Can we just ban Phil from the Ryder Cup?

[SubPar]

One thing you can count on at The Ryder Cup is Phil Mickelson under-performing. For whatever reason, flashy 'hot-and-cold' players don't do that well in the Cup format. The world #2 player blowing a four-up lead is not a big surprise... and that is a problem.

Phil just tends to let us down when we need him most. In addition to “captain’s picks”, there should be two “captain's pans”, where they can remove players who have the points to play, but tend to fail in the specific format.

Tiger's record is not so hot either. You need steady, workman-like players in this kind of event. What is it about superstars when they get to the Cup format?

SubPar

[BruceMGF]

One thing you can count on at The Ryder Cup is

Well, he can be benched every day but Sunday.

[iacas]

Tiger's record is not so hot either. You need steady, workman-like players in this kind of event. What is it about superstars when they get to the Cup format?

Tiger's record is better than virtually anyone else, and is much better than anyone else who played anywhere near as many Ryder Cups in this period as he has (look at Jim Furyk and Phil).

I'm tired of people panning Tiger in the Ryder Cup. He's been saddled with players playing crappy 4 rounds out of 5 on teams that lost big-time.

[dornoch]

Of the big 3--Woods, Mickleson, Furyk, none of them have a good record at
the Ryder Cup. If I had to guess Woods has the best record of the 3, but still for one of the best 3 players ever, it's not even a .500 record.

Mickleson's streakiness makes him an alternate shot liability. He should excel in 4-ball but doesn't. But other than Woods or Montgomerie, top players can lose singles matches badly. Heck, even Woods lost to Constantino Rocca in 1997 and by more than 1-up.

It's getting clichéd to say this Ryder Cup was a team effort. Phil got slapped around in singles. But he lifted Kim and the US cause in the Day 1 alternate shot, and he worked together with Mahan to hold of Karlsson in the Day 2 fourball. Instead of relying on a big 3 or 4, each member of the US contributed to the cause at some point in a positive way. Flowing from that, that's why they won the team sessions for the first time since Oak Hill in 1995.

[iacas]

Of the big 3--Woods, Mickleson, Furyk, none of them have a good record at

That doesn't refute anything I've said. Alone, he's 3-1-1 in singles matches - by far a winning record. With sucky partners on losing teams, not so well - but still better than Phil overall or Furyk overall.

[Mr Eagle]

No you cant,Hes a very nice man and we are gaurenteed at least one point next time

[SubPar]

...he lifted Kim and the US cause in the Day 1 alternate shot.

I think Kim might have done the "lifting". It was great to see them play together, but Kim seemed focused and fearless from the first shot.

SubPar

[Big_M]

In the one match his opponents birdied 7 of the last 10... not much you can do in that situation. I agree that Phil's Ryder cup's have been subpar since Brookline, but I wouldn't think of banning him. Harrington has played equally poor the last 2 cups... should he be banned on the other side. If you do the work to qualify you should get a sopt period... how much you are played should be determined via the captain as it is.

[PEZGolf]

One thing you can count on at The Ryder Cup is

You are right about Phil and Tiger, and the Euros will add Padraig Harrington to THE LIST of Ryder Cup failures. Even though Johnny Miller gets some things wrong, he was correct when he said there are some who are Major winners and some who are Ryder Cup winners, and SOME who are both. In the latter category are Arnie, Jack, Walter Hagen, Ben Hogan, Tom Watson, Billy Casper, Lanny Wadkins, Seve, Jose Maria, Faldo, Bernhard Langer, etc. In the category of those who are Major winners but NOT Ryder Cup winners, besides Phil, Tiger, and Padraig, are Davis Love III, Fred Couples, and Jim Furyk. One reason is that these guys have this strong desire to be independent which makes team play a difficult adjustment for them. When Tony Jacklin became the Captain of the Euro Ryder Cup team, he instilled two strong beliefs in his players: 1. Confidence: "You CAN beat those Yanks. YOU are good enough." 2. Esprit de corps: "WE are a TEAM. WE will stick together as a TEAM. WE will think as a TEAM. WE will WIN as a TEAM. The hell with your individual accomplishments. YOU will get NO satisfaction unless the TEAM wins." He turned their program around and the recent successes of the Euros are a result of his attitude adjustments. Some Americans are simply too focused on SELF to get "with the program". Some, like Boo Weekley, JB Holmes, Justin Leonard, Hunter Mayan, etc. have "got the message". RESULT: the Tiger-less team went from losing 18 1/2 to 9 1/2 to WINNING 16 1/2 to 11 1/2. Captain Azinger had the right ideas, including the use of the 4 man pods to instill a "team within a team" spirit and bonding.

[bigfred31]

the ryder cup is just a glorified event. so will sergio's performances in the ryder cup put him in the hof. people put too much emphasis on this overblown event that has lost its luster.

[GregFos]

Tiger's record is better than virtually anyone else, and is much better than anyone else who played anywhere near as many Ryder Cups in this period as he has (look at Jim Furyk and Phil).

I agree. I've heard a number of people question whether it's a coincidence that the U.S. team won when Tiger wasn't there. Of course it's a coincidence. One person doesn't win a team event, and Tiger is an awesome player.

By the way, Rick Rush has a great Tiger Woods golf print - www.rickrushart.com .

[iQuest Golfer]

No! Phil earned his spot.

Some days you got it and some days you don't. But, that doesn't mean that you shoot a guy that has consistently performed over the course of his career and has the stats to make the team based on set criteria.

Each player contributed to the RC win this year. Let's celebrate and start Monday morning quarterbacking in 2010.

Side bar: I think the Europeans will restructure their captain's picks to have more variability like the US. Faldo didn't lose the RC... his players did. Right, worng, or indifferent, had Sergio beat Kim the momentum may have rewritten the outcome.

[SubPar]

... Faldo didn't lose the RC... his players did. Right, worng, or indifferent, had Sergio beat Kim the momentum may have rewritten the outcome.

Faldo had a big hand in the loss due to tactical errors. He gave the Americans a good chance to capture the early momentum on Sunday while Europe needed to gain momentum early to have a chance to close the gap. Also, sitting out Sergio in the middle was beyond comprehension.

This article from NBC Sports got it right regarding Faldo's ego. A more humble and smarter captain would have certainly picked Clarke simply because he is just the kind of guy inspire his teammates, but... possibly overshadow the captain. "Unlike his most recent predecessors, Sam Torrance (2002), Bernhard Langer (2004), and Ian Woosnam (2006), each of whom was brilliant in his own way, Faldo is under the misconception that this Ryder Cup business is about him. It’s not. ...Faldo? His ego demands more. That is why he turned down the chance to pick Clarke to his team, even though the gregarious man from Northern Ireland has won twice this year and is 7-3-3 in his last three Ryder Cups." SubPar

[iacas]

He gave the Americans a good chance to capture the early momentum on Sunday while Europe needed to gain momentum early to have a chance to close the gap.

Worked in 1995, didn't it?

Also, sitting out Sergio in the middle was beyond comprehension.

That's the only session the European Team won. Sergio didn't win a single match.

A more humble and smarter captain would have certainly picked Clarke simply because he is just the kind of guy inspire his teammates, but... possibly overshadow the captain.

And yet Faldo's pick won more points than any American in a losing effort.