Brandel Chamblee great comment last night

[majorchamp]

I thought Brandel Chamblee had a great comment about the differences among the American team and the European team.

He said something to the effect of

The Europeans are better "ballstrikers" simply for the fact that on American courses and tournaments, the Americans can get away with wild shots moreso because the rough in many tournaments isn't like the U.S. Open or the Ryder Cup..so you can still score from the rough. On European golf courses, solid ballstriking is moreso required in order to score well.

The way he said it (and I completely gutted the way he said it above :)) is that the Europeans simply out ball-strike the Americans by a large margin.

On a side note..I can't believe just how accurate these players were on the 15th drivable par 4. There was a span of 6 players in a row who hit the green with their drivers. Unreal. It also makes me wonder, based on Brandal's comments, why the Europeans wouldn't do better on American courses if their already great ballstriking would allow them to take advantage of missed shots into the rough. Sorry just rambling.

[markpf189]

The tournament was like dead even..it's not like the Europeans were that superior on the course. The Americans just didn't perform as well in team play, they were much better in singles..so I don't think it's true that the Europeans are better ball strikers, or else they would have won all the single matches today.

[MrKadash]

I'm not buying it. It still took a singles victory at the end for the Europeans to pull it off. The US closed the gap and save for a late match win, both were evenly matched. I don't understand why there has to be this fundamentally flawed excuse as to why the US lost. Could it be the golfers across the pond were a "wee bit" better this week?

[majorchamp]

I'm not buying it. It still took a singles victory at the end for the Europeans to pull it off. The US closed the gap and save for a late match win, both were evenly matched. I don't understand why there has to be this fundamentally flawed excuse as to why the US lost. Could it be the golfers across the pond were a "wee bit" better this week?

I do agree. As much of an asswhoppin the US got on Sunday...they provided (from a match perspective) about an equal asswhoppin during singles

[markpf189]

Also, by this logic you would think that Europeans would win The Open every year, but it's usually an American to win it.

[MrKadash]

Also, by this logic you would think that Europeans would win The Open every year, but it's usually an American to win it.

And, consequently, the US Open rough is some of the nastiest they ever play, and the European record there is not very stellar. I think Brandel's point about the rough (although I didn't hear it) is reaching.

[Clambake]

I kind of agree with Brandel's comment, and I think the different styles of courses helps contribute to this. In the US, the game is pretty much all played in the air - hit your driver high and carry as much as possible, hit your approach shots high spin them to stop, etc. In Europe, they play on courses with more variety, ranging from courses similar to US-style but also links and other courses that also reward the ability to play it low. As a result, ball flight and spin control are more valued skills on the European tour than the PGA Tour.

At Celtic Manor it is a bit more of a US style course so one didn't see the links-style shots, much, but I think difference was seen with spin control - more US players seemed to have problems with spin on the greens. I saw many US shots hit near the hole and then spin backwards too much, while the European players seemed to keep the ball in place more.

It also makes me wonder, based on Brandal's comments, why the Europeans wouldn't do better on American courses if their already great ballstriking would allow them to take advantage of missed shots into the rough.

I think we do see the European's doing better on American courses. 3 of the top 10 PGA money winners are European players this year. Why not more? We don't see a huge number of the European players playing full time in the US. Can't say I blame them, as afterall Europe is their home and they are able to make very good livings within a few hour plane flight of where their families live. Yes, they could probably make more in the US, but don't want to move.

[Zeph]

These guys are so good, and it's so close, you can hardly scramble together a difference on paper.

Both teams got the more accurate guys and the longer guys. You still need a good short game and putting.

Do the Europeans have an advantage playing in Wales? Sure, but I don't think it's as big a factor as some believe. Golf can be such a streaky game, it's up and down every round.

[PiustheDrGolf]

I kind of agree with Brandel's comment, and I think the different styles of courses helps contribute to this. In the US, the game is pretty much all played in the air - hit your driver high and carry as much as possible, hit your approach shots high spin them to stop, etc. In Europe, they play on courses with more variety, ranging from courses similar to US-style but also links and other courses that also reward the ability to play it low. As a result, ball flight and spin control are more valued skills on the European tour than the PGA Tour.

Valid and very accurate analysis. When I first saw the venue, I first thought USA team got a chance. (Steve Stricker even told that he thought he is in PA somewhere). Course is laid out more like US courses, which 'Fly' shots can be awarded. Due to wetness of the course, spin control / distance made big factors to playing well. Obviously, giving pressure to opponents on distance was evidenced in DJ vs. Kaymer, Tiger vs. Molinari, and Phil vs. Hanson matches. Some overcome those distance disadvantage through spin controls like Jimenez vs. Bubba, Stricker vs. Westwood, Jack Johnson vs. Harrington matches.

I remember once Nick Price showed how to hit 150 with 3 different clubs producing 3 different shots to target and made 3 out of 3. vs. K. Perry only showed his 'fly' shots to target just 1 out of 3.

[deronsizemore]

If the US plays like they should, they win this Ryder Cup. I mean, how can the number two player in the world basically be non-existent for the last decade in Ryder Cups? Phil is horrible in team play in Ryder Cups. Even with the large deficit, the US should have won this year. I keep thinking about the short putt that Cink missed in his singles match that would have put him 2 up, but instead he stayed only one up and only got a half point. There are a lot of those little instances where the US side did some things that they don't typically do which would have won the cup. But, that's why they actually play the matches I guess.

Bubba played well throughout the year and earned his spot on the team, but I don't think he's a good fit for the Ryder Cup. Seems to be way to wild at times and Ryder Cups call for very consistent play and solid putting, i.e., Luke Donald.

[ghalfaire]

I mean, how can the number two player in the world basically be non-existent for the last decade in Ryder Cups? Phi is horrible in team play in Ryder Cups.

I believe I heard one of the commentators say that Phil has now set the record for most Ryder Cup losses with 17. Of course he has played in 8 Ryder cups so has more exposure to losing than most, but still I have to wonder how anyone with his obvious talent and skill can have such a bad record in Ryder Cup. I certainly believe he cares so that isn't it. Just a puzzle for me just like the question of "why doesn't the USA do better in the team sessions of Ryder Cup?". You would think since the USA is all one country and Europe is several different countries with differing cultures that we would come together as a team more often than Europe. But we don't seem to. Maybe it is an "enemy of my enemy is my friend" attitude that does it for Europe.

[laconic517]

A few years ago it was Europe makes more putts, now its Europe has better ballstrikers?

What next?

We lost. They played better. It was lost Sunday.

[bwdial]

The whole "target golf" point would be better served if the Ryder Cup had been contested on a links course. If anything, the swamp-like conditions for most of the competition should have suited the Americans' style of golf better. The Europeans play better as a team, the Americans play better as individuals. It's not rocket surgery.

[Range King]

I don't know, but I don't see the point of finding some systematic cause why Euro won this time. It ended with a .5 margin. For me that proves that the teams were equal.
We could try to analyze this, if one team had handed the other team their asses with a 18-10 or so, but the whole thing was decided by a handful of putts.

[Lefty-Golfer]

If the US plays like they should, they win this Ryder Cup. I mean, how can the number two player in the world basically be non-existent for the last decade in Ryder Cups?

Ding Ding Ding if Phils plays to 75 percent of his potential the matches change...oh and tiger was ordinary for the most part. bottom line it was the putting. The US team left so many putts in the heart short it was sick...the rest doesn't matter.

[deronsizemore]

oh and tiger was ordinary for the most part

I agree in the team matches, but in singles, Tiger played like everyone has expected him to. I think he had 7 birdies and an eagle in 15 holes to close out the match? That's a little above ordinary. But yeah, fact remains that if Phil shows up just one of the team days, we win. But, in team events like this, it's tough to pin a loss on any one thing/person. It's a combination of a lot of a lot of things.

[shades9323]

Ding Ding Ding if Phils plays to 75 percent of his potential the matches change...oh and tiger was ordinary for the most part. bottom line it was the putting. The US team left so many putts in the heart short it was sick...the rest doesn't matter.

I wouldn't say Tiger was ordinary. Coming into this Ryder Cup, he was 7-12-1 in team matches and 3-1-1 in singles. He was 2-1 in team play and won his singles match. He earned 3 points in 4 sessions. He has never earned more than 2.5 points before this cup and had competed in all 5 sessions in each of his previous matches. So it was his best Ryder Cup ever.

[MSDOGS1976]

There is very little difference between the Americans and Euro's. Home course is good for at least one point. And that was the difference this year. Brandel over analyzes things and enjoys hearing himself talk.