 5ft putt on the 17th and a 3ft one on the 18th. Lost the match. Make them both and we'd have won it.

Makes those two and there would be one point in it. And I fancy Europe would have turned that point over today. As it is he missed both and the gap is 3 points.

Such is the momentum that I expect the USA to tonk us in the singles now.

[Worthy4England]

Here goes...c'mon Europe!

[BWFC_Insane]

Not the best of starts here, not when you need a lot of blue on the board early.

[Bruce Rioja]

Thanks for the review. Saw the 3 ft putt just now. I miss those from time to time but jeez.

Which side are you guys watching it on? I've got it coming on Sky at 7 but would like to see the earlier stuff.

[BWFC_Insane]

Thanks for the review. Saw the 3 ft putt just now. I miss those from time to time but jeez.

Which side are you guys watching it on? I've got it coming on Sky at 7 but would like to see the earlier stuff.

It's on sky now?

[BWFC_Insane]

Wow. Mcilroy holes a 55fter. He has been unbelievable this week.

Reed then holes from about 25ft. Also unbelievable.

Best two players by a mile for each side, Reed and Mcilroy.

[Worthy4England]

Reed very McIlroy. Momentus so far.

[TANGODANCER]

Not got Sky but managing to watch on a bit of a dodgy stream...

http://firstrowi.net/others/fri-ryder-c ... 3-netgf508" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[Bruce Rioja]

Thanks for the review. Saw the 3 ft putt just now. I miss those from time to time but jeez.

Which side are you guys watching it on? I've got it coming on Sky at 7 but would like to see the earlier stuff.

It's on sky now?

Ah. I'm with BT so only have access to certain Sky sports channels. It's on now anyway, but cheers.

[BWFC_Insane]

USA building momentum after what had been a strong start by Europe.

[Bruce Rioja]

USA building momentum after what had been a strong start by Europe.

And, clearly, we're using jelly putters.