Pivotal shot of the Ryder Cup 2008

[georgep]

What do you think was the most important shot (or putt) in this year's Ryder Cup matches in terms of the outcome?

I'm going to throw out Stricker's answering putt to Garcia's on #8 (I believe) Saturday. That seemed to take the wind out of Garcia's sails for the remainder of the competition. Europe still could have won, but arguably their strongest player was pretty deflated for the remaining holes. When the rest of the US team saw that Saturday night, it should have been a motivator for their play on Sunday.

[iacas]

Mahan's putt on 17 on Sunday was big. Guaranteed him a half a point.

Every shot AK hit on Sunday might well be up there too.

[BruceMGF]

Holmes' shot to the green on 17 on Sunday. At that point my list of ways the US could still lose was reduced to the vanishingly improbable.

[joseywales]

For me it was my fellow O-Stater Hunter Mahan's bomb on 17. THE biggest and longest putt of the singles matches. Plus, it was late and filled with drama.

[bigfred31]

What do you think was the most important shot (or putt) in this year's Ryder Cup matches in terms of the outcome?

it toally agree with this post plus it gave us two point lead instead of a one point lead. sunday he could not hit anything but saturday putt on 18 to halve that match was big.

[Chilli Dipper]

Steve Stricker's up-and-down from the right rough at 18 during Saturday's fourball matches. It secured a half-point for the American team, set the lead at two points heading into the singles matches, and killed any momentum the Europeans were hoping to carry into Sunday.

[ERC7.5]

For me it was my fellow O-Stater Hunter Mahan's bomb on 17. THE biggest and longest putt of the singles matches. Plus, it was late and filled with drama.

Just saw this putt on the replay. Wow!! That was huge. I didn't get to see much of the action this weekend so I can't say it was the pivotal shot of the Ryder Cup....probably can't say it was a pivot point being it was late on the final day with a decent lead. It was pretty big for his match though....maybe saved 1/2 pt?

[MSDOGS1976]

it toally agree with this post plus it gave us two point lead instead of a one point lead. sunday he could not hit anything but

Thats the one I had in mind. But hard to pick just one.

[Awsi Dooger]

Steve Stricker's up-and-down from the right rough at 18 during Saturday's fourball matches. It secured a half-point for the American team, set the lead at two points heading into the singles matches, and killed any momentum the Europeans were hoping to carry into Sunday.

That's the only answer. The mathematics of a potential comeback were wildly different at 9-7 as opposed to 8.5 to 7.5. It meant the USA needed less than half the available points on Sunday, 5.5 and not 6.

By far the most pivotal stretch of the Ryder Cup was late Saturday when it was 8-5 with 3 razor tight matches remaining. There was potential from 8-8 to 11-5. As the road team that had trailed throughout, Europe desperately needed as close to 8-8 as possible. We tend to think that comebacks like '95 and '99 are more routine than they are, simply because we've seen two of them fairly recently. Once Europe got no closer than 9-7, based on Stricker's putt and Karlsson missing the 10 footer for eagle -- also worth a half point -- it was smack uphill for Europe on Sunday, more than NBC or the media in general wanted to pretend. Frankly, I don't think anything on Sunday was particularly pivotal. The numbers were always there for the USA, waves of backup permutations. I was checking Tradesports -- the wisdom of the masses translated into percentage probability at a given point in time -- and the trading price on the USA was always high, generally upwards of 80% and toward 90% even when Mahan/Casey were still on the course. Johnny Miller was making it out to be closer than it really was.

[Thrash13]

Steve Stricker's up-and-down from the right rough at 18 during Saturday's fourball matches. It secured a half-point for the American team, set the lead at two points heading into the singles matches, and killed any momentum the Europeans were hoping to carry into Sunday.

His putt to match Sergio was huge, but I agree completely with this post. The Europeans had already won the morning session by a point, and if Stricker wouldn't have gutted out the up-and-down at the 18th, the Euros would have won by a point in the afternoon as well. They would have only been down by one point going into Sunday, and they would have had the momentum for sure. That kept things even for the Saturday afternoon matches and got the United States back in the moment.

[Crafty]

Phil Mickleson putting it 30 yards past Harrington on the first hole of the first day

[iacas]

Off the top of my head:

• Chad Campbell's shot to the 18th on Friday afternoon (to earn more points against Poulter and Rose, who three-putted)
• Mahan's putt on 17. Mahan's drive on 18.
• Any of Leonard's putts on Saturday.
• AK's par putt to close out Sergio on Sunday - it sent a big message
• JB's approach shot on 17 on Sunday.

[geezer]

I think Strickers (at least I think it was Stricker) putt on 18 (Saturday) to halve the match was pretty pivotal. It didn't win the cup or anything. But it gave the US a huge advantage (psycologically) going into Sunday.

[dornoch]

In baseball having a 2 run lead going into the 9th is a very good but not impossible for the opponent to come back. Even though the Euros were going uphill into the singles, it wasn't a lights out situation for the US. Plus with no Woods and to a lesser extent no Verplank--the US had two of its better singles players not at the matches. However if those 2 had been on the team, my theory is the US wouldn't have done as well in the team matches.

Day 1 4-Ball match capsules:
Harrington/McDowell vs. Mickelson/Kim (US 2-up)
Key Holes/Shots:
* Mickleson's 30-ft birdie put at 17th.
* Mickleson's GIR 3rd shot at 18th, Euros 2 birdies to halve hole, both miss.
Stats: Harrington 4 birdies, par for halved hole; McDowell 4 birdies, par for halved hole.
Mickleson 6 birdies; Kim 3 birdies, par for halved hole.
Total Birdies: 17

Poulter/Rose vs. Stricker/Curtis (EUROS 4 & 2)
Key Holes/Shots: 7th Hole--US players make a mess of this hole. Poulter's 6-ft birdie putt puts the EUROS 2 UP and is in control for the rest of the match.
Stats: Poulter 4 birdies, 3 pars for halved holes; Rose 2 birdies, 1 par for halved hole.
Stricker 4 birdies, 1 par for halved hole; Curtis 0 birdies, 1 par for halved hole.
Total Birdies: 10

Garcia/Jimenez vs. Leonard/Mahan (US 4 & 3)
Key Holes/Shot: Leonard's 15-ft birdie putt at 12th hole. US go 2-up.
Stats:
Garcia 1 birdie, 1 lag putt par for halved hole; Jimenez 3 birdies, 1 par for halved hole.
Leonard 5 birdies including a hole out from rough, 1 par for halved hole, Mahan 4 birdies.
Totals Birdies: 13

Westwood/Hansen vs. Weekley/Holmes (Halved match)
Key Holes/Shots:
* Weekley's 12-ft birdie putt at 10th, squaring the match.
* Weekley's 40-ft birdie chip at 12th, gives US 1-UP lead.
* Hansen's birdie chip at 16th to halve hole, with Weekley at tap in range for birdie to keep the US lead at 1-UP.
* 18th: Weekley and Holmes finding the water off the tee, Euros putting ball into the fairway, leading to the EUROS winning the 18th and halving the match.
Stats: Westwood 4 birdies, 1 par for halved hole; Hansen 4 birdies, including birdie chip, 1 par for halved hole.
Weekley 2 birdies, including a birdie chip; Holmes 5 birdies.
Total Birdies: 15


Day 2 4-Ball Match Capsules
Westwood/Hansen vs. Weekley/Holmes (US 2 & 1)
Key Holes/Shots: At the 7th, Weekley's birdie putt from fringe drops giving US 2 UP lead.
Stats: Westwood 2 birdies; Hansen 2 birdies, 1 par putt for halve.
Weekley 3 birdies; Holmes 1 birdie and approach shot at 10th set-up 8ft eagle
putt, EUROS end up conceding the hole.
Total birdies: 8

Garcia/Casey vs. Stricker/Curtis (halved match)
Key Holes/Shots:
* Now famous primal scream exchange of birdies at 8th between Garcia and Stricker.
* Stricker's hole out from just off green at 13th. Garcia's approach close to hole and sinks the put to halve the hole.
* 18th: With Casey 10-ft away and Garcia 7-ft away with their birdie opportunities to win the hole, Stricker sinks 15-ft birdie putt to in effect "steal" the hole and with it a half point from the EUROS. This putt was preceded by Stricker's recovery shot from the rough into a collection area and onto the green.
Stats: Garcia 3 birdies, 1 par putt for halve; Casey 2 birdies
Stricker 5 birdies including hole out from just off green; Curtis 1 birdie, 2 par putts
to halve holes.
Total Birdies: 11

Poulter/McDowell vs. Furyk/Perry (EUROS 1 UP)
Key Holes/Shots: Poulter is all over this match from the get go, with Furyk trying to rally late. But McDowell is key in keep the EUROS ahead at critical times with par putts.
* McDowell makes a 45-ft par to halve the 6th.
* McDowell's reply to a conceded birdie to Furyk is to sink a 5-ft birdie putt that keep
the Euros ahead.
* McDowell's 15-foot par halves the 16th to keep EUROS ahead.
Stats: Poulter 6 birdies, 1 par for halved hole; McDowell 3 birdies, 2 pars for halve holes, scramble for par.
Furyk 5 birdies, 1 par for halved hole, Perry 2 birdies, 1 par for halved hole.
Total Birdies: 16

Karlsson/Stenson vs. Mickleson/Mahan (halved match)
Key Shots/Holes: Karlsson's in the zone and the US pair works together to hold Karlsson off. But--
* Karlsson makes another birdie at 13th. Mahan misses his 5-ft birdie putt that spins out. EUROS square the match.
* Mickleson hits very good approach to 17th. Mickelson misses his 5-ft birdie putt that would've put the US 1-up with the 18th to play.
Stats: Karlsson 7 birdies, 1 scramble for par; Stenson 1 birdie
Mickelson 4 birdies, 1 eagle; Mahan 3 birdies
Total birdies: 15 and 1 eagle

Coming soon a look at the alternate shot matches.