2008 Ryder Cup Predictions

Ryder Cup week is finally here! We have heard all the talk and hype, and now it’s time for Europe and the United States to settle things on the golf course.

Europe has completely dominated the event over the past decade or so, and they are the favorites coming into the 2008 version. The United States, on the other hand, is playing on home soil (Valhalla) and will have the crowds in their favor.

Will the Europeans continue their recent domination, or will the United States bring the Cup back to America? Also, which golfers will get the most points for their respective teams, and which golfers will disappoint the most? The Sand Trap staff members have given their predictions, and you can keep reading to find out what we all think about this year’s event. If you have anything to add, please comment below or discuss them in the forum.

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Final Score

Erik J. Barzeski
I’m reversing the prediction I made in Episode 100 (Europe 16½, U.S. 11½) and going with the United States 15½, Europe 12½. The reason for the change? I think Nick Faldo’s team is not as keyed in as they usually are, having been distracted by his poor leadership skills, and I think the U.S. team is finally taking the right approach – by having fun. I also believe what Paul Azinger has to say about everyone being on top of their games, and the course setup should slightly favor the U.S. team.

Donald MacKenzie
United States: 15, Europe: 13. On paper, the Europeans should cruise. They have as much momentum as you can have in an event that only happens once every two years, and they don’t have to play against the greatest player of his generation. But that’s the thing about the Ryder Cup: things never turn out exactly (or remotely) like they’re supposed to.

Cody Thrasher
United States: 14, Europe: 14. After breaking this down in every way possible, things are extremely even. The Europeans will once again get off to a great start on Thursday and Friday, and they will once again have a decent lead going into Sunday. The U.S. team will make a comeback in the singles matches, but it won’t be enough to win back the Cup. The Americans will make a clutch putt to halve the matches, and while it won’t be a victory, it will at least breathe new life into the event for 2010.

Alan Olson
United States: 14½, Europe: 13½. It should be a very good and highly entertaining matchup. I expect a very close match with Team USA eking out a narrow victory.

George Promenschenkel
United States: 14½, Europe: 13½. We’re gonna party like it’s 1999. I know I’m going out on a limb here. The U.S. team doesn’t have a winning Ryder Cup record among them. On paper, this should be all Europe, but I think the U.S. might just need it more. It’ll be a little like the U.S. hockey team beating the Soviet Union. It’ll be close, but the U.S. will notch their first win since ’99.

Danny Ottmann
United States: 14½, Europe: 13½. I am boing back to 1999 at Brookline for that score. It will be tight, but the U.S. team willl keep it close enough that Sunday singles will give us a one-point win.

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Biggest Point-Scorer, U.S. Team

Erik J. Barzeski
Anthony Kim and Hunter Mahan, because both have something to prove. Anthony Kim has been on a tear this year, relatively speaking, in an attempt to elevate himself to the top of the game. This is another step and another stage. Hunter Mahan – in my opinion dead on with his comments earlier this year – has to prove that he can still perform and that his opinions weren’t just pre-emptive excuse-making.

Donald MacKenzie
Phil Mickelson. Phil’s post-Torrey season hasn’t been anywhere near as good as expected. The Ryder Cup gives him the chance to hog the spotlight and get back in the “can he take on Tiger?” conversation. He’ll be rested and ready to go, and he’ll shine as the undisputed alpha dog of the team.

Cody Thrasher
Anthony Kim. He is a rookie, and he doesn’t really care how dominant Europe has been in the event recently. Captain Azinger can pair him with anyone (it’s looking like it will be Lefty), and this young gun will get the job done. I expect Kim to get at least three or four points this week.

Alan Olson
Anthony Kim. He’s young, brash and has nerves of steel. I don’t see him getting flustered about being at his first Ryder Cup. He has a complete game and will be the anchor for the next couple of decades for Team USA.

George Promenschenkel
Hunter Mahan. I hardly ever say this, but I think Mickelson just might show up this year. He’s kind of hit-and-miss in Ryder Cups, but I think he might be more hit than miss this time. He’d be the top point getter except for the most unlikely of heroes, Hunter Mahan. He’ll atone for his disparaging remarks about the Ryder Cup by helping to lead the Americans to victory.

Danny Ottmann
Phil Mickelson. He has been absent a good part of the year, but hopefully he feels he needs to be a force with Tiger gone. He loves the limelight, and maybe he will come through in a big way.

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Biggest Point-Scorer, European Team

Erik J. Barzeski
Betting against Sergio here is like betting against Tiger Woods any other time of the year. So if you’ve got a few brain cells to rub together, I think you can figure out my pick. Nick Faldo’s record of points earned in career Ryder Cup play won’t fall this year, but Sergio’s probably going to own the record in five years.

Donald MacKenzie
Sergio Garcia. There must be some sort of ritual that Spanish players go through to channel Seve Ballesteros at the Ryder Cup. Or at least his putting stroke. Garcia looks like he’s strangling a snake when he putts in a regular event. At the Ryder Cup, he putts like a buff Ben Crenshaw. And, like Phil, Sergio has a chip on his shoulder.

Cody Thrasher
Sergio Garcia. It’s no secret the Spaniard loves the Ryder Cup, and he will prove it again this year. He has played as well as anyone in the world over the past couple months, and he will make nearly everything he putts at Valhalla.

Alan Olson
Sergio Garcia. Other than singles, he dominates the Ryder Cup. He has played better in big tournaments this year which could bolster his confidence even more.

George Promenschenkel
It has to be Sergio Garcia. He loves the team game, and he always seems to manage to play well enough to earn points. His 14-4-2 record is the strongest of the entire field. Minimizing Sergio’s impact is crucial to the U.S. hopes.

Danny Ottmann
Sergio Garcia. He has had a very good year especially on the bigger stages. He will come through big time for the European team and will lead all players on both teams in points earned.

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Biggest Disappointment, U.S. Team

Erik J. Barzeski
Phil Mickelson. Phil tends to fall flat on his face when he’s forced to think too much, and I think that team play puts Phil squarely in an over-thinking mode. If Phil can somehow find a way to “just play golf,” my prediction here will look silly in hind-sight, and quite frankly, if the U.S. wants to win the Cup back, they’ll need more than 1½ or two points from Phil.

Donald MacKenzie
Kenny Perry. I love that he wanted to be on this team so badly. And maybe he’ll play great this week. Of course, there’s absolutely nothing in his record that makes me believe he will. 47-year olds with streaky swings, creaky putters, and disappointing records in majors seldom end up as the hero in these situations.

Cody Thrasher
J.B. Holmes. He will bomb it off the tee, and the crowds will love it. That being said, great putting under pressure is what decides the Ryder Cup, and Holmes is shaky at best with the flat stick. He might win a point or so, but he won’t prove his worth as a captain’s pick.

Alan Olson
Phil Mickelson. Sure, Tiger isn’t around to get paired up with him, but who on this team do you pair him up with? Somebody who can recover well? Lefty isn’t the best team player and hasn’t played well as of late to boot.

George Promenschenkel
J.B. Holmes. I don’t see local boy J.B. Holmes scoring many points, but he will smash some really long drives and generally help whip up the big crowds.

Danny Ottmann
Hunter Mahan. Being a captain’s pick after the less-than-nice words concerning the Ryder Cup will be too much for Hunter Mahan. He will be thoroughly bashed on the golf course by the Europeans.

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Biggest Disappointment, European Team

Erik J. Barzeski
Nick Faldo, if we’re allowed to pick a captain. By most accounts he’s made the transition from “curmudgeonly competitor” to “affable announcer,” but this week I’ve seen a reversion to form: Nick is testy, rude, condescending, and altogether seems a bit scattershot. I don’t think his picks were as strong as they could have been (Casey is fine, but Poulter over Clarke? And what about Carl Pettersson?). If I must pick a player, then my answer is “anyone but Sergio.” Poulter had a bad year, Casey’s not won anything, Westwood’s ill, the rookies probably won’t impress, Padraig’s record at the Ryder Cup is miserable, and so on down the line.

Donald MacKenzie
Nick Faldo. I love the transition Faldo has made from anti-social modern-day Ben Hogan to smooth, funny TV talker. But he’s botched the captain’s picks for the Euro side. Ian Poulter instead of Darren Clarke? Faldo’s going to take a lot of crap for how he missed a layup and set the Euros up to lose.

Cody Thrasher
Padraig Harrington. This may come as a shock, but the Irishman’s record in the event isn’t very solid. He has won the last two majors, but he hasn’t played well in recent weeks. He will help lead this team behind the scenes, but he won’t have a great week on the golf course. His sluggish play will allow the Americans to stay close.

Alan Olson
Ian Poulter. Nick Faldo’s gift to Team USA who never should have made the team. Other than his final round at the Open Championship, he hasn’t done squat this year.

George Promenschenkel
Ian Poulter. If Lee Westwood can’t play due to his case of tonsillitis, that would be a huge blow to the Europeans. Indications are that he’ll be able to go, which leaves the biggest disappointment title to Ian Poulter. With just one top-10 finish since January (OK, it was the Open Championship), Poulter has been running on fumes most of the year. He may just go dry this week.

Danny Ottmann
Padraig Harrington. After winning the last two majors, the Irishman will be called upon for too much and will falter including his singles match that will hand the Americans the Cup. Let’s get real people, he hasn’t done much outside the two majors other than pose for pictures, especially as of late.

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Key Factor or Matchup

Erik J. Barzeski
The U.S. Rookies vs. the Euro Rookies (and Ian Poulter, who will play like one) just edges out “the golf course” as my key factor or matchup. I think the U.S. rooks, Steve Stricker among them, are fiery competitors who are looking to put their own stamp on the event, while the Euro rookies are sort of receding into the background. Who is Oliver Wilson? We don’t know, and I doubt we’ll find out this week. The veterans on both sides match up fairly evenly, so the rookies could decide the Cup.

Donald MacKenzie
The course. Valhalla isn’t a great golf course. I’ve walked it several times, and it’s not a good PGA Championship course (though since the PGA owns it, expect to see the event at Valhalla every 8-10 years). But it is a great Ryder Cup course. There are fun match play holes out there that will look great on TV and produce some great shots and momentum changes. No. 10 is a par five where players can hit the green with a hard, running shot that funnels around a front bunker to the green. No. 13 is a short par four with an island green that some players (like Phil) could actually try to drive. 15 is another par four where water comes into play. And, of course, there’s the 18th. The pros hate 18, which means you should love it. The tee shot is a bit like the 18th at Oakland Hills, bunkers left and trouble right. But from there the players have options galore. I think many matches will be decided here, and Team USA will win a surprising share of them.

Cody Thrasher
European Rookies vs. United States Rookies. The Americans have six rookies this year compared to four on the European side. On paper, the matchup between rookies seems pretty even, and the first-timers who play the best at Valhalla may end up on the winning team. Keep an eye on both sets of rookies because its going to be a huge factor this week.

Alan Olson
Kenny Perry. It’s his home state, and his one goal all year was to make the Ryder Cup team. He’s made it, and now he needs to prove his merit. He has a chance to ride off into the sunset as a Ryder Cup champion, so motivation is not needed. Hopefully be can regain the magic from his winning streak earlier this year.

George Promenschenkel
Will the heat of competition turn Faldo back into Faldo instead of Mr. Congeniality? Faldo wasn’t exactly the most popular guy during his playing days. Many players did not like him much. If he does revert to the Faldo of old, his own team might just turn on him. Azinger, on the other hand, is a good-natured guy who has always seemed to get along with his fellow players even during the heat of competition. His joviality might just keep the U.S. team loose and in the competition.

On the course, I’m looking for Mickelson vs. Garcia in Sunday singles. How much fun would that be?

Danny Ottmann
The absence of Tiger will inspire the U.S. Team and give the European team a false sense of superiority. On paper, the European team really should trounce the Americans, but as we have seen in past years, the better team doesn’t always win.

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