2021 (2020) Ryder Cup

[jmanbooyaa]

We will be getting the Ryder Cup this year. With how the BMW shook out and the top 6 Americans in who do you think deserves the other spots. Please feel free to add for the European side as well. 

[iacas]

1. Collin MORIKAWA 18,883.82
2. Dustin JOHNSON 18,058.24
3. Bryson DECHAMBEAU 17,367.91
4. Brooks KOEPKA 15,418.06
5. Justin THOMAS 15,269.82
6. Patrick CANTLAY 13,391.33
7. Tony FINAU 12,970.65
8. Xander SCHAUFFELE 12,730.20
9. Jordan SPIETH 12,462.51
10. Harris ENGLISH 11,605.30
11. Patrick REED 10,931.70
12. Daniel BERGER 10,906.57
13. Webb SIMPSON 9,833.89
14. Scottie SCHEFFLER 9,295.80
15. Jason KOKRAK 8,345.03
16. Sam BURNS 8,312.68
17. Billy HORSCHEL 8,161.55
18. Kevin KISNER 7,503.07
19. Kevin NA 7,054.88
20. Phil MICKELSON 6,891.76

I think I'd go with…

7. Finau
8. Schauffele
9. Spieth
10. Berger…
11. Uhhhhh…
12. Hmmmmm…

Not Reed. He's apparently just got out of the hospital from COVID.

English, I guess, and maybe even Kokrak. It's a long course. Whistling Straits. I wouldn't set it up tough but I would set it up long, and take bombers. That rules out Webb for me.

Either way the last two guys will be better than Europe's last two. Just find the ones that fit the course the best.

[jmanbooyaa]

@iacas thank you for posting that. Makes it easier. That being said i agree no Reed this year. He is coming off a very serious illness. I would like to see Horschel and Kisner on the team. My 6 would be Finau, Speith, Berger, Simpson, Horschel and Kisner. 

[Big C]

Reed would have been a wild card even before the hospitalization, but I think Stricker would have had to select him based on past performance. Now his illness gives Stricker a valid reason to dodge him and some of the team chemistry issues that his presence might have raised. 

Assuming he is out, I think you go chalk and take Finau through Simpson. I'd rank them as follows

Schauffele

Finau

Spieth

Simpson

English 

Berger

Last comment - I love Phil Mickelson, but dear lord don't let Stricker even think about putting him on the team.......

 

[jmanbooyaa]

I agree that the Reeds illness makes it easy for Stricker to pass without having to get into why. Simply not ready due to illness and move on. Disappointed as I like how Reed plays but would don’t think he is up to it this year. 

[klineka]

22 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

I would like to see Horschel and Kisner on the team. My 6 would be Finau, Speith, Berger, Simpson, Horschel and Kisner. 

Based on what logic? 

All around Harris English is a better golfer than both Horschel and Kisner, and it's not even really that close honestly.

English is the only one out of the 3 who has positive strokes gained in all 3 areas of tee to green this season (strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained, approach, and strokes gained around the green)

English is also ranked higher in strokes gained putting than both of them too.

English hits it further off the tee than both of them too. (299 yds vs 294 for horschel and 289 for kisner)

 

And you're choosing both of them over Xander too?? Xander is better tee to green than English is, and only a slightly worse putter than English, so the gap between Xander and Horschel/Kisner is even bigger than the gap between English and Horschel/Kisner.

Plus Xander averages 307 off the tee, which is further than English, further than Finau and only 1 yd behind Rahm, both of who are pretty widely known for their distance too. 

 

I'm just really struggling to understand what logic and facts lead you to believe Horschel and Kisner would give the US a greater chance of winning than Xander and English.

[jmanbooyaa]

Kisner is a really good match player and putter. I like Horschels fiery personality for this type of event. The players you states are good but that doesn’t matter in this format. 

[klineka]

2 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

Kisner is a really good match player and putter.

Xander and English have both putted better this season than Kisner. 

4 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

The players you states are good but that doesn’t matter in this format. 

So your decision isn't based on any facts or stats then. Got it.

[jmanbooyaa]

I don’t believe relying on stats always works for these events. Different animal than tour season.  

[Vinsk]

36 minutes ago, jmanbooyaa said:

I don’t believe relying on stats always works for these events. Different animal than tour season.  

I kinda agree with you. Stats matter but don’t hold quite the weight as they do for normal  tournament play. Look at Poulter. English is a real dud as a personality compared to Horschel or Kisner. And that can matter.

[colin007]

[boogielicious]

My final 6 would be:

7. Finau (just won and is very calm when he plays)
8. Schauffele (Gold medal baby!)
9. Spieth (experience)
10. Berger (he’s not as long but I get to say HAM! before his name every time)
11. SCHEFFLER (Because his first name is Scott and he’s shown he’s good at match play)
12. Kokrak due to his distance off the tee.

Every time I picked Harris in fantasy, he’s bombed. So he’s out. Horschel is far too emotional for me. Simpson has been lackluster this year in closing tournaments out. Kisner as well. Reed would have been a definite for me before his illness. 

[SG11118]

Europe:

9 in:  Rahm, McIlroy, Fleetwood, Hovland, Casey, Hatton, Fitzpatrick, Westwood, Lowry

3 wildcards from: MacIntyre, Wiesberger, Poulter, Migliozzi, Rose, Sergio, Wallace, Willet, Perez, Schwab - I would probably trust Wiesberger, Poulter, and Sergio the most from this group.

USA: Definitely Finau and Schauffele.  Don't exactly trust Spieth yet, but seems to have a leg up on the others.  I'd probably go Scheffler, English, and Reed (if on road to health).  If not, would go Berger or Webb.

[Bucki1968]

I go Scottie Scheffler before Kisner, Kokrak, Simpson and defiantly Phil. He's a killer and I think he's perfect for that course (the way it will be set up). After that, either English or Berger. I would lean Berger. I might even go Sam Burns before both of those guys. I think these young guys (even with no experience) can get the job done. 

[SG11118]

Rasmus Hojgaard probably worthy of Europe consideration also.  I'd probably still go Wiesberger, Sergio and Poulter.  You know Sergio and Poulter are gonna come to play, and Wiesberger is solid - except down the stretch last weekend.

[klineka]

36 minutes ago, Bucki1968 said:

I go Scottie Scheffler before Kisner, Kokrak, Simpson and defiantly Phil. He's a killer and I think he's perfect for that course (the way it will be set up). After that, either English or Berger. I would lean Berger. I might even go Sam Burns before both of those guys. I think these young guys (even with no experience) can get the job done. 

Curious why you would choose Burns over Berger and English?

Berger is better than Burns tee to green, Berger is top 5 in strokes gained approach on the PGA tour over the last year, Berger is one spot higher than Burns on strokes gained off the tee as well.

Based on datagolf's true strokes gained (which accounts for strength of field), in the last 6 months Berger is the 5th highest American, English is 16th, Burns is 19th

Last 3 months, English is 3rd, Burns is 7th, Burns is 13th.

Last 12 months, Berger is 5th, English is 13, Burns is 16th.

[Darkfrog]

For spots 7-12 I would 100% pick Finau, Schauffele, and Spieth.

After that I would go with Berger, Scheffler, and English, unless Reed is good to go after recovering from COVID or bi-lateral pneumonia, maybe I'd pick him in place of one of them.

I would leave Kokrak out, although he might be a good fit for the setup due to his power, and I don't think Kisner is a good fit at all. Maybe I would give Phil a small chance for entertainment/novelty, but I don't think he is the right pick if the goal is to win. I don't know enough about Horschel's game to understand how he stacks up against the course, but he seems to be competitive. Maybe Bubba is a sleeper, but he hasn't done much lately that I recall.

[Bucki1968]

On 8/31/2021 at 9:40 AM, klineka said:

Curious why you would choose Burns over Berger and English?

Berger is better than Burns tee to green, Berger is top 5 in strokes gained approach on the PGA tour over the last year, Berger is one spot higher than Burns on strokes gained off the tee as well.

Based on datagolf's true strokes gained (which accounts for strength of field), in the last 6 months Berger is the 5th highest American, English is 16th, Burns is 19th

Last 3 months, English is 3rd, Burns is 7th, Burns is 13th.

Last 12 months, Berger is 5th, English is 13, Burns is 16th.

I just like the way Burns plays. I wouldn't have a problem with Berger. I think you could take any of the three and be okay. I would just like to see the US go a little younger. I think these younger guys are a little better at match play having done it more recently (college etc.). I think the younger guys seem to know each other and get along better and maybe they would preform better because of it?