2014 Tour Championship Discussion Thread

[Crim]

I feel bad for Ogilvy - at least in a tournament with a cut, you can stop the bleeding and try to reset back to your normal level of excellence.

I'm sure he was cool with it....$132,000 cool.

[RJH999]

I still wonder in what world sole second in the tour championship is a "loss" poor guy - probably get less that $10M - that must suck He's a fantastic golfer and had a really great season There was a comedy short about how people have come view winning and losing.  It was referencing the Olympics and how some people will call the "LOSER" (you know, the guy that came in second by 0.0001 seconds, and the guy that came in third by 0.00008 seconds) and how they make them stand on a lower pedestal, and if they are very tall, they should make him squat down.  And, if we really want to be true to our attitudes, then we really need to be honest and take the silver and bronze medalists and make them lie naked in the mud while the gold medal winner stands on their faces during his national anthem. I like to take the guy that comes in second to last and accuse them of being so bad, that they can't even lose better than the guy that came in last. I feel bad for Ogilvy - at least in a tournament with a cut, you can stop the bleeding and try to reset back to your normal level of excellence. Does anyone have the actual text of Watson's?  I think it's sad that a private text gets out.  Further, I hate that it had any mention of second guessing the Ryder team member content (even if it was just to give Billy a big compliment - I think Watson's a decent guy that way).  The team needs their caption to be showing absolute confidence in his selections so the members are absolutely confident they deserve to be there.  (However, with pro golfers, I doubt it's a problem, certainly they are think they deserve to be there - nature of the personality for sure).

Well Furyk hasn't won since 2010. And he finished second. So yeah, he lost.

[FarawayFairways]

There's a lot that goes into the selection for the Ryder Cup, you're playing Monday morning QB.

If that's the case, don't you think the Captain might have been better off saying so, instead of saying that he woke up on the morning he had to make decision and had a revelation. Look at what he actually said again;

“I had a revelation this morning. I looked at the last time the Ryder Cup was played and I see Webb Simpson 5&4, Webb Simpson 5&4 and I said ‘that’s got to be the guy".

That justification was the centrepiece of the decision to select Webb Simpson. It doesn't really inspire confidence to my mind.

Does anyone have the actual text of Watson's?  I think it's sad that a private text gets out.

“Why didn’t you play this well before I picked my wildcards?” - (this is the only bit I've seen quoted, and no one seems to be disputing it)

The text was made public after the second round at East Lake. At the time Horschel and Kirk were very prominent whilst Mahan and Simpson weren't (I think they were joint second last)

Now it could be of course that the text was sent after the BMW, and took some time to find its way into the public domain? that would seem logical and most likely. In any event, are we really being asked to believe that Watson was incapable of congratulating someone without framing it through the prism of the Ryder Cup?.

[rehmwa]

“Why didn’t you play this well before I picked my wildcards?” - (this is the only bit I've seen quoted, and no one seems to be disputing it)

If that's all, then I find it harmless.

It's wry and amusing and a nice note to Billy.

[newtogolf]

If that's all, then I find it harmless.

It's wry and amusing and a nice note to Billy.

I interpreted it exactly the same way.

[iacas]

That justification was the centrepiece of the decision to select Webb Simpson. It doesn't really inspire confidence to my mind.

No, I took it as the final straw. He was undecided, and that pushed him over the edge. He didn't say it was the sole or even largest contributor to the decision.

“Why didn’t you play this well before I picked my wildcards?” - (this is the only bit I've seen quoted, and no one seems to be disputing it)

That's a great quote and a funny text.

Now it could be of course that the text was sent after the BMW, and took some time to find its way into the public domain? that would seem logical and most likely. In any event, are we really being asked to believe that Watson was incapable of congratulating someone without framing it through the prism of the Ryder Cup?.

Uhm… why should he? He's the Ryder Cup captain. Horschel wasn't picked, so his phrasing it that way - being as he is the Ryder Cup captain - makes it funnier and more poignant. It's relevant. I doubt he randomly texts winners of PGA Tour events - even playoffs events - to congratulate them. So that text had context you seem to feel he had a duty to ignore.

I disagree, and think you're reaching, even for you .

If that's all, then I find it harmless.

It's wry and amusing and a nice note to Billy.

I took it the same way.

[mvmac]

Horschel may have missed the Ryder Cup for the birth of the baby anyway

Quote:

Watson has been criticized for making his picks two weeks too early, which prevented him from having the recent two-time champion on the team. But with Horschel’s wife, Brittany, expecting the couple’s first child that week, it might be a moot point anyway.

“I honestly wasn't going to play the Ryder Cup if we couldn't induce labor early,” he explained after winning the FedEx Cup. “The birth of my child – my first child – I wanted to be there for her and be there for our baby girl. But you know, when I started playing bad this year, I sort of put it out of my mind that I wasn't going to be picked. And obviously I wasn't picked, and it's going to work out perfectly.”

[Mr. Desmond]

Alas, "poor" Furyk ... only $708k.

Of course, Jim would love to win, but it's golf. There is only one champion, but there are many winners.

[RJH999]

Alas, "poor" Furyk ... only $708k. Of course, Jim would love to win, but it's golf. There is only one champion, but there are many winners.

Ok fine. He's a "winner". But he hasn't been a "champion" in four years.

[rehmwa]

Ok fine. He's a "winner". But he hasn't been a "champion" in four years.

I hope he wins one soon.