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  • Team Euro

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Thread: 2008 Ryder Cup

  1. #16
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Quote Originally Posted by Highlifeman21 View Post
    IIRC, they reconfigured the Ryder Cup points system to be weighted more heavily for the year of the Cup, and also gave more points to how people finished in the Majors.

    My Top 20:

    Woods
    Vijay
    Sergio
    Paddy Harrington
    Els
    Stenson
    Westwood
    Rose
    Scott
    Mickelson
    Cink
    Kim
    Stricker
    Furyk
    Geoff Ogilvy
    Choi
    Karlsson
    M.A. Jimenez
    Villegas
    Luke Donald

    My question is "Why doesn't it matter whether they are on the rise or the decline?"

    While Justin Leonard is attempting to reinvent himself in hopes to prolong his career pre-Champions Tour, I definitely think he was a much better golfer when he won his Open rather than the golfer he is today. According to the World Golf Rankings, he should be the 7th best player on the team, and was 6th in Ryder Cup points, so while I don't want to discount the WGR, I also don't comfortably trust it as a metric to judge golfers accurately.

    Like I said, Team USA, aside from having 1/2 its roster with rookies, has too many golfers on the decline. Many of the guys were better last time Team USA got thumped by the Euros than this time around. Cink, Perry and Kim are the only 3 that are playing much better in 2008 than they did in 2006, so I do put a lot of weight in that.

    Conversely, many of the members of Team Europe are playing some of their best golf of their careers right now, and certainly much better than they hit it in 2006.

    I understand your tOSU vs IU metaphor, but it doesn't apply to golf. tOSU is a machine, and every now and then you'll see an upstart knock them off, but it doesn't happen the majority of the time. In golf, you see the better players and the hotter players prevail the majority of the time. Sure, there are exceptions, but you're not going to see a Hunter Mahan or a JB Holmes or a Boo Weekley or a Ben Curtis take down a Paddy Harrington or a Henrik Stenson or a Justin Rose.

    Bottomline, Team Euro just has better players.


    What's your Top 20? Who ya got?
    My point was the WGC rankings aren't necessarily better or worse than any other arbitrary ranking.

    The point about decline vs upstart was more to the point that Stricker went from #4 to #8 and was thus in a decline, though still ranked ahead of many players on the Euro side. If you take the WGC rankings as valid(you don't) than the US has as many good players as Europe.

    To be fair, I probably feel better about the US' chances because I don't watch the European tour enough. But what happened to Paul Casey? Wasn't he like a top 5 player in the world and then he's brought on as a captains pick, finishing behind Oliver Wilson and Graem Macdowell?
    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    Honest I can't say it any better than Hoosier Red did in his post, he sums it up basically perfectly.


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  3. #17
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoosier Red View Post
    My point was the WGC rankings aren't necessarily better or worse than any other arbitrary ranking.

    The point about decline vs upstart was more to the point that Stricker went from #4 to #8 and was thus in a decline, though still ranked ahead of many players on the Euro side. If you take the WGC rankings as valid(you don't) than the US has as many good players as Europe.

    To be fair, I probably feel better about the US' chances because I don't watch the European tour enough. But what happened to Paul Casey? Wasn't he like a top 5 player in the world and then he's brought on as a captains pick, finishing behind Oliver Wilson and Graem Macdowell?
    IIRC, Paul Casey is returning from a wrist injury, and that's why he was a CP.

    Stricker is the biggest surprise as a CP for the Americans, IMO. I would have thought he would have been a top 4 lock in points, but he was on the outside looking in.

    Part of me really wants to see a 20-8 butt whipping, b/c that's history. I like to see history.

  4. #18
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Friday 4somes, who ya got?

    Harrington & Karlsson vs Mickelson & Kim

    Stenson & Casey vs Leonard & Mahan

    Rose & Poulter vs Cink & Campbell

    Westwood & Garcia vs Perry & Furyk



    -----------------------------------------

    Rose & Poulter is a pairing we'll probably see very often. That being said, I love Cink & Campbell together vs those two. I think this is the only Friday pairing where the Americans can feasibly win a full point. IMO, Perry & Furyk could surprise with a win, but I only see them halving at best.

    My aggressive prediction is Euros 3 - Americans 1 after Friday. My conservative prediction is Euros 2.5 - Americans 1.5.

    I don't think Mickelson & Kim are a good team at all, and I think we'll see them honestly lose at least 4&3.

    Mahan & Leonard is an interesting team, due to their vastly contrasting styles of play. Maybe Azinger knows something the rest of the world does not? Unfortunately, Stenson could beat both of them singlehandedly. The fact that he has an excellent support player in Casey is just an added bonus. We'll probably see a 3&1 or 3&2 victory by the Euros in this match.

    Rose & Poulter is see losing or halving with Cink & Campbell. I love Cink's game, and I think Campbell's ready to re-emerge this week. If Rose & Poulter were playing anyone else, I'd say they'd win easily, but I think that highly of Cink. This will be a great match, IMO.

    Like I said, I don't see Furyk & Perry winning this match outright, but halving this match could be seen as a moral victory. Kentucky's own Perry is out to showcase his homegrown talent, so I think he'll play some of the best golf of his life this week. This match will be determined by the ultra-streaky putting of Sergio Garcia. If Sergio's putter is hot, then the Americans will lose this match. If Sergio has a cold putter, then you'll most likely see a halve. I just don't honestly see Westwood being that insignificant in the match to let the Americans win a full point, regardless of Sergio's putter.


    But seriously Azinger, Mickelson & Kim? Is that rookie hazing by making Kim play with Philly Mick? The amusing part is that Kim's been playing better golf this year than Mickelson, so it will come as no surprise if it's Phil that costs the Americans to lose this match. And lose badly.

  5. #19
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Man you really have some love for Henrik Stenson and hate on Phil Mickelson.

    But hey 3 majors is probably pretty easy.
    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    Honest I can't say it any better than Hoosier Red did in his post, he sums it up basically perfectly.

  6. #20
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Well, that didn't take lone. Phil out drives Harrington by 30 yards, yet Kaarlson steps up and knocks it 5 feet from the hole while Kim leaves Phil a 20 footer. One hole, one down for the US. Ugh!
    Last edited by MWM; 09-19-2008 at 08:24 AM.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  7. #21
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Great!!! So the Americans have lost the first hole in the first two matches. This is going to be fun. Mahan completely choked his first swing. The Leonard/Mahan team doesn't make much sense to me.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  8. #22
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Wow, what a wasted opportunity for MIckelson/Kim on #6. The euro tee shot was barely even playable and they hadto chip out laterally onto the fairway. They wind up winning the hole as they got it up and down from over 200 yards and Phil pushed his approach shot way right where all Kim could do was get it to about 15 feet.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  9. #23
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Quote Originally Posted by Hoosier Red View Post
    Man you really have some love for Henrik Stenson and hate on Phil Mickelson.

    But hey 3 majors is probably pretty easy.
    Phil's out there to cash checks. That's it.

    He takes no pride in his game or his appearance. Golf is a job to him.

    He played well enough in 3 tourneys at the right time to win some Majors, good for him. I give him credit for rethinking the way he played his game around the time that he won his first Masters, but since then he's reverted back to normal Phil (aka playing stupid golf). I look at Phil as a monumental waste of talent. It's not that I hate him (since hate is a strong word), but it's that I'm embarassed by him and he's a disgrace to himself.

    But yeah, Henrik Stenson might as well change his name to Chris Denorfia in my book.

  10. #24
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    WOW, the US has been amazing on the back 9. If play stopped right now, the US would lead 3-1.

    Only wish I could watch this.
    Quote Originally Posted by BuckeyeRed27 View Post
    Honest I can't say it any better than Hoosier Red did in his post, he sums it up basically perfectly.

  11. #25
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    WOW! What a choke job by Kim on #18. He looked like my weekend hacker golf buddies out of that bunker. That could be huge.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  12. #26
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    I was wrong. Wow.

    Great morning by the Americans.

  13. #27
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Quite the turn of events. USA leading 3-1 after the morning. Pressure now all on Europe. I will say this. I am a believer that it's a hell of a lot different playing when you're the big favorite. The Euros are learning that this morning.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  14. #28
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Oh man, Perry also choked on 18 hitting his tee shot in the water. They had a 2 up lead with two to go and blew it. Garcia's unbeaten streak in the alternate shot format remains intact.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  15. #29
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    It was darn near close to being a sweep by the Americans in the morning. Of the two matches that were halved, the Perry/Furyk one SHOULD have been won and the other one very well could have with Kim duffing his bunker shot on 18. Should be an interesting afternoon.
    Grape works as a soda. Sort of as a gum. I wonder why it doesn't work as a pie. Grape pie? There's no grape pie. - Larry David

  16. #30
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    Re: 2008 Ryder Cup

    Quote Originally Posted by Highlifeman21 View Post
    Phil's out there to cash checks. That's it.

    He takes no pride in his game or his appearance. Golf is a job to him.

    He played well enough in 3 tourneys at the right time to win some Majors, good for him. I give him credit for rethinking the way he played his game around the time that he won his first Masters, but since then he's reverted back to normal Phil (aka playing stupid golf). I look at Phil as a monumental waste of talent. It's not that I hate him (since hate is a strong word), but it's that I'm embarassed by him and he's a disgrace to himself.

    But yeah, Henrik Stenson might as well change his name to Chris Denorfia in my book.
    Phil plays like an idiot. When his is on and confident he is one of the toughest players to beat in the world. When he is off, he takes a back seat to a lot of people. I still don't think he has recovered from his brain dead decision in the US Open a few years ago. However Phil could very easily get hot and carry this American team through the Ryder Cup.


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