USA wins Ryder Cup!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[iacas]

Plus it looked like the EUROS had a plan on how to deal with the tricky #18, while the US often made a mess of the hole all the way up to the Mahan/Casey singles match.

They didn't have a plan - they just hit the ball in the fairway (and avoided the water on the seventh hole, and didn't pull as many drives left there too).

In other words, I'd hardly call "play the hole better" much of a strategy.

[Mr Eagle]

Just heard on the news that Celtic Manor has been brought by a Saudi prince for his own use.The 2010 ryder cup will now be played at Royal Birkdale (during a storm of course)

[dornoch]

Touché.

However, Ben Curtis get in trouble on 18, then compounds it by whaling a hybrid that lands in the hay instead of laying up to set-up a chance for birdie in the "Stricker/Garcia" 4-ball match. Mahan is trying to hold onto a full-point after his miraculous putt at 17 and doesn't pull the 3-metal or even a hybrid to get the ball in the fairway and force Casey to make eagle to win.

Granted, execution always comes first. The EUROS generally executed on the par 5s. Maybe I should simply say some US players had a vapor lock on 18.

[BruceMGF]

Granted, execution always comes first. The EUROS generally executed on the par 5s. Maybe I should simply say some US players had a vapor lock on 18.

Another reason I was so glad to see Holmes wrap his match up on 17. The idea of him pulling out the driver on 18 with the Cup on the line was scary.

[Chilli Dipper]

Just heard on the news that Celtic Manor has been brought by a Saudi prince for his own use.The 2010 ryder cup will now be played at Royal Birkdale (during a storm of course)

We can only wish that to be the case.

[dornoch]

My fantasy Ryder Cup courses:

US: Merion, Riviera, Bethpage Black
EU: County Down, Turnberry, Dornoch

Would never happen for the usual reasons, money and TV, especially the courses in Europe.

[BruceMGF]

My fantasy Ryder Cup courses:

Europe: St. Andrews.

US: (I know this is heretical, but ...) Augusta National.

[N.V.M.]

so will victory have an asterisk beside it since there was no Tiger?

*runs*

[Chilli Dipper]

My fantasy Ryder Cup courses:

Bethpage and Merion don't strike me as good match play venues. Match play is at its best when there is more than one way to get from tee to green, and neither course offers much in playing options in their present form. Riviera would be good host, but like you said, TV demands make it a no go because of the time zone differences; maybe (actually quite probably) it will host a President's Cup in the near future.

The courses in the U.S. I'd most like to see host the Ryder Cup are Pine Valley, Pinehurst, and Shinnecock Hills. Can we please make demand of the Euro PGA to get the matches away from the crappy new courses they keep selecting as hosts, and get back to a lot of the classic links and heathland courses that are the real gems of European golf?

[dornoch]

To: Chili Dipper

I look forward to have a friendly debate about which great courses would make for a good Ryder Cup venue. Totally agree with you about the European courses. Another US course: Pacific/Bandon Dunes. Pine Valley guards it's privacy and exclusiveness so much it would never hold a Ryder Cup. Another example is Cypress Point with its membership policy--why it's no longer part of the AT&T; nee Crosby tournamnet all those years ago.

I will also be combing through the team matches from the Ryder Cup, looking at key moments and stats.

[dornoch]

Starting the competitive era of the Ryder Cup (read Ballestetos 83-91) here is a look at the majors + TPC winners/contenders and their Ryder Cup results.

1983: Ballesteros (W-Masters) 2-1-1; 1/2 singles
Watson (2nd US Open) 3-1; W singles
Summary: Successful in team matches, solid in singles

1985: Langer (W-Masters) 1-1-2; W singles
Ballesteros (2nd Masters) 3-1; 1/2 singles
North (W-US) 0-2; L Singles
Wadkins (T-3 US) 3-1; W Singles
Lyle (W-British) 0-1; L Singles
Green (W-PGA) 0-2; L Singles
Peete (W-TPC) 1-1; W Singles
Summary: Not a great record in team matches, 3-3-1 singles

1987: Ballesteros (W-Masters) 3-1; W Singles
Simpson (W-US Open) 0-1; W Singles
Faldo (W-British) 3-0-1; L Singles
Nelson (W-PGA) 0-3; 1/2 Singles
Wadkins (2nd PGA) 0-3; W Singles
Lyle (W-TPC) 3-0; L Singles
Summary: Europeans successful in team matches, US not, 3-2-1 singles

1989: Faldo (W-Masters) 2-0-1; L Singles
Strange (W-US) 0-2-1; W Singles
Beck (T2nd US) 2-0-1; W Singles
Woosnam (T2nd US) 2-0-1; L Singles
Summary: Europeans successful in team matches, US mixed, 2-2 singles

1991: Woosnam (W-Masters) 1-2; L Singles
Olazabal (2nd Masters) 3-0-1; L Singles
Stewart (W-US) 2-0-1; L Singles
Azinger (T3 TPC) 1-3; L Singles
Summary: Mixed record by members of both teams, 0-4 singles

Conclusion: Team success is finding partnerships that execute and have chemistry. Winning a major the year of the cup is no indicator of how a singles match will turn out. The record of major winners is about .500. 1991 was a really bad year for major winners/contenders.

[Kevin04]

Well done to the USA from a European.

The Americans were brilliant, let's not kid ourselves by blaming Faldo, he could have sent Westwood, Pádraig out earlier but they probably would have lost, The US fancied it bigtime, Zinger wanted it more so than his love-hate rival Faldo and they simply played the better golf.

It gives the tournament a bit more excitment coming into Wales 2010 that America has won it, a chance for a new captain and fresh ideas from the Europeans.

[PEZGolf]

Well done to the USA from a European.

Thanks for the kind words about our team. You know, Seve was right when he said that he hoped the US would win. It was getting too boring with your guys beating us so badly---18 1/2 to 9 1/2 in 2004 and 2006. YOU have taught us the value of team spirit and team play. Paul Azinger truly "got it", and did a great job with his selections, with JB, Chad, and Hunter, all of whom came through. Last year, I interviewed Paul in Albany, NY, and asked him if anyone on this year's team would have the same competitive spirit that his friend, Payne Stewart, had. His answer was, "I have that spirit!" He proved it. Job well done. 2010 will now be very interesting, as you said.