Monday Singles Pairings Set**
A lot of great matches but no made-for-marketing matchups. Interesting that Tiger, Fowler and Mickelson are in the spots post-Brookline where you try to hide your rookies or slugs from the week. Not that I suspect anyone would disagree with the Captain's placing of them there. He needs wins early!
4:05 a.m. – Steve Stricker (U.S.) vs. Lee Westwood (Europe)
4:17 a.m. – Stewart Cink (U.S.) vs. Rory McIlroy (Europe)
4:29 a.m. – Jim Furyk (U.S.) vs. Luke Donald (Europe)
4:41 a.m. – Dustin Johnson (U.S.) vs. Martin Kaymer (Europe)
4:53 a.m. – Matt Kuchar (U.S.) vs. Ian Poulter (Europe)
5:05 a.m. – Jeff Overton (U.S.) vs. Ross Fisher (Europe)
5:17 a.m. – Bubba Watson (U.S.) vs. Miguel Angel Jimenez (Europe)
5:29 a.m. – Tiger Woods (U.S.) vs. Francesco Molinari (Europe)
5:41 a.m. – Rickie Fowler (U.S.) vs. Edoardo Molinari (Europe)
5:53 a.m. – Phil Mickelson (U.S.) vs. Peter Hanson (Europe)
6:05 a.m. – Zach Johnson (U.S.) vs. Padraig Harrington (Europe)
6:17 a.m. – Hunter Mahan (U.S.) vs. Graeme McDowell (Europe)
Geoff
**Tim Dahlberg's not a fan of Pavin's strategy, though I'm not really sure what else the man could have done based on the play of Woods and Mickelson.
Surprise might be an understatement for Pavin's decision to put Woods out eighth in the day and Mickelson two pairings later. It's almost like the taciturn U.S. captain looked at Woods' balky swing and Mickelson's lousy putter and decided they had little chance of giving him points anyway.
But emotions are everything in the Ryder Cup, and relegating the best two players in the world to support roles can't do much to inspire a U.S. team that kicked away any realistic chance of winning Sunday afternoon after briefly rallying to make it a contest. By the time Woods and Mickelson make the turn Monday, the Europeans might already be celebrating in front of crowds who care as much about this competition as they do.
Steve Elling on what the U.S. faces:
In his past four Ryder appearances, Lefty has managed two victories in 17 matches. Seemingly mindful of the struggles of Woods and Mickelson, Nos. 1-2 in the world ranking, Pavin front-loaded his singles lineup for Monday with veterans Stricker, Cink and Furyk, but left Woods and Lefty in the eighth and 10th slots.
"There have been special days and we are going to need another one," Mickelson said.
He's referring to the rally at Brookline in 1999, which absolutely nobody has forgotten. Sorry to say for the Americans, that goes double for the Euros.
"Other than coming close in a couple of majors, that is easily the most upset I have ever been at Brookline, so I will be impressing that on everyone tonight," Westwood said. "I have never seen grown men cry like they did after that loss at Brookline and we had a bigger lead then than we do now."
Reader Comments (45)
I can see the you/rows getting 8 points, maybe pretty easily.
Ha ha, good one, GC. I think it was a given Westwood was going out first; don't think anyone saw Woods in that slot.
Fisher is smart enough to play off Overton's emotions (which I think he (Jeff) has done pretty well in controling them so far).
I'd hate to have to rely on Padrig if this gets tight late, but McDowell as anchor is pretty good.
Tiger v. Francesco- how the mighty have fallen ( sorry about ruining your fantasies , Kelly).
Stricker plays tough in the opening match and it goes late. May even eke out a halve.
DJ, finally freed from his overly analytical brainiac playing partners JF and PM (man, I'd hate to watch either of those guys parallel park) gets a win.
No where near enough. Euros win session/cup convincingly.
Meanwhile, Americans have turned on their own - Pavin. Corey is a fine man, a keen competitor, a patriot who does not deserve the hateful comments from the crappy internet "cub reporter" media. Blame the format, the colors of the clothes, rain, the rain gear. But in the end, the American golfers just did not get the job done and won't tomorrow.
Tilghman is predictable. She was tweeting that Paddy had "validated" his captain's selection with a 2-1 record. She's the kind of "writer" who thinks a pitcher with 20 wins and a 4.65 ERA is a Cy Young candidate. Run support, Kel. Run support.
Yes, but the weatherman gets paid big bucks to be 50/50, and everyone checks in to see what he has to say for the week.
seriously, it's all fun.
Who knows. If the Americans could read putts, and not leave them short, it wpuld all be different.
Mind you, they'll be going out a couple of hours earlier than originally scheduled for the final session, just on the off chance that....
She looked different; has she had her face done again?
Last year's event was similarly lacking. I had never been behind the scenes at one of these junkets before; the level of sheer waste and excess was eyebrow-raising to one who has seen his share of the same in corporate (and government) circles.
Dozens and dozens of "blazers" and "suits", (the "preening bureaucrats" - and they were), all Chairmen, Presidents, SVPs or VPs of untold golfing bodies from around the world were present, and feted continuously, None of them did anything. The players were paid outrageous amounts for a couple of rounds on a mediocre course. Untold numbers of TV technicians and flunkies, journalists and other hangers-on infested the place.
The overall cost must have been astronomical, and this for a nonsensical event, What must it be at an ordinary tournament, a major, or the Ryder Cup? It is difficult to believe that the sponsors' and television fees could have underwritten the total costs (airfares -first, or private of course, hotels, meals, oop etc), although it's public knowledge that the local government pays a hefty sum to the organizers). I'll make a guess that there were 500 people attending in official capacities on the tournament's expense account. As usual the volunteers who ran the tournament were unpaid; indeed many took time off work as vacation to help. I think we're complete mugs, and I will not be volunteering this year.
KT's FACE: Yes she looks diiferent, but I think it's makeup, i have a 3 daughters, and it looks like she changed some facial coloring or foundation or something like that. I see this sort of thing occasionally.
WALES: Catherine Zeta-Jones is all the reason for Wales to exist IMHO. Whata rump!!!!
DreadfulBS.....
interesting. The way of the world. When it started and all 4 Major winners came, they were playing for a real bonus. Now the sub players are subbed.because the # is not enough.
The VIP deal is about half of why *everything* is in deep shit, be that what it is called or parachute, lagnappe, or gravy or bonuses, or whatever. I am for reward, but the top load has broken the system.
However as a close neighbor of the referenced CZJ for a number of years, I can confirm that she is beautiful, even at 9 am in the local supermarket after dropping the kids off to school,, and a very pleasant person indeed.
I don't think though that she alone can justify Wales.
Just because Geoff makes a cottage industry of shallow So-Cal judgments does not necessitate the rest of us do so.
The mighty TW isn't in a marquee match.
I love golf, and I am and always have been useless at playing it. My criticism of the game at its highest level is not the brilliance of the players or the drama of the occasions; both of those are almost invariably outstanding.
The themes the participants in this blog take up often sound like endless whining, and some are, and some of the posters are insufferable.
But I think I detect that central to all the moaning is the belief that the general public is being sold a bill of goods by the game's marketeers, is being treated as imbeciles by the media, has been conned by the TWs of this world, and has come to believe that golf the game has been usurped and is now simply a vehicle serving as a cash generator for the professional players and administrators of the game.
A case in point happens to be the location and timing of the current Ryder Cup, bought so that some "entrepreneur" can publicize and eventually populate his upscale boarding house. (Same applies to Gleneagles in 2014). It does matter, because the millions of people who actually in the long run pay for the tournament and who wanted to see it live will not now do so as a result of the all too predictable weather problems. So the wanna-be Trump's cash and therefore demands override those of all other interests, especially those of the afficianado.
The Greek Chorus's role, I recall, is to tell the audience what is really going on in the tragedy, rather than what the acting protagonists want it to believe.
And however you hit a golf ball, you just knocked that one out of the park, dreadfulballstriker: +1
You have spoken with great insight. No disagreement. The "game" as packaged is quite bloated and many of us who turn here for information, entertainment and, ever so small, a voice, are seeking a purer form of something we love. Thanks for stating it much better than I. And apologies and thanks to Mr. Shackelford for providing this forum.
~*~*~*Standing O from my POV~*~*~
Bravo!
And the whine has been all too much, I agree, but sadly, all too true.
I caught the CZJ ref, you sorry lucky dog !!!
At the moment it is not looking as close as I'd like - but there are three crucial matches where the current margin of European advantage is only 1 - Fisher v. Overton and the two Molinari matches. I'd like to see some movement in them towards the red side for a really exciting and tight finish.
If things stay as they are it looks like Woods may be in one of the absolute crunch matches, but that a Molinari would hole the winning putt - that would be a nice turn up for everyone.